Section 3 · Still Wines of the World

Argentina

Argentina is the world’s fifth-largest wine producer and the land of altitude. Its signature grape Malbec thrives here like nowhere else. While most of the world’s vineyards sit below 500 metres, Argentina’s are routinely planted at 900–1,500 metres, with some extreme sites above 2,000 metres. This high-altitude viticulture, combined with the country’s signature grape Malbec, gives Argentine wine a personality that is instantly recognisable and impossible to replicate anywhere else.

Aroma kit focus: plum, violet, dark cherry, blackberry, mocha, leather, sweet spice, white flowers

Why Argentina Matters

Argentina matters for the exam because it represents a unique viticultural model, one built on altitude rather than latitude for climate moderation. Where most cool-climate regions rely on proximity to cold ocean currents, high latitude, or cloud cover to keep temperatures in check, Argentina uses elevation. The higher you go, the cooler it gets, the more UV radiation the grapes receive, and the bigger the difference between day and night temperatures.

The result is a style of wine that is uniquely Argentine: deeply coloured, ripe-fruited, velvety, and aromatic, with a freshness that seems impossible given how sunny and warm the days are.

Key fact: Mendoza alone accounts for roughly 70% of Argentina’s wine production. The country’s wine industry is overwhelmingly concentrated in the west, along the eastern foothills of the Andes Mountains, where snowmelt from the Andes provides the irrigation that makes viticulture possible in an otherwise arid landscape.

Argentina Wine Map

Tap or hover over any region to see its key details. Note how all major wine regions are in the west, hugging the Andes.

SALTA (CAFAYATE) MENDOZA UCO VALLEY PATAGONIA KEY Aromatic / distinctive Red wine focus Not to scale · Study reference

Altitude: Argentina’s Defining Factor

Altitude is the single most important factor in Argentine viticulture. It shapes everything: temperature, sunlight, grape style, and wine quality. Understanding how altitude works is essential for the exam.

How Altitude Affects Wine

Effects of High-Altitude Viticulture
Temperature
Temperature drops roughly 0.6°C for every 100m gain in elevation. A vineyard at 1,500m is roughly 6°C cooler than one at 500m at the same latitude. This is how Argentina achieves cool-climate conditions in a warm region.
Diurnal range
At high altitude, days are warm and sunny but nights are dramatically cooler. This large diurnal temperature variation (often 15–20°C) means grapes build sugar and flavour during the day but retain acidity during cold nights. The result: ripe, aromatic wines with fresh, balanced acidity.
UV radiation
The higher the altitude, the more intense the UV light (thinner atmosphere filters less radiation). Grapevines respond to UV stress by producing thicker skins with more anthocyanins (colour pigments) and polyphenols (tannins, flavour compounds). This gives high-altitude wines deep colour, rich tannins, and intense flavour.
Sunlight hours
Clear, dry skies at altitude mean intense, consistent sunlight. Grapes ripen fully even in relatively cool conditions, because the sunlight intensity compensates for the cooler temperatures.
Low humidity
Dry conditions at altitude mean very low disease pressure. Fungal diseases are rarely a problem, and many vineyards can be farmed organically with relative ease.
The altitude equation: High altitude = cooler temperatures + intense UV + large diurnal range + dry conditions. The wines that result have: deep colour + concentrated flavour + ripe tannin + fresh acidity. This combination is what makes Argentine Malbec so distinctive, it’s simultaneously rich and fresh, powerful and elegant.
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Exam Angle

If the exam asks about Argentine wine, altitude should be the first thing you mention. The cause-and-effect chain is: high altitude → cooler temperatures + intense UV → thick skins (colour, tannin) + preserved acidity → deeply coloured, flavour-concentrated wines with fresh acidity. This chain is worth several marks on any short-answer question.

Irrigation: Water from the Andes

Argentina’s wine regions are in a rain shadow east of the Andes, receiving as little as 200mm of rainfall per year. Without irrigation, viticulture would be impossible. The water comes from Andes snowmelt, channelled through an ancient system of canals, ditches, and modern drip irrigation systems.

Irrigation Methods

Water and quality: The shift from flood to drip irrigation has been one of the most important quality drivers in modern Argentine wine. By controlling water supply, growers can induce mild water stress at key points in the growing season, producing smaller berries with more concentrated juice, deeper colour, and more intense flavour. This technique, combined with altitude, is what has propelled Argentine Malbec from a bulk product to a world-class wine.

Malbec: Argentina’s Signature Grape

Origins

Malbec is originally from south-west France, where it is known as Côt and is the dominant grape of Cahors (the “black wine” of south-west France). In Bordeaux, it was once widely planted as a minor blending component, but it fell out of favour after phylloxera because it performed poorly when grafted onto American rootstocks in Bordeaux’s cool, damp climate.

Malbec was brought to Argentina in 1853 by French agronomist Michel Aimé Pouget. In Argentina’s warm, dry, high-altitude conditions, it thrived as never before. Today, Argentina has more Malbec planted than any other country in the world, and Malbec has become synonymous with Argentine wine.

