Get to know: Argentinian Wine

Our Argentinian wine online collection contains a carefully curated selection of wines from winemakers we love. Get to know more about Argentinian wine with our quick guide below:

If you're into wine, you'll love Argentinian wine. It's one of the top wine-producing countries in the Southern Hemisphere, and also its largest. It is a hot country and almost all of Argentina’s vines are irrigated, commonly and famously, using snowmelt water from the Andes. Argentinian wine is also defined by altitude. The vast majority of vines grown throughout the country for high-quality wine are planted somewhere between 1,000 metres and 2,500 metres above sea level. The higher the altitude the drier the air, and the more stress is put on the vines due to changing day and night temperatures the grapes take longer to ripen and this all results in fruit with greater concentration, more purity and complexity of flavour.

Key Regions for Argentina Wine

The biggest and most famous one is Mendoza, where they make tremendous wines from the Malbec grape that can vary from rich and fruity to dense and structured. The region is very hot and the style of the wine can vary based on the altitude of the vineyard and the winemaker's use of oak maturation in the winery. 

But there are other cool regions too, like Salta, where they make wine from Torrontés, a very aromatic white wine; and San Juan, La Rioja and Catamarca, where they make Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Bonarda that are bold and intense.

Patagonia, where they make Malbec but also Pinot Noir and Chardonnay that are smooth and elegant; is one of the few wine high quality producing regions that is at a lower altitude.

Argentina is always trying new things with wine, so you'll never get bored of exploring their wines.

Key Grape Varieties

Malbec - The blockbuster grape variety. The popular commercial styles of bold fruity and lots of new oak with chewy tannins that you'd pair with a steak are still very much around, but for those who are experiencing a little Malbec fatigue, we'd recommend trying the new wave of fresher Malbec wines that focus on the fruit.

Chardonnay - the quality of Argentina's white wines is gaining a lot of recognition now after long being overshadowed by the reds. Chardonnay develops bold tropical flavours in hot climates that are often enhanced by maturation in new oak to add toasty, buttery flavours. The fruit grown in high-altitude vineyards helps these wines develop a freshness and acidity that gives them energy and clarity. 

Torrontés - A variety indigenous to Argentina, this is a very aromatic white wine with sweet floral aromas of rose petals and flavours of white peach and lemon zest. Dry on the palate, the best examples can be found in Salta.