Buenos Aires wines
Encyclopedia
The Buenos Aires Province
has become a producer of premium wines during the first decade of the 21st century. Vineyards are located at the southern part of the province, specially around Médanos
. The activity was pioneered in lands previously dedicated to garlic and pastures. Wine from Médanos won a Silver Medal in the 2009 Decanter World Wine Awards, the world's largest wine contest celebrated in London.
has unique conditions ideal for quality vineyards. The soil is sandy, and given its latitude (around parallel 39º South, where the Pampa
region and Patagonia
converge) vineyards receive long hours of sun light, which result in grapes with high sugar contents. Windy springs help develop thicker skins that contribute to the intense color of these wines.
The new Argentine wine producing area is located far east from traditional vineyards which are grown at the west of the country, mostly near the Andes
range.
(Buenos Aires
, Argentina
) whose characteristics are a function and a direct result of the geographic
area and the terroir
in which the grapes are grown and the wines are produced and aged.
Médanos
appellation wines include:
Wine from Médanos won a Silver Medal in the 2009 Decanter World Wine Awards, the world's largets wine contest celebrated in London.
Given its proximity to the Ocean, the Médanos terroir
consists of sand
y soil over a limestone
plate with long sun hours and a resulting high termic amplitude during the day.
Médanos is the only Argentine terroir
dedicated to production of premium wines with oceanic
influence.
The closeness to the Ocean and the strong winds in the area develop thick skins in the grapes that contribute to complex wines with intense colors.
This terroir has unique conditions for vineyards making its Malbec
distinguishable and having weather conditions that produce outstanding wines, such as Chardonnay
, Sauvignon Blanc
and Cabernet Sauvignon
which are better suited to this environment than to the traditional Argentine wine producing regions.
, Cabernet Sauvignon
, Merlot
, Tannat
, Chardonnay
and Sauvignon Blanc
.
Buenos Aires Province
The Province of Buenos Aires is the largest and most populous province of Argentina. It takes the name from the city of Buenos Aires, which used to be the provincial capital until it was federalized in 1880...
has become a producer of premium wines during the first decade of the 21st century. Vineyards are located at the southern part of the province, specially around Médanos
Médanos, Buenos Aires
Médanos is a town in the Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. The town hosts the "Fiesta Nacional del Ajo" and is located in the Buenos Aires wines area that has started producing premium wines at the beginning of the 21st century....
. The activity was pioneered in lands previously dedicated to garlic and pastures. Wine from Médanos won a Silver Medal in the 2009 Decanter World Wine Awards, the world's largest wine contest celebrated in London.
Climate and geography
The Médanos terroirTerroir
Terroir comes from the word terre "land". It was originally a French term in wine, coffee and tea used to denote the special characteristics that the geography, geology and climate of a certain place bestowed upon particular varieties...
has unique conditions ideal for quality vineyards. The soil is sandy, and given its latitude (around parallel 39º South, where the Pampa
Pampa
The Pampas are the fertile South American lowlands, covering more than , that include the Argentine provinces of Buenos Aires, La Pampa, Santa Fe, Entre Ríos and Córdoba, most of Uruguay, and the southernmost Brazilian State, Rio Grande do Sul...
region and Patagonia
Patagonia
Patagonia is a region located in Argentina and Chile, integrating the southernmost section of the Andes mountains to the southwest towards the Pacific ocean and from the east of the cordillera to the valleys it follows south through Colorado River towards Carmen de Patagones in the Atlantic Ocean...
converge) vineyards receive long hours of sun light, which result in grapes with high sugar contents. Windy springs help develop thicker skins that contribute to the intense color of these wines.
The new Argentine wine producing area is located far east from traditional vineyards which are grown at the west of the country, mostly near the Andes
Andes
The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
range.
Wine regions
Médanos appellation is a geographic indication applied to wines produced in MédanosMédanos, Buenos Aires
Médanos is a town in the Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. The town hosts the "Fiesta Nacional del Ajo" and is located in the Buenos Aires wines area that has started producing premium wines at the beginning of the 21st century....
(Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires Province
The Province of Buenos Aires is the largest and most populous province of Argentina. It takes the name from the city of Buenos Aires, which used to be the provincial capital until it was federalized in 1880...
, Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
) whose characteristics are a function and a direct result of the geographic
Geography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
area and the terroir
Terroir
Terroir comes from the word terre "land". It was originally a French term in wine, coffee and tea used to denote the special characteristics that the geography, geology and climate of a certain place bestowed upon particular varieties...
in which the grapes are grown and the wines are produced and aged.
Médanos, Buenos Aires
Médanos is a town in the Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. The town hosts the "Fiesta Nacional del Ajo" and is located in the Buenos Aires wines area that has started producing premium wines at the beginning of the 21st century....
appellation wines include:
- MalbecMalbecMalbec is a purple grape variety used in making red wine. The grapes tend to have an inky dark color and robust tannins, and are long known as one of the six grapes allowed in the blend of red Bordeaux wine. The French plantations of Malbec are now found primarily in Cahors in the South West...
- Sauvignon BlancSauvignon blancSauvignon Blanc is a green-skinned grape variety which originates from the Bordeaux region of France. The grape most likely gets its name from the French word sauvage and blanc due to its early origins as an indigenous grape in South West France., a possible descendant of savagnin...
