Argentina's Wine Industry Analysis

This assignment delves into the thriving Argentine wine industry. It examines the historical context, modernization efforts, unique geographical conditions in regions like Mendoza, and the prominent grape varieties used in wine production, such as Malbec, Bonarda, and Torontés. The analysis highlights Argentina's ascent as a major global wine producer.

Running head: ARGENTINA’S WINE INDUSTRY 1
Argentina’s Wine Industry
Name
Institution

ARGENTINA’S WINE INDUSTRY 2
Introduction
Worldwide Argentina is fifth behind France, Italy, Spain and USA in the volume of wine
produced but it tops in South America. Argentina has been growing wine grapes since the
sixteenth century with Mendoza being the largest producers of the grapes. In recent years the
industry has embarked on developing the methods of wine production to really compete with the
other four countries. They are now being backed with major wine companies internationally and
thus the quality of their products has been improving and the industry now produces some of the
best products. One of the reasons behind the success of Argentina’s wine industry is its heritage
that includes old vines and peculiar geographical conditions. Argentina produces a variety of
wines stemming from various types of grapes. These types of grapes include Malbec that
produces the largest percentage of the best Argentine wines, Bonarda that is of Italian origin and
Torontés which produces the aromatic white wines.
Keywords
Grapes; Wine; Geographical conditions

ARGENTINA’S WINE INDUSTRY 3
Argentina’s Wine Industry
Argentina started producing wine as early as the 16th century but most of it was used
domestically. As a result producers were more concerned about quantity over quality and this led
to collapse in the industry (Barnes, 2016). Until in the 90’s when the urge to export wine outside
South America increased did they start improving the quality of wine. This was aided by
business men both local and foreign who developed the industry towards producing small
volumes of wine but of high quality for both domestic use and export (Mount, 2013). New
technologies have also been incorporated to improve the quality of wine produced.
Geographical Conditions
Mendoza is Argentina’s biggest wine producer with up to 80% of wine being produced in
this region. It is located in the west central area of Argentina along Andes Mountains. The high
altitudes plus irrigation from the mountain favor the growth of grapes. High altitudes imply that
the grapes are subjected to cooler temperatures thus improving their growth. The warm climate
improves maturity and also increases the aroma concentration and color of the grapes (Catena,
2011).
The soil in Mendoza is alluvial with sediments of clay and sand. This soil has a low
percentage of organic matter and this limits the growth of the grapevines and thus leading to
production of quality grapes.

ARGENTINA’S WINE INDUSTRY 4
Other wine making regions include San Juan, La Rioja, Catamarca and Salta among
others. San Juan is the second largest wine producers after Mendoza in Argentina. It is drier than
Mendoza and produces the best wine. La Rioja is among the first establishments of wine
production in Argentina (Dougherty, 2012). It is considerably warmer and has facilities like drip
irrigation systems that facilitate the growth of Torontés grapes that are used in the manufacture
of white wine.
Types of Grapes
There are several types of grapes that are used to manufacture a variety of wine. The
main types include the following;
Malbec
It is the most popular grape type in Argentina common in Mendoza. It covers a wide vast
of land of about 35% of total vineyard area (J. Patrick Henderson, 2012). It has high tannin
content and characterized by inky-dark color. It is used in the manufacture of red wine.
Bonarda
It is of Italian origin and it is black in color. It is the second most popular grape after
Malbec with most planting done in Mendoza. It is used to make Italian red wine (Oz Clarke,
2015). Wines made of Bonarda are very fruity but has low tannin content compared to Malbec
but offers more acidity.
Torontés
It is of Spanish origin and is used to manufacture aromatic white wine whose acidity is
moderate. Normally originate from high elevated vineyards of Salta.

ARGENTINA’S WINE INDUSTRY 5
Conclusion
Argentine wine has grown in popularity and is being exported to many countries outside
South America thus improving trading activities between Argentina and other countries. This has
also increased tourism in Argentina as a lot of tourists visit to have a taste of their famous brand
of wine. The wine brands are numerous with the common ones being the Torontés, Bonarda and
Malbec that were introduced to Argentina by the Spanish, Italian and French respectively. Wine
is among Argentina’s biggest exports and is thus a top drawer in the country’s economic growth.
Argentina has become a major world wine producer thus competing favorably in the market with
other countries.

ARGENTINA’S WINE INDUSTRY 6
References
Barnes, C. (2016). Conversations with Winemakers: Mendoza, Argentina. Rome: Pronoun.
Catena, L. (2011). Vino Argentino. Chicago: Chronicle Books.
Dougherty, P. H. (2012). The Geography of wine. Rome: Springer Science & Business Media.
J. Patrick Henderson, D. R. (2012). About Wine. Marseille: Cengage Learning.
Mount, I. (2013). The Vineyard at the End of the World. New York: W. W. Norton, Incorporated.
Oz Clarke, M. R. (2015). Grapes & Wines. New Jersey: Pavillion Books.