Most people think of Argentine wine and they immediately think Mendoza. That’s totally fine since about 75% of all of the wine produced in Argentine is made there. Then for those who know a bit more they may think of Salta or Patagonia (the provinces of Rio Negro and Neuquen) and think of Torrontes from Salta and other high altitude wines, and the wonderful Pinot Noirs and Merlots of the cooler climate in Patagonia.
But what about all the wine regions of Argentina that are in between? Very few people have tried or heard of wines from Catamarca, La Rioja and other lesser Argentine wine regions (although Bodegas del Desierto in La Pampa is quite widely distributed in both the USA and Argentina).
Here is a map of where Catamarca is located:
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
So what can you find in Catamarca? As you go toward the Northwest in Argentina, you have progressively higher altitudes and more mountainous terrain. Its main wine-producing centers are the Fiambala Valley and the Calchaquies Valleys. The near desert-like weather is good for producing concentrated wines. This is actually true in all of Argentina as the Andes casts its rain shadow all along the western border of Argentina.
One of the reasons for the less developed wine region is due to the less developed nature of Catamarca as a province in general. It is sparsely populated and the terrain is difficult. We have tried, however, several decent wines from the region and some very good ones as well. The most well known and best producer of the region is probably Finca Don Diego, who makes an excellent Syrah.
At over 1500 meters in altitude, the vineyards in Catamarca are just short of the highest altitude vineyards in the world in Salta, just to the north. It makes me wonder why we don’t see more Torrontes producers there, but I have to chalk this up to a lack of infrastructure.