Malbec

Red Argentina’s signature

Viticulture: Malbec responds exceptionally well to altitude. At 900–1,500m, the thick skins develop deep, inky colour and velvety tannin. The grape is medium-ripening and performs well in dry, sunny conditions with cool nights.

Flavour profile: At its best, Argentine Malbec produces wines with:

  • Deep, intense colour: inky purple to ruby, among the deepest of any red variety
  • Plum, dark cherry, blackberry: ripe, generous dark fruit
  • Violet and floral notes: a signature aromatic marker, especially in wines from higher altitudes (1,200m+)
  • Velvety, ripe tannin: firm but not aggressive, giving a smooth, plush texture
  • Sweet spice, mocha, chocolate: from oak ageing (French and/or American)
  • Fresh acidity: preserved by cool nights at altitude, balancing the fruit richness

How altitude changes style:

  • Lower altitude (500–800m): Riper, jammy, softer, more immediately fruity. Less complexity. Often used for value wines.
  • Higher altitude (900–1,200m): More structure, deeper colour, more complexity. Violet and spice notes emerge. The benchmark for premium Malbec.
  • Very high altitude (1,200–1,500m+): The most intense expression. Vivid floral aromatics (violet), deep concentration, firm tannin, and piercing freshness. These are the wines that compete with the world’s best reds.
Malbec in Cahors vs Argentina: French Malbec (Cahors) is typically more austere, tannic, and savoury, with firmer structure and less overt fruit. Argentine Malbec is riper, more fruit-forward, deeper in colour, and more velvety in texture. The altitude and sunshine of Argentina produce a fundamentally different expression of the same grape, a classic example of how terroir shapes wine.

Other Key Grapes

Torrontés

White Argentina’s white signature

Torrontés is Argentina’s signature white grape, a variety found almost nowhere else. It is a natural cross of Mission (Criólla Chica) and Muscat of Alexandria, and it produces some of the most intensely aromatic white wines in the world.

Flavour profile: Explosively floral (rose, jasmine, orange blossom), with peach, apricot, and citrus character. At its best, it has a Muscat-like perfume with crisp acidity. At its worst (from hot sites or picked too late), it can be flabby and lack freshness.

Key region: Salta (specifically the Cafayate Valley in the Calchaquí Valleys), at altitudes of 1,500–2,000m+. The extreme altitude provides the cool nights needed to preserve Torrontés’s acidity and aromatic freshness.

Style: Best drunk young and fresh. Usually unoaked. Typically medium body, moderate alcohol. An excellent food wine with spicy cuisine.

Bonarda

Red Argentina’s second red

Despite being Argentina’s second most-planted red grape, Bonarda is relatively unknown internationally. It is not the same as Italian Bonarda, Argentine Bonarda is actually Douce Noir from Savoie, France. It produces medium to full-bodied, fruity wines with soft tannin, dark cherry and plum character, and moderate acidity. Often good value.

Cabernet Sauvignon

Red

Widely planted and produces excellent results in Mendoza, particularly from Luján de Cuyo and Uco Valley. Argentine Cabernet Sauvignon tends to be ripe and full-bodied with blackcurrant, plum, and spice character. It is used both as a varietal wine and as a blending partner with Malbec, creating some of Argentina’s most complex and age-worthy reds.

Other Varieties

Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc are grown for white wines, with quality improving as producers seek out cooler, higher-altitude sites. Syrah is showing promise, particularly from San Juan and parts of Mendoza, producing peppery, dark-fruited wines. Pinot Noir is grown in cooler areas, especially Patagonia.

Key Regions in Detail

Mendoza

Mendoza is the heart and soul of Argentine wine. Located in the central-west of the country, at the foot of the Andes, it produces roughly 70% of all Argentine wine and contains the most important sub-regions for premium production.

Luján de Cuyo

Often called the “birthplace of Malbec,” Luján de Cuyo is the historic premium wine zone of Mendoza, located just south of the city. Vineyards sit at 900–1,100 metres elevation.

Soils: Alluvial (deposited by rivers flowing from the Andes), with sand, silt, clay, and gravel. Well-drained.

Style: Classic Mendoza Malbec, rich, plummy, velvety, with good concentration and structure. Many of Argentina’s most established Malbec estates are here (Catena Zapata, Achaval-Ferrer, Luigi Bosca).

Key sub-zone: Perdriel and Agrelo are particularly noted for high-quality Malbec.

Uco Valley (Valle de Uco)

The most exciting and dynamic wine region in Argentina today. Located south of Mendoza city, Uco Valley is the frontier of high-altitude viticulture, with vineyards at 900–1,500 metres (some even higher).

Climate: Cooler than Luján de Cuyo due to higher altitude. Dramatically large diurnal range. Very dry. Intense UV radiation. The highest vineyards here are among the highest quality wine vineyards in the world.

