Argentina, much like Chile, woke up to its export potential rather late in life but is now producing highly acclaimed wines in a modern New World style.
Argentina produces top-quality grapes in the Mendoza region, which is ideally placed at the foot of the Andes. The summers are hot and dry, but the snow melt from the mountains provides the necessary irrigation.
As for grape varieties, Argentina has a couple of trump cards in the white Torrontes and the widely planted black variety, Malbec. The latter originated from south-west France, and makes both easy drinking wines and more serious styles. Argentina also produces the likes of Chardonnay, Viognier and Semillon in the whites, and Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah for the reds.
A sure sign of Argentina's long-term potential is the amount of foreign investment going into the country from America, Chile and France.
