A medal can get a wine onto your radar. It cannot tell you what makes the winery worth remembering. That distinction matters in Mendoza. International recognition has become almost routine here. Argentina continues to collect medals, scores and global attention, while the Valle de Uco has developed into one of South America's most closely watched wine regions. So when five recent international results brought Bodega Urqo to my attention, I was interested in the wines, certainly. I wanted to know what sat behind the results. What does a relatively young producer look like when it is still establishing its identity in a region already crowded with famous names? Urqo's answer begins with the Urquía family and three vineyard sites across the Valle de Uco: Finca Algarrobos and Finca Durmientes in Tupungato, and Finca Mirador in Los Chacayes. Altitude, soil and site provide the geographical framework. Malbec is the familiar starting point. Chardonnay opens another door. That combinat...

  After several years of living in Argentina, I have stopped describing Mendoza simply as wine country. That phrase is accurate, but it leaves too much out. From the Caribbean, I arrived with a fairly uncomplicated idea of Argentine wine, Mendoza meant Malbec. It did not take long to realise that the interesting part begins when you stop asking whether a wine is from Mendoza and start asking where in Mendoza it comes from, what the producer wanted to express and why the wine tastes the way it does. That is where the Uco Valley keeps my attention. The valley has become one of the most closely watched parts of Argentine wine, yet it continues to resist easy definition. Gualtallary, El Cepillo, Paraje Altamira and Vista Flores each bring different possibilities, and Vinos de La Luz works across those areas. Its Callejón del Crimen vineyards are identified by the winery at approximately 1,350 metres in Gualtallary, 1,200 metres in El Cepillo, 1,100 metres in Altamira and 1,080 metres i...

  The annual Decanter World Wine Awards sets the global benchmark for excellence in wines. Judges drawn from an international cohort apply rigourous blind tasting, precise scoring, and calibrations that send clear signals to producers and consumers which are the wines that must be experienced. In 2025, Argentina achieved a landmark performance that crystallizes two truths: quality advances across its regions, and its leading bodegas speak with focus and confidence. Decanter awarded 50 Best in Show, 137 Platinum, and 732 Gold medals across all countries, numbers that confirm a step change in elite quality at the competition as a whole. Within that panorama, Argentina secured two Best in Show, seven Platinum, and 37 Gold medals, its best top-tier haul to date. This result carries weight as it validates long-term viticultural decisions and careful oenology, while deepening interest from collectors, sommeliers, and travelling wine lovers.  Argentina’s viticulture boasts high altit...

  Argentina’s recent showing at the 2022 Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA) underscored the country’s dominance as South America’s top producing wine region, largely due to its enviable yet distinct terroir. The awarding of no less than four of the top fifty Best In Show medals from a field of 18,244 wines cements the Mendoza region as one which can deliver, arguably, unmatched value in wine varietals. Today we will feature the remaining three vintages made in the region that won medals in the Best In Show category. That they are produced by three completely different wineries within different sub-regions of Mendoza, is a further demonstration of Argentina's prowess as a bastion of wine production on the southern continent. The Avinea Group’s Pacheco Pereda’s Best in Show medal was for its Estirpe Organic Fairtrade Cabernet Franc , produced in the Lujan de Cuyo sub-region of Mendoza. The 2021 vintage, which achieved a score of 97 points, has a deep black-red colour, with warm, s...

Having steadily earned its place as one of the biggest wine-producing countries in the world, Argentina’s rich history in winemaking dates back to the first arrival of the Spanish with vines in the mid-1550s. Virtually all of its wine regions are located in the western edge of the country, along the corridor of the Andes mountain range, and bordering Chile. The best known of these is, of course, Mendoza whose Maipu , Luján de Cuyo, Uco Valley, San Rafael and San Martin sub-regions of over 1200 wineries cements its status as the wine mecca of South America. The country, however, produces award-winning wines in several other regions including the province of San Juan, located a little over two hours north of Mendoza. Ranked second among the country’s wine producing provinces, San Juan is home to Bodegas Callia which won 3 awards at the recently held Decanter World Wine Awards (DWWA) 2022, including the coveted platinum medal for its Contracara Reserva Malbec . This 100% Malbec, produced...

As the cold, harsh Argentine winter gives way to the vibrance and colour of Spring in the South, up North, the air begins to cool as the autumn season approaches and palates shift toward the warmth and richness of robust red wines. If you're seeking the perfect wines to accompany crisp evenings and hearty meals, look no further than the exquisite, award-winning offerings of Fabre Montmayou, one of Argentina’s most celebrated wineries. With vineyards in both Mendoza and Patagonia, Fabre Montmayou has established itself as a beacon of quality and innovation in the world of Argentine wine, particularly with their award-winning red wines that are perfect for the upcoming fall season. Founded by French winemaker Hervé Joyaux Fabre, Fabre Montmayou is a unique blend of French heritage and Argentine terroir in a journey that encompasses passion, dedication as well as impeccable craftsmanship. From the sun-soaked vineyards of Mendoza to the windswept plains of Patagonia, Fabre Montmayou’s ...