Argentina
Argentina is one of the world’s largest wine-producing countries. Argentina is mainly an arid landscape that profits from irrigating waters off the mountains, and its warmer inland region encourages vine growth down the entire length of the country. In the north, the vineyards lie at the same latitude as Morocco; and in the south, vineyards share latitude with New Zealand. One of the vital aspects to growing quality wine grapes here is altitude, with vineyards planted at 2,000 and 3,000 feet to take advantage of the cooler temperatures. Argentine wines are made from grapes such as traditional Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and also varieties like Tempranillo, Bonarda, Barbera, Torrontés and Malbec.
Mendoza, the epicentre of the Argentinean wine industry, lies just a hundred miles or so east of Santiago, the capital city of Chile. San Juan, to the north, has a long-standing tradition for the production of fortified wines. La Rioja is the third biggest Argentina wine region after Mendoza and San Juan, and claims to have the longest continued history of wine production in Argentina, having been planted with grapes by Spanish missionaries in the mid-16th century.