Argentina Entre Copas
Argentina Entre Copas

High-altitude Malbec: why the Uco Valley changed the rules

Altitude, temperature variation, and rocky soils explain much of the character of the wines that define Mendoza today.

For decades, Argentine wine was mapped by province. Today, it is understood through altitude, soil, and orientation: within the same valley, styles coexist that twenty years ago would have been considered to come from entirely different regions.

The Uco Valley is at the heart of much of this transformation. Vineyards planted above one thousand metres experience cold nights and intense days, a combination that preserves acidity and shapes aromas.

For travellers, this translates into something very tangible: tasting two wines produced just a few kilometres apart and finding clear differences between them. It is the most direct way to understand why the conversation is about terroir rather than brand.