Ever since the Spanish missionaries arrived in Argentina a few hundred years ago, the La Rioja region had the feeling of an amazing wine destiny, and you might wonder if those monks thought of it when bringing the Rioja name from Spain in the 16th century. In an area which is almost like a desert, you will find the third largest wine region of Argentina, giving some amazing wines to the world.

The most important part of La Rioja is Chilecito Valley, with excellent wine growing climate conditions. This is especially great for the common Bonarda grapes, but also Torrontés, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Chardonnay vines are thriving.

If you plan on going to La Rioja, I would suggest starting your tour in the city of La Rioja. There you’ll find a number of interesting historical monuments, plazas, churches and other interesting landmarks – often with a strong European influence. If you enjoy festivals and have a free choice on when to visit, visit the city in March for the Festival del Vinador and celebrate local vintners with dance, wine tasting and music.

This is the seventh part of 10 about amazing and beautiful wine regions to visit in South America, a series which has been previously summarized in GotSaga. For more wine places, go through the backlogs to read about wine places in France and Spain. After South America, we promise you the world, and a look at the amazing wine regions in New Zealand. Enjoy!

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With an average altitude of 1700 meter above sea level and 300 annual sunny days, Salta has some of the highest altitudes in the world of wine. One of the sub-regions – the one we would most heartily recommend – is the mountainous and picturesque subregion of Cafayete. Despite the region having altitudes among the highest on the planet for wine growing, you actually still get some of the most suitable climates for viticulture in the world.

Considering the unusual conditions, many adventure travellers (who also love their wine) consider the Salta wine region their favourite wine destination in the world. If you love mountains and wine, grab your oxygen masks and climb up to the El Arenal vineyards – situated at 3 111 metres, having the current world record when it comes to altitude for vineyards.

This is the sixth part of 10 about amazing and beautiful wine regions to visit in South America, a series which has been previously summarized in GotSaga. For more wine places, go through the backlogs to read about wine places in France and Spain. After South America, we promise you the world, and a look at the amazing wine regions in New Zealand. Enjoy!

 

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If you love sparkling wine, and perhaps enjoy a cooler climate, the Rio Negro wine region is probably a great destination for you. Just like in other Argentinean wine regions, many wineries have converted buildings into hotels and inns following the wine tourism boom, to let you experience the combination of great wine at the source with great living spaces. You can however also find Pinot Noir and Merlot wines in a European style in the windy and dry wine Rio Negro region – where the climate allows for more organic wine products and lets growers stay away from agrochemicals.

For a great wine experience and education, I would recommend visiting the Bodega Humberto Canale, which combines a century of wine producing knowledge with modern techniques; the Bodega Estepa with their wide variety of excellent wines, growing vines on both sides of the river in non-traditional picturesque vineyards

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This is the fourth part of 10 about amazing and beautiful wine regions to visit in South America, a series which has been previously summarized in GotSaga. For more wine places, go through the backlogs to read about wine places in France and Spain. After South America, we promise you the world, and a look at the greatest wine destinations in New Zealand. Enjoy!

The Mendoza region is now one of the top tourist destinations in Argentina. This was the first wine region I heard of in the country, and still the one I hear mentioned most often. Mendoza also has by far the highest amount of wine production in the country with 80% being produced here, as well as the longest history of wine making. There are around 1500 wineries in the region, divided into the five sub-regions Lujan de Cuyo, Uco Valley, Maipú (sometimes referred to as ‘The Centre’), San Rafael in the south and Rivadavia in the east. Lujan de Cuyo is considered being the “home of Malbec”, and I would highly recommend going there for anyone who enjoys the Malbec wines – I know I enjoyed it! You would also find a lot of Cabernet Sauvignon, as well as some Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Syrah being grown in the region

Besides being the main wine producing region of the country, Mendoza is also a haven for adventure travelers – with world class hiking, biking, fishing, rafting and skiing, all within two hours flight from Buenos Aires, or 50 minutes from Santiago, the capital of Chile. If you enjoy festivals, you might love the Mendoza wine festival in March

 

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