Back in the days before I wrote about wine (when I just drank it and didn't take notes) and didn't travel to far flung wine regions, I never gave much thought to exactly where a wine came from. Not in an ignorant way but in a simplistic, "this is a tasty wine, a wine which was recommended to me and it is good value..." kind of way.
This is how I felt about Argentinean wines - all very tasty, good value and becoming more plentiful by the day - at least it was until I arrived in Mendoza after about 18 hours of flight. What I knew about Argentina, from the winemakers who visited and the information I gathered from various sources was, in fact, very little and my perceptions were more than a bit skewed. It was far less rustic than I imagined and much flatter as well. When you hear wine folk talk about Argentina it's all about altitude, altitude, altitude. But your perception is altered by the fact that Mendoza is a high plateau and when you fly into Mendoza you have no idea how high you really are. And, although there are hillside vineyards, the vast majority of those I visited in Cuyo (the epicenter and the largest of Argentina's wine regions) were on flat plains or gentle slopes. But as you slowly ascend from one plain to the next when driving, you notice a subtle change in elevation - especially as you draw nearer to the mountains. Not that I am saying there are not sloped vineyards in Argentina - there are - but perhaps I had images of steeply angled German Mosel vineyards or the fantastic terraced vineyards of CÔte RÔtie?
Yet the vineyards here in Argentina sit so much higher, so much closer to the sun's warm, intense rays than those other places. And those great altitudes (of roughly 700 feet above sea level in Patagonia, to nearly 9900 feet in Salta) also provide the shift to cool nights building finesse, long fine tannins, structure and acidity in the grapes. So despite the impressiveness of the regions I mentioned previously, Argentina still has the worlds highest vineyards, in spades.
I have not even mentioned the arid, dry conditions which prevent mildew and an array of  miniscule pests from setting up a buffet - this means little or no use of pesticides. Despite the lack of rain, (it rains less here than either Napa or South Australia) water, is not really a concern (the high Andes Mountain's snow melts each spring and water becomes plentiful) but it can still be an issue. Although there are many rivers and canals in Argentina to irrigate from, not all have that option. Water runs deep beneath the terrain forcing many wineries to drill deeply, more deeply if they want to avoid certain mineral and metals. And, many vineyards still rely on the old method of  flood irrigation, (flooding the vineyards through channels dug around and through the vineyards allowing water to pool) which can be wasteful and (despite it's benefits helping to prevent Phylloxera) many believe it causes other problems, like lazy roots or high yields. But drip irrigation is costly and many cannot afford it if dry farming is not a choice. And, when you consider cost and investment in vineyards - netting (as you see at right) is a far more important one as vines face possible devastation from the constant threat of hail, so common here.

Canadians are the second largest consumers of Argentinean wines in the world, up more 40% between December 2008 and July 2009, more than 48% in the first few months of 2010 and up close to 700% in Canada in the past six or seven years. That. Is. A. Lot. of Malbec...

But as I wrote in Vines Magazine in Spring 2010 read here that although Argentina produces a fantastic and diverse range of varieties (including their indigenous Torrontés and adopted Bonarda) Malbec has staked a claim here like nowhere else. Arguably even more than its home in southwest France where it is known as Cot or Auxxerois.
Argentina produces wonderful versions of Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and sparkling wines (especially in Patagonia, in the south), Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Riesling, Chenin Blanc and Merlot plus so much more...

Regions
Although not the only places in Argentina that grow grapes, the three following regions are the traditional ones. They curl against the Andes Mountains on the western border, flanking Chile and run from the Bolivian border in the north, almost three quarters the way down the country toward the south and Antarctica. A total of 226,400 hectares of cultivated vineyard land and more than 1300 wineries make Argentina the fifth largest producer of wine, in the world.

North
Named simply, 'North', says a lot. Located juts below Bolivia, North is home to the worlds highest vineyards. Salta and Catamarca are the two vine growing areas here. Here fantastically aromatic and fresh indigenous Torrontés claims bragging rights but Chenin Blanc, Cabernet, Syrah and Malbec, Merlot, Chardonnay, Bonarda and Tannat are also grown.
Around 12,000 acres of vines are cultivated in the North.

Cuyo
Cuyo sits in the middle of Argentina's traditional wine regions. Cuyo is in many ways the most important as far as quantity and sheer number of vineyards. Here is where the most famous, Mendoza is located, as well as San Juan and La Rioja. More than 500,000 acres of vines are planted in Cuyo.