Argentina has several wine regions, but almost all the wine anyone gets in the US is from Mendoza -- also both a city and a province. Incidentally, little wine from Mendoza comes from around the city itself but instead out of town.
Other wine regions here include areas around Cordoba, San Juan and Cafayate. Cafayate is a city and valley south of Salta by some 100 miles. It´s not far from the border with Chile and in the Andes´ foothills and rainshadow.
This area is dry, very sunny and pretty high -- most vineyards are at 7,000 feet and some are higher. A wine shop guy told me some of the highest vineyards in the world are here, and that the altitude (somehow?) made for wines with big alcohol contents -- one bottle I saw registered in at 16.5 percent.
The area is also visually spectacular, with loose forests of saguaro-like cactus, whitewashed villages, and the occasional 19,000-foot mountain with small glaciers on it.
Here are two wines from the region:
Vasija Secreta Cabernet Valle de Cafayate. Did not figure out why it´s labelled ´cabernet´ but this is a common cheapie and went well with a steak.
Bodegas El Porvenir de los Andes Amauta 2004 Valle de Cafayate. A blend of 60 percent malbec, 30 percent cab sauv and 10 percent syrah. Bought in a wine shop in Cachi for US$13 and shows how a modest uptick in price yields spectacular results. Beautiful.
Road to Cachi
Salta at night
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