Rio Negro

Wine-growing region in Argentina, it has a total vineyard area of 5.500 hectares. It is located in the extreme south, between the pampas grasslands and Patagonia, and includes parts of the provinces of La Pampa, Neuquén and Rio Negro. With a total of 50.000 hectares of apple and pear plantations, the provinces of Rio Negro and Neuquén are regarded as the centre of fruit production in Argentina. The vineyards are located at an average altitude of 300 metres above sea level, making them the lowest-lying vineyards in Argentina. They are located on the banks of the Rio Negro, Limay and Neuquén rivers, which supply essential water for irrigation, as the region would otherwise be too dry for viticulture. A dam was built on the Neuquén in the early 20th century, creating an extremely fertile valley 120 kilometres long and 8 kilometres wide. The following growing regions have been defined: Alto Valle del Río Negro (considered to be the best), Valle Medio del Río Negro, Alto Valle del Río Colorado and Valle Medio del Río Colorado. Daytime temperatures are mild to warm in summer, with cool nights. The climatic conditions as well as the limestone-rich alluvial soils with gravel and sand provide ideal conditions especially for the production of white wine. The musts have a lower sugar content and a higher degree of acidity than in other regions in Argentina. For this reason, many of the base wines for sparkling wine production are produced here. The most important white varieties are Torrontés Riojano#Torrontés, Pedro Giménez, Sémillon, Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Riesling. The red varieties are dominated by Malbec, Merlot (successfully planted following the recommendation by famous French oenologist Michel Rolland), Syrah, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon and Bonarda. The most important producers are Humberto Canale (the largest, with 500 hectares of vineyards), Fabre Montmayou (with its Infinitus range) and Ghirardelli.