Quick, what are the top 5 wine producing countries in the world? You know France, Italy and Spain all duke it out for 1^st place every year, but after that…the ‘ole U.S.A. actually takes fourth, and 5^th place may surprise you: Argentina. The vast nation in the southern tip of South America produces more wine than you may have thought. The amount that gets exported isn’t quite as high as other nations, on account of the Argentineans drink quite a lot of their own wine. Wine in Argentina is produced in numerous regions from international grapes and local varieties. In the past, focus has been on quantity, however quality wine production is the new standard in many vineyards

The largest producing region in Argentina is called Mendoza, which lies in the foothill area of the Andes on the western side of the nation. Two-thirds of all the wine in Argentina comes from this region at about the north-south center of the country. The vineyards here are some of the highest in the world averaging around 2,500 feet above sea level. Close proximity to the Andes are a double-edge sword for Mendoza. They provide the area with a sheltered, continental climate that doesn’t experience extremes in temperatures; but they also cast the region in a rain shadow which results in semi-desert like conditions. (Very similar to the vineyards in eastern Washington State) Fortunately the mountains provide a snowmelt every spring, which can be harnessed for irrigation.

You’ve probably had the most popular export from Mendoza by now: Malbec. This old world French grape came to Argentina with immigrants in the 1800’s and has settled to the Argentine environment very nicely. These days, Malbec production in Argentina vastly outnumbers French production. Malbec from Mendoza is generally a dark red wine, with smooth tannins and generous fruit flavors.

It’s been said that Malbec is the new Merlot because it appeals to consumers in many of the same ways: it’s not terribly challenging, it’s generally softer and less acidic and tannic and it’s a little exotic—but not too wild. There’s a lot of bulk production out there that can be had for less than $10. Fortunately, there’s been a strong movement to producing much higher quality Malbec, with smaller barrel aging, vineyard designation and improved vine maintenance. This has amazingly been offered without a substantial markup. So now it’s possible to find many high-quality bottles of Malbec in the $15-20 range, which are usually worth the price.

Mendoza is a big region and there are several sub-areas that have begun to specialize in specific grapes and quality production. Valle de Uco is a region planted very high in the hills, around 4,000 feet, the dominant grapes here is Chardonnay. Maipú is a region known for gravel in the vineyards and excellent Cabernet Sauvignon. Finally, Lujan de Coyo needs to be mentioned as the first area in Argentina to be given appellation designation. The Lujan de Coyo area is known for the consistent high quality of its Malbec.