Key sub-zones:

  • Tupungato: The highest and coolest of Uco’s three main districts. Excellent for Malbec with vivid floral character, intense colour, and fresh acidity. Also good for Chardonnay.
  • Tunuyán: Slightly warmer. Concentrated Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon. Home to some of Argentina’s most celebrated vineyards.
  • San Carlos: The most southerly and varied. Mix of elevation and exposures.

Soils: Rocky, alluvial, with limestone and calcareous deposits in some areas. These mineral-rich soils, combined with the extreme altitude, are producing Argentina’s most terroir-driven wines.

Significance: Uco Valley represents the cutting edge of Argentine wine. Its high-altitude Malbecs are among the most acclaimed wines in South America, showing that Argentine wine can be about precision and terroir expression, not just ripe fruit and easy drinking.

Maipú

One of Mendoza’s oldest wine zones, located east and slightly lower than Luján de Cuyo (700–850m). Warmer, with more traditional vineyards. Produces good-value Malbec, Bonarda, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Less prestigious than Luján de Cuyo or Uco, but historically important.

Eastern Mendoza

The lower-altitude flatlands east of Mendoza city. Warmer, higher yields, flood-irrigated. This is where the bulk of Mendoza’s volume production comes from, simple, fruity wines for the domestic market and inexpensive exports. The Argentine equivalent of California’s Central Valley.

Salta

Salta, Cafayate & Calchaquí Valleys

In the far northwest of Argentina, the Calchaquí Valleys (particularly around the town of Cafayate) contain some of the highest vineyards in the world, at 1,500–2,000m+ elevation. Despite being much closer to the equator than Mendoza (roughly 26°S vs 33°S), the extreme altitude keeps temperatures moderate.

Key grape: Torrontés, this is the benchmark region for Argentina’s signature white. The altitude preserves the grape’s aromatic intensity and acidity.

Also notable: Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Tannat from these extreme altitudes show remarkable concentration and freshness.

Patagonia

Patagonia (Río Negro & Neuquén)

Argentina’s most southerly wine region, and an emerging area of great interest. Unlike Mendoza, Patagonia achieves its cool climate through latitude (39–40°S) rather than altitude.

Climate: Cool, windy, dry. Long sunshine hours but lower temperatures than Mendoza. The strong Patagonian wind is both a challenge (can damage vines) and an advantage (reduces disease pressure, thickens skins).

Key grapes: Pinot Noir (the most promising), Malbec (a lighter, more elegant style than Mendoza), Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Torrontés.

Significance: Patagonia represents the future of cool-climate Argentine wine. Its Pinot Noir is attracting increasing attention, and the region offers a distinctly different expression of Argentine terroir, leaner, fresher, more mineral-driven.

Argentina’s Key Regions Compared

Factor Luján de Cuyo Uco Valley Salta Patagonia
Altitude 900–1,100m 900–1,500m 1,500–2,000m+ 250–450m
Cooling mechanism Altitude Altitude (extreme) Altitude (extreme) Latitude + wind
Key red grape Malbec Malbec, Cab Sauv Malbec, Tannat Pinot Noir, Malbec
Key white grape Chardonnay Chardonnay Torrontés Chardonnay, Sauv Blanc
Style Classic, rich, velvety Intense, floral, precise Aromatic, concentrated Lean, fresh, mineral

What Argentine Wine Tastes Like: SAT Notes

Mendoza Malbec (Premium)

SAT Profile, Mendoza Malbec
Appearance
Deep purple to inky ruby. Very high intensity. Often opaque in youth.
Nose
Ripe plum, dark cherry, blackberry, violet (signature). With oak: mocha, chocolate, sweet spice, vanilla. Sometimes leather or smoke with age.
Palate
Dry. Medium(+) to high tannin (velvety, ripe). Medium(+) acidity (higher from altitude sites). Full body. High alcohol (14–15%). Long, fruit-driven finish.
Quality cues
Depth of colour, concentration, velvety tannin texture, floral complexity (violet), balance between richness and freshness.

Salta Torrontés

SAT Profile, Torrontés
Appearance
Pale to medium lemon. Medium intensity.
Nose
Intensely floral (rose, jasmine, orange blossom). Peach, apricot, citrus. Muscat-like perfume. Very aromatic.
Palate
Dry (or off-dry). Medium acidity (ideally fresh, not flabby). Medium body. Moderate alcohol (12.5–14%). Floral, fruity finish.
Quality cues
Aromatic intensity, freshness (acidity balance), purity of floral/fruit expression. Best examples are vibrant, not heavy.

What the Exam Expects You to Know

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Short Answer Strategy

For an Argentine wine question, build your answer around altitude: explain how altitude creates cooling (temperature drop per 100m), intense UV (thick skins, deep colour), and large diurnal range (ripe fruit + fresh acidity). Then connect to Malbec’s style: deep colour, plum/violet character, velvety tannin. Finally, mention the specific region (Luján de Cuyo or Uco Valley) with its altitude range. This demonstrates a clear understanding of cause and effect.

Active Recall Prompts

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