The Winery Renaissance of Lujan de Cuyo of Mendoza

Discovering the wine region of Lujan de Cuyo

Luján de Cuyo is a wine-producing sub-region of Argentina's largest viticultural area, Mendoza. Unsurprisingly, Malbec is the region's most-important grape variety, producing Bold, intensely flavored red wines. Excellent wines are also produced here from Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Torrontés. Located in a valley just South of Mendoza City itself, the Luján de Cuyo region is home to some of the most famous names in Argentinean wine.

These include Catena Zapata, Bodega Septima and Cheval des Andes. The small town of Luján de Cuyo is on the northern banks of the Mendoza River. From here the viticultural area of the same name stretches south for roughly 30 kilometers (20 miles) between the Andes Mountains in the west and the Lunlunta hills in the east. The region was the first in Argentina to be officially recognized as an appellation in 1993, and includes the wine-producing zones of Vistalba, Las Compuertas, Perdriel, Agrelo and Ugarteche.

MaipuLies directly east of Luján de Cuyo and the Uco Valley is to the south. The region's position on the edge of the imposing Andes mountain chain has an enormous effect on the Terroir. The hot, DryClimate is moderated by the high altitude of the region, averaging about 1000m (3300ft) above sea level. At this altitude, the vineyards are subject to more-intense solar radiation during the day than lower-lying areas.