The best wines from Mendoza

History of wines from Mendoza

Mendoza's winemaking tradition dates back to the middle of the 16th century and is intertwined with Argentina's colonial history, when Jesuit priests planted the region's first vines. Grapes were most likely introduced by Spanish missionaries for sacramental use, laying the groundwork for winemaking. The arrival of Malbec in the mid-19th century, credited to Michel Aimé Pouget, represents a pivotal moment in the wine industry's history.

From the 19th century a great influx of European immigrants moved to Argentina and neighbouring countries bringing a vast knowledge and desire for winemaking. A railway connection between Mendoza and Buenos Aires was completed in 1885 which eased transportation while increasing demand. For much of the twentieth century most of the wine produced in Argentina was consumed domestically. However, in the last 25 years following the quality revolution propelled wines from Mendoza globally.

Grapes of wines from Mendoza

Before the rise of producing high quality wines the majority of wine stock planted were of the pink-skinned high yielding grape varieties, Cereza and Criolla Grande. They are believed to have been introduced by the early Spanish missionaries, they are mainly used for local light colored to rose and sometimes white wines in blended variations rarely leaving the country. Still accounting for almost a quarter of the total wine stocks planted they have been giving way to the iconic varieties of Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Bonarda (Charbono), Pinot Noir and a rise in white varieties like Chardonnay.

With the increase of these newly introduced varieties there is one which stands above them all which is the Malbec grape, it has proven to be highly successful and having adapted to the local climate creating high quality wines which are ever increasing in character, after careful and selective winemaking processes of the local wineries.

The terroir of Mendoza wines

Over 144,000 hectares of vineyards are planted in Mendoza, with altitude being the key ingredient for regulating the climate conditions, where the altitude ranges from 2600 feet up to 5000 feet above sea level offering wine making advantages, where when altitude increases by 300 feet the temperature drops by 1 degree Celsius. First, temperature moderation, sunny and hot days and cool nights from westerly Andean winds which delays ripening, extending the season, enriching flavors, and preserving the acidity. Second, higher altitudes allow more UV penetration, prompting the vines to develop robust skins and polyphenols, enhancing color and flavor complexity.

Despite the desert like drought and minimal rainfall, the vineyards thrive thanks to the melting of the Andean snow. The river Mendoza, which is of glacial origin from high in the Andes , are essential for irrigation during dry seasons, ensuring consistent grape quality. The region's soils, carved out of the Andes by river deposits over millennia, of alluvial clay, and rocky, sandy characteristics with minimal organic content. These well-drained, nutrient-poor soils force vine roots to diligently gather moisture and nutrients, resulting in smaller, more concentrated berries and limited leaf growth.

The ability to combine all these elements and to know the preferences of the grape varieties is what makes the wines unique to the area and the skill of the winemaker to create high quality wines.

Classifications of wines from Mendoza

In the late 20th century the National Viticulture Institute (NVI) of Argentina introduced a wine appellation system, initially the Indicaciones Geográficas (Geographical Indications, or GIs in English) which has been evolving in the last two decades. It has three categories:

Indication of Provenance (IPO) a designation for table wines required to have at least 80% of the stated origin.
Geographical Indication (GI), which has verified origin of the grapes from which can be a province, municipality (departamento), district (distrito), or a non-political zone.
Denomination of Controlled Origin (DOC), with specified geographical limit and production methods, similar to French appelations.

From the creation of this system the NVI assigned GI classifications for every province and for the departments within them, it is then up to the producers themselves to demonstrate their qualitative differences between wines from one another to advocate for GI or DOC status. While for the DOC status there have been very limited certifications provided there has been quite a development for the GI status where Altamira as a non-political zone which lacked defined boundaries applied for the status based on geographical, geological and climate characteristics to define a border, which was approved in 2013 adding the new acknowledged and legal prefix of ‘Paraje’ meaning place to the GI classification.