The Conquistadores missed many things from their homeland, amongst them wine. As soon as they could, they brought vine shoots from the old world to the new, primarily Mexico and then Peru. The first vines in Mendoza probably came across the mountains from Chile.
Wine was also an essential beverage for the clergy. Monks and missionaries needed it to perform the Mass (well that was their excuse anyway). In 1557, a Father Cidron of the Mercedarian Order brought vine stalks from Peru, presumably on the backs of mules or natives and the creeping plant took its first tentative hold on Argentine soil. It's been growing since.
Mendoza's soil and climate proved ideal for wine production. The hills and plains soon produced an abundance of crops. So successful was the burgeoning industry, the Spanish King Phillip II tried to ban the practice in an attempt to protect the Spanish industry. This hampered progress until independence.
But you can't keep a good vine down. By the end of the 19th century, there was a steady flow of vino from Mendoza to Buenos Aires, albeit by oxcart. So prized were the wines, bandits and highwaymen plagued the trade, ambushing the precious cargo as it trundled along the potholed road.
The grapes being used weren't too sophisticated and the methods and equipment primitive. The vine, for example, was grown like a bush, without a supporting trellis. Labour was provided by Native and African slaves. The wine press was a hollowed out cow turned upside down. The fresh grape juice was drained into a bucket through an orifice where the animals tail had been. Thank God for progress.
Throughout the 19th century, the industry advanced with several key improvements. Finer varieties of grape from Europe were introduced. Irrigation ~ essential in this regions dry and sunny climate, was redesigned and extended. Better canals, dams and dykes were built.
In 1885 the railway arrived, connecting the interior to the capital. Transport was no longer a slow and cumbersome business, not just for crates of wine but people too. Immigrants from Italy, Spain and France arrived, fleeing the Depression and two World wars. Many brought valuable experience and knowledge in the art of viticulture.
Argentine Wine Today
Soon Argentina became one of the largest producers of wine in the world, yet for many years it was used primarily for domestic consumption. very little was exported. A thirsty home market consumed on average forty-five bottles per person each year (Chile averages twent-five, the UK twenty). such a huge yet undemanding local market ensured the wine remained cheap and of low quality. It was plonk for the masses.
Things could not remain so forever. The growing popularity of beer and a general downward trend in home consumption forced the wineries to look elsewhere and in turn improve their wines. They began to grub up bulk wine grapes such as Criolla and Cereza and replace them with quality ones such as Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. Labelling became clearer and wine flavours cleaner. The industry becam more professional with improved technology and marketing. Prestigious wine makers such as Michel Rolland and the Lurton brothers from Bordeaux set up shop as well as big multinationals such as Pernod Ricard and Allied Domecq.
After several false starts, such efforts have finally begun to pay off. Foreign wine lovers have started to take notice. In 2003 the influential wine critic Robert Parker Jr. awarded 94 points to a Nicolas Catena Zapata 1999. He waxed lyrical how this Malbec "bursts from the glass with spice laden blackberries". Exports have risen exponentially, buoyed no doubt by the 2002 currency devaluation. Argentine wine, previously the black sheep of New World wines, has finally been taken into the fold.
Why Mendoza?
Many things are needed to make a good wine and Mendoza seems to have all of them. The soil and lie of the land are perfect. The altitude guarantees a healthy fruit with little
need of chemicals. Constant sunlight and little wind are other important factors. When the wind does blow, like the sporadic "Zonda", it's actually a good thing; dehumidifying the air and lessening the chance of disease. And of course you have the melted snow from the mountains, bringing water without cloud. Mendoza's impressive irrigation network feeds 16000 thirsty vineyards. It consists of rivers, dykes, reservoirs, drainage channels and bore holes; a man made miracle that adds another facet to the uniqueness of the wine.
