Today, Ideal Wine Company wants to talk to you about Argentina – a country with a fascinating, centuries-old tradition of wine making.
Why Argentina?
Argentina – with more than half a million acres of cultivated area – is the world’s sixth largest producer of wine, only producing less than France, Italy, China, Spain and the United States.
Argentina may not be as widely revered for their wine as, say, the French but a combination of a continental climate, a great diversity in its landscapes and strong historic and cultural links to wine production, make Argentina a formidable player on the world stage. With many Argentines tracing their roots back to Italy, Spain and France, the country’s love affair with wine isn’t going away any time soon.
Brief History
That love affair can be traced back in Argentina to some five-hundred years ago, when the first European colonisers arrived, bringing with them vines and wine making techniques from the Old World. In 1551, the first vines were recorded as being planted in Argentina. The Settlers found the Andes and the Rio Colorado Valley to be an ideal places for cultivating.
From there, the country’s love affair with wine has gone from strength to strength. With a land mass that is four times the size of France, and with varied climates and altitudes, it is perhaps unsurprising that Argentina produces a rich variety of wine.
Situation now?
In no small part because of this, wine was officially made Argentina’s national drink in 2010. The first Malbec World Day took place on 17 April 2011, with 72 events being held across 36 countries. The fourth edition of the event was to date the largest yet, which is perhaps reflective of the continued growth of the nation’s wine industry.
As Argentinian wines continue to make a name for themselves, it remains to be seen what the future holds for the country’s wine. However, for the moment at least, it does seem as if demand is rising. One recent report has suggested that Argentinian wine is becoming increasingly popular in the UK.
Two Rising Powers on the Global Wine Stage
Only recently, Ideal Wine Company blogged about the recent rise of the UK wine industry. Whilst both countries were, in not too distant past, overlooked or even ridiculed by some for their respective wine industries, could it now be that the tables may soon be turning quicker than anyone has predicted? If both countries’ reputations for producing wine continues to grow in this vein, then surely anything is possible.
