Starting in the north, Catamarca, Salta, and Jujuy total about 6,000 hectares of land under vine. Catamarca has the most, with 3,000 hectares. Jujuy makes almost nothing besides cheap table wine. Salta is the most prestigous of the three. Salta is the highest altitude vineyard in the world, at 2,000 meters above sea level. In the summer, the daytime temperatures are 70 degrees farenheit, and at night they dip down to 54. Salta is responsible for only 2% of the total output of wine in Argentina. Controlled irrigation is a necessity here. The most successful grape here is Torrontés Riojano, which can produce a very aromatic, almost muscat-like wine, full of body and often very well balanced. Cabernet Sauvignon is the second most popular grape variety, and it is often best expressed without oak aging. Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, and Malbec are also found in Salta.

South of Catamarca, is La Rioja. Vines have been planted here since 1591, making it the oldest wine-producing region in Argentina. La Rioja is thought to be responsible for the Riojano strain of the Torrentés grape, which has found the most success of any of the various strains of Torrontés. Apart from its history and this important grape, however, La Rioja's significance in Argentinian wine production has faded. Right now there are only 7,000 hectares under vine, as problems maintaining irrigation have hampered its growth.

Just south of La Rioja, is San Juan, Argentina's second largest wine-producing area, with 50,000 hectares under vine. The climate in San Juan is very hot, with highs in the 100's and very little rainfall. Most of the grapes in this area are used to make brandies, vermouths, and sherry style fortified wines. In the last several years however, a few winemakers have made attempts to lower yields in pursuit of higher quality wine, with grape varieties like Chardonnay, Syrah, and Viognier.

The next most southern wine region is also the largest and most imporant one-- Mendoza. With 150,000 hectares under vine, Mendoza accounts for 75% of Argentina's wine production, and 95% of its exports. This is actually a substantial reduction in output since the 1980's, which reflects the general trend towards quality among wine makers. Soil in Mendoza is generally loose, sandy and alluvial, and it has a continental climate. Temperatures can get as hot as 97 in the summer, but wine makers often use techniques like planting large trees to offer shade for the vines. Rain is moderate, but there is always plenty of available water if irrigation is needed. The most important grape variety in Mendoza is Malbec, which can produce some very high-quality, age-worthy wines that are quite complex. Mendoza also produces Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Tempranillo, and Sangiovese. Not everything, however, produced in Mendoza is of high quality. About half of the total production is used for grape concentrate and cheap table wine only meant for local consumption.

Río Negro and Neuquén, south of Mendoza, are two regions that have only about 5,500 hectares under vine, but are areas to watch in the near future. They both feature much cooler climates that the areas to the north, and are known for producing apples. The most common grapes found here are Torrontés, Semillon, and Sauvignon Blanc.

While there has been an increase in wines made from the international grape varieties in Argentina, the old grapes still dominate the plantings there. Criolla Grande, Cereza, Moscatel de Alejandria and Pedro Giménez are among the most common. Torrontés is the third most grown white grape, and it only accounts for 2,000 hectares under vine. Many think Torrontés will be the next trendy grape to come from this area.

As far as red grapes, Bonnarda is the most common, with Malbec following closely behind. Cabernet Sauvignon also has a small foothold, and due to Argentina's spanish ancestory, Tempranillo (here is is known as Tempranilla) is also grown in small quantities. There are also very small amounts of Pinot Noir, Syrah, Sangiovese, Dolcetto, and Merlot.

As in Chile, Phylloxera was never a factor in Argentina, so vine grafting is not necessary. The most common vine training system is the Parral system, in which vines are raised about 2 meters off the ground to diffuse heat from the ground and make picking easier.

Most of Argentina's wine-making areas are in one small strip of high, almost desert land that fits best in the continental climate category. Most of the vineyards are located about 980-1250 feet above sea level, which lets them take advantage of a lot of daytime sunlight, and cooler nighttime temperatures. There is almost no rainfall in this area, so Argentinians use irrgigation systems that get water from runoff from the Andes mountains. The soil is mostly sandy, with clay or loam over a bedrock of limestone, gravel, and clay.

Argentinian wine laws are not particularly strict or organized. The do have a official bureau, the Instituto Nacionale de Vitivinicultura (INV) whose current power is limited only to regulating the production of grapes and wine exports. Argentinian wine laws do not discuss what grapes are allowed to be grown in which areas or any specific rules for wine making. The only major law of note is that if a varietal is on the label, the wine must consist of at least 80% of that grape.

Argentinian wine makers have mostly been resistant to any additional laws, except in Mendoza. There, the winemakers have begun to codify the various terroir in some of the many subregions, such as Luján de Cuyo, Maipú, San Carlos, San Raphael, and San Martín.

Much like Chile, Argentinian wine history dates back to the 16th century, when vines were introduced from Peru. Jesuit priests grew a grape they called Criolla Chica, which was the same grape as Pais in Argentina, and the mission grape in California. They used it as a sacremental wine, and they found the most success growing the grapes in the foothills of the Andes.

In 1822, Argentina got independence from Spain, which brought a great deal of foreign investment and grew the wine industry tremendously. Soon thereafter, railroads were completed that that meant wine could be transported from the outskirts of the country back to Buenos Aires, where it could be exported overseas.

In 1895, Edmund Norton, and Englishman, built a winery in Mendoza, called Bodegas Norton. In the early 20th century, he was the first to import vines from France to be planted there, and many others followed suit. In the 1920's Argentina's economy, much like the United States, was booming, and so was the wine industry along with it. Unfortunately, also like the United States, the depression of the 1930's also hit Argentina, and the global demand for its exports were hurt as well. Over the next several decades, Argentinian wine producers gave up on making quality export wine and instead focused on cheap, easy to drink wine for the domestic market that they could use to make a quick profit. In the late 1980's, thanks to political and economic stabilization, Argentinian winemakers began to produce quality wine again.

Argentina produces close to 14 million hectaliters (400 million gallons) of wine per year, an absolutely huge amount. Eight countries have more acreage under vine, but only 3 of those are producing more wine than Argentina. This doesn't really say good things about the overall quality of Argentinian wine. Much of this wine production is focused on the domestic Argentinian market, but more recently, as in Chile, Argentinian producers have begun to make much higher quality, export-worth wine. Also like Chile, Argentina has attracted a great deal of foreign interest and investment, with many high-profile conglomerates such as Moët and Chandon bringing modern winemaking techniques and international grape varieties to the country. Argentina, along with Chile, is a place to watch for more and more well produced wines.