Argentina 

Also in Argentina , as in the other countries of the American continent, it was the Spanish colonizers who introduced European vines, with the aim of producing wine . Argentina is the fifth largest producer of wine in the world and has enormous potential in the wine field since, geographically and climatically, it is located in an ideal position for the cultivation of vines, like the neighboring Chile. Argentine wines, however, are exported to marginal measure and production is destined above all to satisfy internal consumption. A large part is destined for large-scale consumption; however, even here there is a growing number of production companies oriented exclusively towards quality which in recent years have begun to attract the attention of experts and enthusiasts at an international level. The two most common grape varieties, Criolla Grande and Cereza , seem to derive directly from the first grapes introduced by Spanish missionaries in the mid-1500s. However, Chardonnay remains the grape mainly used for export white wines, followed by Chenin Blanc . Torrontés , on the other hand, is the most interesting white grape in the Argentine wine scene: it gives aromatic and round wines, similar to Gewürztraminer. Among the black berried grapes found in Argentina we find Barbera , Bonarda and Sangiovese , introduced in the country by the Italian emigrants, and Tempranilla , that is the Iberian Tempranillo, introduced by the Spaniards. Then we have the “classic” international Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Malbec grapes, the most promising and interesting black berried grape of the country. The vineyards of Argentina are among the highest in the world, often located at the foot of the Andes, in areas where the vineyards can even reach 1,500 meters in altitude! Argentina's most important wine regions are located in the western part of the country right next to the Andes. They are Mendoza , San Juan , La Rioja and Salta ; Mendoza represents the most important and best known at an international level.