WineGuessrArgentine wines
Argentina is the world's fifth-largest wine producer and the home of high-altitude Malbec. Mendoza makes more than 60% of its wine, with Luján de Cuyo and Uco Valley vineyards at 850 to 1,520 m, and Salta's Cafayate grows grapes at about 1,660 m.
WineGuessr features 9 wines from Argentina, in 4 regions. Mendoza has the most, with 6.
Wine history
In 1556 the priest Juan Cedrón planted Argentina's first vineyard with cuttings from Chile's Central Valley, in what is now the San Juan and Mendoza wine region, and Jesuit missionaries set up a commercial vineyard in Santiago del Estero in 1557. Plantings spread through Mendoza in the early 1560s and San Juan between 1569 and 1589. In the 19th century Domingo Faustino Sarmiento had the French agronomist Michel Aimé Pouget bring vine cuttings from France, including the first Malbec. The railway linking Mendoza to Buenos Aires, completed in 1885, opened the domestic market. In 1993 Luján de Cuyo became Mendoza's first controlled appellation, and in November 2010 the government declared wine Argentina's national liquor.
Wine regions and appellations
Most vineyards sit in the dry foothills of the Andes. Mendoza dominates, with 146,080 ha in 2003, and its subregions include Luján de Cuyo, Maipú, San Rafael and, in the Uco Valley, Tupungato and Paraje Altamira; vineyards in Luján de Cuyo and the Uco Valley lie at 850 to 1,520 m. San Juan, with over 47,000 ha in 2003, includes the Valle de Tulum. In the north, Cafayate in Salta lies at 1,660 m, and Bodega Colomé has vineyards at 2,250 m and 3,000 m. Patagonia's Neuquén is the main southern area.
Grapes and what to drink
Malbec is the national grape, with over 20,000 ha planted in 2003, and Argentina celebrates Malbec World Day every 17 April. The variety comes from France, where it is also called Côt and must make up at least 70% of Cahors. Mendoza's high, sunny vineyards in Luján de Cuyo, Maipú, San Rafael and the Uco Valley give most of the country's Malbec, and Cabernet Sauvignon is grown there too. Tupungato in the Uco Valley also grows Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc, and Patagonian Neuquén adds Merlot and Pinot Noir. Good starting points are a Malbec from Paraje Altamira or Luján de Cuyo, a white from Cafayate, or Cheval des Andes, a Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon blend.
Wine regions of Argentina
Grapes of Argentina
Mendoza: 6 wines
Neuquén: 1 wine
Salta: 1 wine
San Juan: 1 wine
Wine in Argentina: questions and answers
What grape is used in Argentine Malbec?
Argentine Malbec is made from the Malbec grape, a French variety also known as Côt and used in Cahors. It was brought to Argentina in the 19th century by Michel Aimé Pouget at the request of Domingo Faustino Sarmiento.
Where is most Argentine wine made?
Mendoza province makes more than 60% of Argentine wine and an even larger share of its exports. San Juan is the second region by area.
When is Malbec World Day?
Malbec World Day is celebrated every year on 17 April.
How high are Argentina's vineyards?
Mendoza's Luján de Cuyo and Uco Valley vineyards lie between 850 and 1,520 m, and Cafayate in Salta is at about 1,660 m. Bodega Colomé in Salta has vineyards at 2,250 m and 3,000 m.
Where does Argentina rank among wine producers?
Argentina is the fifth-largest wine producer in the world. In 2010 the government declared wine the national liquor.
Wines from other countries
Sources: en.wikipedia.org, en.wikipedia.org
Last reviewed October 2026.