Despite being the fifth largest producer of wine in the world, when it comes to quality wines, Argentina has long been in the shadow of neighboring Chile, where spicy Shirazes and surprising Chardonnays have consistently outshone anything from the other side of the Andes.
Now the home country of Che Guevara is enjoying somewhat of a revolution. In the past few years, world-class winemakers, including such luminaries as Michel Rolland and the Lurton Brothers, have come to take advantage of the excellent climatic conditions afforded by the Mendoza wine region that lies to the central western part of the country on the foothills of the snow-capped Andes. They've brought their sparkle and flair to bear on Argentine wines, raising the bar for what can be expected from the area.
Devaluation of the peso in 2002 was a major factor in attracting foreign investment to the area as it became possible to buy up prime real estate in Mendoza for a song. The Lurton Brothers, siblings from a powerful French dynasty, made their investment before this in 1995, managing to buy up virgin territory. The aim was to take advantage of the area's organic-friendly environment and work with pesticide-free soil. As high altitudes mean low humidity, which discourages the growth of molds, fungi and pests, wines can be made with little or no chemicals.