Argentinië

Argentina, located in South America, is a long stretched country, which means that many different climate types occur. Most wine-growing areas are located in western Argentina. Here you will find the Andes Mountains that lie between Argentina and Chile. This Andes mountain range stops a lot of rain, so you will find many warm and dry areas in the west of Argentina. The vineyards in Argentina are often in the higher mountain section. The reason for this is that it is much cooler in the higher mountain section, which keeps the aromas of the grapes more intact.

Argentina used to produce bulk wines for its own population. Cereza and Criolla are the commonly used varieties for these bulk wines, because they yield a lot of grapes with a light pink colored skin. A white sweet wine was often produced from these grapes. Nowadays Argentina exports more wine abroad. The reason for this turnaround is the change in the quality of the wines. Where many bulk wines used to be produced, Argentina now mainly produces quality wines.

In Argentina you will now find many good types of wine, using well-known grape varieties, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Chardonnay. The region with the largest area of wine-growing land is the Mendoza region. This region itself is also divided into different areas. In the north of Mendoza, for example, you will mainly find a fruity white wine and the red young wine. In the middle part of Mendoza you will find many quality wines, this is because the soil here contains many minerals. The reason that this soil contains so many minerals is the big difference in temperature between day and night. In this area you will find, for example, a very good quality Malbec, originally a French grape. This is by now the grape most cultivated in Argentina.

In addition to the Mendoza region, you will find Patagonia, a wine region located towards the South Pole, with the most famous regions being the Neuquen and the Rio Negro. Neuquen has a warm and dry climate. The soil in this wine region is ideal for producing a Pinot Noir or a Cabernet Sauvignon. Catena Zapata belongs to the absolute top from Mendoza and we have the honor to carry the range of them.