San Juan

With a total vineyard area of 50.000 hectares, this is the second-largest wine-growing region in Argentina after Mendoza, and is responsible for a quarter of the country’s total production. Most of the vineyards are located along the banks of the Rio San Juan, in the vicinity of the provincial capital of the same name. The river also supplies most of the water for irrigation, which is essential here. The climate is warmer than that of Mendoza, daytime temperatures can rise above 40 °C, and annual rainfall is only around 150 mm. The vineyards are located at an average altitude of 650 metres above sea level, significantly lower than those of Mendoza. The best areas are to be found at higher altitudes in the vallies of the Tulum, Ullun and Zonda rivers. The main grape varieties planted are Cereza, Criolla#Criolla Grande, Muscat d´Alexandrie, Pedro Giménez and Torrontés Junanino (a variant of Torrontés Riojano). The wines produced are mainly used as base wines for distillation, for alcoholic blends, sweet fortified wines, vermouth and for rectified grape must concentrate. Over the past decade, the planting of international grape varieties has been encouraged, and there is a trend towards the production of more quality wines. Several thousand hectares have been planted with varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Syrah and particularly Merlot. The two most important producers are Bodegas y Viñedos Santiago Graffigna and Peñaflor.