History of Argentine Wine
From: www.allaboutar.com
The wines of Argentina have a history that has grown through the years beginning in the mid-16th century. A Chilean friar first brought wine into Argentina via a cutting. As he nurtured the seedlings, wine-making in Argentina began to morph and evolve leading to the origin of two important wine regions: Mendoza and Cuyo in the years of 1561 and 1562. To further the wine development in these areas, vine cuttings were imported from Santiago del Estero, an Argentine city.
The 19th century opened another venue of wine-making with the arrival of European settlers. The presence of the French, Italians, and Spaniards added another flavor to the developing Argentine wine. The economic implication of the newly constructed railroad in 1885 was the ease of transporting wine from the wine-making regions to the cities and other areas of Argentina.
As the demand for wine increased, the satisfaction for a great taste also grew. With the presence of wine innovator Tuburcio Benegas, a new taste was on the horizon. Benegas's genius brought the masterful formulas to wine-making enhancing the Argentina vino with the French varieties of Burgundy and Bordeaux. These wines were in harmony with the juicy Argentina meats, aplenty in these South American localities.
By the 1970s, most of the wine produced in Argentina was common table wine, continuing with the trend to accompany the Argentinean meats. At the same time, policy regarding the agriculture of vineyards did not exist, causing many of the farms to overlook superiority for magnitude. This lead to decline in the wines since a poor wine was a not welcomed into the Argentine cuisine. In order to improve the quality of the wine, these vines had to eliminated and new plants sowed. The new plants, along with the goal of excellence in wine-making, Argentine wine took on another appearance - one of first-class taste, exceptional color, and unique flair.
Although wine-making in Argentina maintained a small profile until the 1980s, local wine production has over a 300 year history. Inspired by the triumph of both California and Australian wines, Argentina began to export their creations to an international audience.
Malbec in Argentina
Malbec has been referred to as "French Grape" (in homage to its origins) as well as Verdot. Argentina is known for producing some of the most outstanding crops of Malbec, sometimes known as Malbeck, 
embodying some of the elements of a Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. It is fashioned as a light wine, fresh with a fruity fragrance, plum taste, and full of tannin. This wine can be appreciated in its youth as well as an aged vino. Yet, if the grapes are harvested too soon, the wine misses the plum and licorice taste usually found as one sips the unique essence. As one of the more prevalent varieties, Malbec is considered the exemplar to document the development of other wine crops as well as evidence of wine quality in Argentina. Mendoza, the home to Malbec, generates over half of all the wine that is manufactured in Argentina. No need to spend a lot of money on a bottle of Malbec since all the grapes, even the economical varieties are enchanting.
Torrontes
As far as Argentinean white wines go, Torrontes represents the essence of Argentina. It is one of the only countries that produce this wine, alive with the vigor of fruit and the scent of flora.
Torrontes and Argentina
Sometimes known as Muscat d'Asti, legend places the origins of Torrontes somewhere in the Mediterranean, possibly Spain, although the actual birthplace is unknown. The region of Mendoza is home to this varietal and often takes on the name within Mendoza where the grapes originate. Torrontes harvested from the grapes in Riojana, near the Andes Mountains are designated Torrontes Riojana. Whereas Torrontes produced in Sanjuanino area are known as Torrontes Sanjuanino. The grape of the Torrontes can often be found in the personal homes of Argentineans, climbing the outdoor lattice or in the backyard garden. Finding pure plants can be an adventure since many of the vines are a mixture. A recent increase in the popularity of Torrontes has boosted the amount of pure vines within the vineyards of Mendoza, indicating a great future for this wine as production multiplies.
The Torrontes emits a specific fragrance of flowers and fruit, often rose and peaches. With one taste, the sweetness of the Torrontes envelopes your tongue, leaving you with a clean and powerful conclusion. The golden hue of this vino is a reflection of the grape that grows into a intermediate sized globe that releases a fruitful bouquet. Specific regions generate grapes of particular characteristics. For example, the Torrontes Riojano grape is larger and grows in relaxed bunches, somewhat different from the average Torrontes grape.
