Quality wine is only possible with the best grapes, and best grapes have a lot to do with what the French call the "terroir". How would you define an ideal "terroir"? :

Consider as a key element unpolluted environments, abundant provision of clear waters from snows in the high Andes and the "grandeur" of a wonderful scenery.

Add to this all calcareous stony-sandy soils, where development is slow and fruits are rich and concentrated. Dry climate will to allow for healthy grapes with hardly any requirements of fungicides and chemicals. Include to this warm sunny days and cool nights and you will create mature phenols and a fruity, intense, character for your grapes. Are you getting the picture?

Yes, there is no doubt; the heights of the Andes in Mendoza can well be considered an outstanding "terroir".

We have now achieved quality grapes, rich in character and flavour. It is time for our wine makers to decide the beginning of the harvest; transforming the fruit juice into oak barrel aged wine. Varieties such as our very Argentine Malbec will magically turn into the wonderful beverage that has seduced the palates of many wine experts and conquered innumerable awards worldwide. But it is not only the Malbec that claims a special mention. Other red varieties that have proved to be remarkable are the Cabernet Sauvignon and the Merlot. Lower and warmer lying areas build mature Syrah grapes that produce thick, raisin taste wines.

As for Pinot Noir, this variety surprisingly matures and develops a unique character when cultivated in the altitude of the Andes. This feature is also common to some white grapes that also benefit from a cooler climate and do not need so much temperature to attain maturity. Among these we should highlight the Chardonnay from the Alto Valle de Uco, an amazing slightly sweet wine with a mixture of vegetable and deep fruit savours. Also to be mentioned is the Sauvignon Blanc, a fresh herbal and citric dry wine. A further interesting and well-established local white grape variety is Semillon. Finally a chapter is reserved for the unique fruity Torrontes grapes grown up north in the area of Salta, a wine originally created by the Jesuits from quite ordinary raisin grapes and that today is acclaimed worldwide for it's quality.

In short Argentina is proving to be a latecomer in the international fine wine industry, but already word is out and enologists are buzzing that here a triumphant terroir is very much in the making.

Nicolas Randle, Agronomy engineer