The beauty and charm of Argentina has long been attracting tourists from all over the globe. The amazing Buenos Aires is a pulsating modern city offering a wide variety of cultural and leisure activities. Furthermore, the overwhelming natural diversity with the Andes and the Patagonia region is more than inviting and local Gaucho culture is a very appealing one to explore. Now, a different aspect of Argentina is finding its way to the headlines: wine tasting has become truly ‘big’.
The Mendoza Province on the foothills of the Andes is without doubt one of the most popular wine tasting regions of this wonderful country. In fact, the quality and variety of wines produced here is largely praised and appealing. Due to a very diverse terrain of the province, many kinds of wine are grown and produced here. Malbec, Cabernet, Merlot, Syrah and Bonarda or white Chardonnay and Chenin are the most noteworthy ones.
A dedicated wine enthusiast has a colorful palette of choices. Organized half-day or full-day tours are meticulously designed by local tourist agencies. Those who prefer to explore the wine routes on their own may gather all the crucial information – easy to obtain in the area – and then create their own suitable itinerary.
The Valle de Viejo Wine Route is very popular among visitors to Argentina. If on an organized tour, the wine lovers visit the Foundational Area Museum at Mendoza and then transfer to the Santa Ana vineyards and cellars. These have been around for more than a hundred years and offer a contrasting combination of unique and very old architecture with a modern factory.
Another very notable route is the Altos of the River. The area Luján de Cuyo is famous for the quality of its wines. The “Etchart” Cellars were bought by the French more than a decade ago and the takeover has been successful. Recently, local wine received several awards. Well worth visiting is also the renowned Wine Cellar La Carrodilla, López cellars in Maipú, or the Vistalba Valley.