- Cabernet SauvignonCabernet SauvignonCabernet Sauvignon is one of the world's most widely recognized red wine grape varieties. It is grown in nearly every major wine producing country among a diverse spectrum of climates from Canada's Okanagan Valley to Lebanon's Beqaa Valley...
- Cabernet FrancCabernet FrancCabernet Franc is one of the major black grape varieties worldwide. It is principally grown for blending with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the Bordeaux style, but can also be vinified alone - as in the Loire's Chinon...
- TannatTannatTannat is a red wine grape, historically grown in South West France in the Madiran AOC and is now one of the most prominent grapes in Uruguay, where it is considered the "national grape". It is also grown in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Peru, and in Italy's Puglia region where it is used as a...
- ChardonnayChardonnayChardonnay is a green-skinned grape variety used to make white wine. It is originated from the Burgundy wine region of eastern France but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from England to New Zealand...
- Petite Verdot
- TempranilloTempranilloTempranillo is a variety of black grape widely grown to make full-bodied red wines in its native Spain. It is the main grape used in Rioja, and is often referred to as Spain's "noble grape". Its name is the diminutive of the Spanish temprano , a reference to the fact that it ripens several weeks...
Wine from Médanos won a Silver Medal in the 2009 Decanter World Wine Awards, the world's largets wine contest celebrated in London.
Given its proximity to the Ocean, the Médanos terroir
Terroir
Terroir comes from the word terre "land". It was originally a French term in wine, coffee and tea used to denote the special characteristics that the geography, geology and climate of a certain place bestowed upon particular varieties...
consists of sand
Sand
Sand is a naturally occurring granular material composed of finely divided rock and mineral particles.The composition of sand is highly variable, depending on the local rock sources and conditions, but the most common constituent of sand in inland continental settings and non-tropical coastal...
y soil over a limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
plate with long sun hours and a resulting high termic amplitude during the day.
Médanos is the only Argentine terroir
Terroir
Terroir comes from the word terre "land". It was originally a French term in wine, coffee and tea used to denote the special characteristics that the geography, geology and climate of a certain place bestowed upon particular varieties...
dedicated to production of premium wines with oceanic
Oceanic climate
An oceanic climate, also called marine west coast climate, maritime climate, Cascadian climate and British climate for Köppen climate classification Cfb and subtropical highland for Köppen Cfb or Cwb, is a type of climate typically found along the west coasts at the middle latitudes of some of the...
influence.
The closeness to the Ocean and the strong winds in the area develop thick skins in the grapes that contribute to complex wines with intense colors.
This terroir has unique conditions for vineyards making its Malbec
Malbec
Malbec is a purple grape variety used in making red wine. The grapes tend to have an inky dark color and robust tannins, and are long known as one of the six grapes allowed in the blend of red Bordeaux wine. The French plantations of Malbec are now found primarily in Cahors in the South West...
distinguishable and having weather conditions that produce outstanding wines, such as Chardonnay
Chardonnay
Chardonnay is a green-skinned grape variety used to make white wine. It is originated from the Burgundy wine region of eastern France but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from England to New Zealand...
, Sauvignon Blanc
Sauvignon blanc
Sauvignon Blanc is a green-skinned grape variety which originates from the Bordeaux region of France. The grape most likely gets its name from the French word sauvage and blanc due to its early origins as an indigenous grape in South West France., a possible descendant of savagnin...
and Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the world's most widely recognized red wine grape varieties. It is grown in nearly every major wine producing country among a diverse spectrum of climates from Canada's Okanagan Valley to Lebanon's Beqaa Valley...
which are better suited to this environment than to the traditional Argentine wine producing regions.
Wine types
This terroir is producing premium wines that include MalbecMalbec
Malbec is a purple grape variety used in making red wine. The grapes tend to have an inky dark color and robust tannins, and are long known as one of the six grapes allowed in the blend of red Bordeaux wine. The French plantations of Malbec are now found primarily in Cahors in the South West...
, Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the world's most widely recognized red wine grape varieties. It is grown in nearly every major wine producing country among a diverse spectrum of climates from Canada's Okanagan Valley to Lebanon's Beqaa Valley...
, Merlot
Merlot
Merlot is a darkly blue-coloured wine grape, that is used as both a blending grape and for varietal wines. The name Merlot is thought to derive from the Old French word for young blackbird, merlot, a diminutive of merle, the blackbird , probably from the color of the grape. Merlot-based wines...
, Tannat
Tannat
Tannat is a red wine grape, historically grown in South West France in the Madiran AOC and is now one of the most prominent grapes in Uruguay, where it is considered the "national grape". It is also grown in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Peru, and in Italy's Puglia region where it is used as a...
, Chardonnay
Chardonnay
Chardonnay is a green-skinned grape variety used to make white wine. It is originated from the Burgundy wine region of eastern France but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from England to New Zealand...
and Sauvignon Blanc
Sauvignon blanc
Sauvignon Blanc is a green-skinned grape variety which originates from the Bordeaux region of France. The grape most likely gets its name from the French word sauvage and blanc due to its early origins as an indigenous grape in South West France., a possible descendant of savagnin...
.