9 Best Wine Regions in Argentina

Mendoza, the heart of the nation’s wine country, embodies the deep connection between culture, wine, and food in Argentina.

Responsible for approximately 80 percent of the country’s overall production, the region celebrates vineyards that thrive in desert-like conditions and high-altitude areas, resulting in varieties known for their robust flavors and elegant bursts of acidity.

With long hours of sunshine and diverse conditions, you can often find hints of coffee, bitter chocolate, plum, and blackberry as you sample wines from top international cellars and local favorites.

Popular Wines from Mendoza: Cabernet Sauvignon • Torrentes • Chardonnay • Malbec •  Merlot

Located in the northwestern part of Argentina, Catamarca represents the future of Argentina’s wines, with up-and-coming varieties to try on wine-tasting tours.

As the peaks of the Andes loom large over the vineyards, acres of grapes thrive along the Abaucan River, where low- and high-altitude viticultural techniques combine, accentuated by sun-filled days and cool nights.

The remote position in the desert-like landscape and mountainous climate creates a unique experience and distinctive flavor profiles. These qualities remain relatively new compared with those of other wine-growing regions across the country, often resulting in aromas of red fruits, plums, tobacco, leather, or mint.

Popular Wines from Catamarca: Syrah • Malbec • Bonarda • Cabernet Sauvignon • Torrontes

The Andean landscape accentuates the wines in Salta, where vineyards edge the borders of Chile, Paraguay, and Bolivia amidst soaring mountain summits.

With one of the highest-altitude vineyards in the world, Salta’s signature is cultivating wines with intense flavors, balanced acidity, and supple tannins. From full-bodied whites to fruity reds, you can find enticing aromas and vibrant colors that satisfy casual wine drinkers and enthusiasts. Typical aromatics often include currants, figs, and menthol.

Tours of the Salta wine region bring you to estates overlooking the Andean peaks, with vineyards cascading the mountain slopes. Featuring some of the best wines in Argentina, enjoyed with remarkable views, there are few better places to share a glass.

Popular Wines from Salta: Malbec • Tannat • Cabernet Sauvignon • Torrontes • Chardonnay

Patagonia is best known for its rugged mountains, expansive plains, and shimmering glacial fields, but the adventure also extends to the vineyards in Rio Negro.

The impressive, lush valley is a newer wine-growing region in Argentina and acts as a bridge between the characteristics of the Andes Mountains and the Atlantic Ocean. The stretch of valley brimming with vineyards can feel like an oasis among the untamed Patagonian plateau, where you can find balance and elegance among aromas of brine, citrus, cinnamon, or black fruit.

Wine tours of Rio Negro reveal the history and passion of wine production in Patagonia, which, although relatively new, overflows with nuance and character.

Popular Wines from Rio Negro: Pinot Noir • Merlot • Cabernet Franc • Malbec • Sémillon • Sauvignon Blanc

San Juan is the second-largest wine region in Argentina and embraces its placement beneath the towering Andes Mountains.

With mountainous surroundings and a cool climate, vineyards yield high-quality harvests that blend new-world elements with the traditions of old-world winemaking. Wines produced in San Juan are often described as exquisite as the vines are naturally irrigated from rivers in dry, continental weather, accompanied by warm winds that help create the three main sub-regions.

From aromas of forest berries to aniseed, cherries to citrus, the wines of San Juan that you may taste on tours of elite estates create a distinctive experience unlike any other in the wine world.

Popular Wines from San Juan: Syrah • Malbec • Bonarda • Cabernet Franc • Tannat • Chardonnay • Sauvignon Blanc • Viognier

Neuquen sits along the northern edge of Patagonia, serving as a regional wine-tasting companion to Rio Negro.

Here, grape-growers and winemakers use the distinctive climate to create wines unlike anywhere else in the country, blending a pioneering spirit with a disruptive attitude. As one of the youngest wine regions in Argentina, vineyards are exposed to the climate of the Andes to the west and the bordering waters of Rio Negro to the south, with lower elevations than most wine areas in the region. The climatic differences provide delightful variations in the wines’ complexities, with desert nights and warm days encouraging acidity and balance.

On wine-tasting tours of Neuquen, you can learn about the modern but fascinating winemaking history, while enjoying a glass with Patagonian views.

Popular Wines from Neuquen: Malbec • Pinot Noir • Chardonnay • Sauvignon Blanc

The foothills of the Andes Mountains provide the perfect location for the La Rioja wine region, where rugged soil, little rainfall, and the proximity to the equator emphasize the quality of the wines produced across select vineyards.

With wine traditions in the region dating back to the 16th century, past custom has informed contemporary values and you may find aromas of raspberries, aniseed, green peppers, or notes of chocolate and coffee. From rich reds to crisp whites, the wines of La Rioja can reveal the endless possibilities of wine in Argentina.

Tours of the La Rioja estates and cellars allow visitors to immerse themselves in the unique qualities of this phenomenal wine region.

Popular Wines from La Rioja: Cabernet Sauvignon • Malbec • Syrah • Bonarda • Torrontes

Cordoba is one of the oldest wine regions in South America, with a long history of winemaking. From modest beginnings as a producer of accessible wines, Cordoba has grown to gain a reputation as a pioneering producer of malbecs, pinot noirs, and chardonnays.

A small village in the Cordoba countryside is responsible for the production of most of the region's wines, blessed as it is with great soil and high temperatures that give the Cordoba grapes their distinct and robust character.

By exploring the stunning hills surrounding Cordoba city, you can discover the distinctions of these wines and learn more about the regional viticulture with professional sommeliers.

Popular Wines from Cordoba: Malbec • Pinot Noir • Chardonnay

Accessible from Salta, Cafayate is a stunning Argentinian wine region with picturesque emerald and golden vineyards that offset the beautiful purple and red colors of the northern mountains.

Argentina’s unique white grape variety, Torrontés, originates from Cafayate, giving tours of the wine region significance in the country’s history of white wines. With a unique landscape and microclimate, the boutique wineries dotting Cafayate produce a sensational catalog of wines.

Malbec, tannat, and cabernet sauvignons are some of the favorite reds to try on tours that reveal the wonderful qualities of Argentina’s wine offerings.

Popular Wines from Cafayate: Torrontés • Malbec • Tannat • Cabernet Sauvignon

The thrills of Argentina arise from the landscape and culture that stem from life established around wine and food. Finding the right combination of flavors, layered with appropriate textures, creates a lasting impression that’s accentuated by the marvels of the high-altitude plains or sweeping desert landscapes.

To indulge in the fine flavors of the best wine regions in Argentina, explore our collection of Argentina wine tours. You can also browse our Argentina travel guide to learn more about these regions with guides who share everything you need to know about traveling to the country.