Patagonia’s region wines, beverages produced in the World’s southernmost vineyards

Patagonia region is located to the south of the Republic of Argentina comprised of six provinces: Neuquén and Río Negro, where vine cultivation and wine production stand out, as well as La Pampa, Santa Cruz, Chubut and Tierra de Fuego. In spite of the presence of vineyards in the provinces of Neuquén and Río Negro (to the North of Patagonia), the surface of hectares dedicated to wine in the whole region does not reach 4,000 hectares, a land that represents a little more than 2% of the surface dedicated to vineyards in the Republic of Argentina. Interestingly, the province of Río Negro has historically enjoyed predicament in the past in relation to Argentine wine production, since until the end of the 80s it was the third largest in production, only behind Mendoza and San Juan, located in the Northwest region.

The importance of Río Negro comes from a pre-war situation with Chile, at the end of the 19th century: the construction of a railway for the rapid mass dispatch of troops had as a secondary consequence the creation of a system of canals. Once the suspicion of conflict between both nations disappeared, the irrigation systems created were used to develop agricultural activities such as the cultivation of fruit trees, alfalfa or vines. The first vineyards were brought at the beginning of the 19th century by the winemaker Fourque from the Cuyo region. In addition to native varieties, Fourque brought others such as Sémillon, Cabernet Sauvignon or Malbec.

Due to the great extension of this Argentine region, the lands dedicated to the vine cultivation are spread throughout vast landscapes, flanked by low mountains, forests and coast. The name of this region is derived from "patagones", an appellation by which the expedition of conquest led by Fernando de Magallanes referred to the natives of the area where the city of Puerto San Julián is located nowadays.

The agricultural activity related to vine cultivation is centred on the banks of the Negro and Colorado Rivers, which run through the Neuquén Valley (Eastern area) and the Negro River Valley (Northern area). In general, the weather conditions in these two provinces are favourable to grape growing, since the low altitude above sea level of these vineyard areas is compounded by gusty winds, a good number of hours of sunshine and a fairly sparse amount of rain. The predominant varieties in this region are the red varieties, such as Malbec, Pinot Noir or Merlot, but in recent years the presence of white grape varieties such as Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc has increased. The varieties favoured by the cold weather are favourable for this area and reach their maximum expression here.

The greatest attractions of this region lie in the landscape and nature values. A good example is the large number of national parks such as the Lanín Volcano, the National Park where Lake Nahuel Huapi is located and the wonderful Los Glaciares National Park, which has large ice masses such as the well-known Perito Moreno Glacier. Among many other important national parks, are found Tierra de Fuego or Bosques Petrificados.

The vast extension of the Patagonia region is home to important paleontological deposits, like generous-size saurian fossils, case of the Gigantosaurus or the Argentinosaurus, considered the animal of greater size that has been in the Earth with more than 33 meters in length and 70 tons of weight. Other interesting destinations among tourists are the districts of Villa La Angostura, San Martín de los Andes or Villa Traful, located in the Neuquén province. San Carlos de Bariloche is a city that attracts a good number of curious people, located in the Río Negro province and characterised by its peculiar architectural style. In the same province is the coastal city of Las Grutas, known for its hot springs. The city of El Calafate, due to its proximity to the Glaciers National Park and the Perito Moreno, is another of the most sought-after destinations, as it happens with the city of Ushuahia, gateway to natural places like the Beagle Channel, which connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans or the Tierra del Fuego National Park.