Argentina, lands of contrasts

After having celebrated the vineyards of Georgia and the Douro Valley, la Cité du Vin will be hosting Argentina from 12 August, for its next temporary exhibition featuring a Guest Wine Region.

You will be invited on a real journey across Argentina’s six main wine regions. Thanks to digital and immersive displays, the exhibition will offer a sensory and participative experience of Argentina’s nature in all its spectacular diversity.

At each stage of this adventure, icons from the six regions will relate the story of their wines, their gastronomy and their culture. You will be able to feel the differences in altitude, landscapes, climates, geographical conditions... The goal is to understand the multitude of combinations allowing Argentina to offer such a wide range of wines with their infinite variety of flavours. The legendary Malbec and Torrontès, another famous grape variety native to Argentina, will naturally take pride of place.

The exhibition is produced by Argentina’s Secretariat of Tourism and supported by the National Institute for the Promotion of Tourism (INPROTUR).

Various events will be held during the Argentina, lands of contrasts exhibition, to explore the themes it addresses in greater depth.

The exhibition Argentina, lands of contrasts will offer visitors a totally immersive journey to the heart of Argentina. The journey begins with a depiction of the region’s main characteristics, both geographical and cultural. Then visitors will stop over in each of the six main wine regions, discovering their cultural, historical, gastronomic and, of course, oenological characteristics. Norte, Cuyo, Patagonia, Litoral, Córdoba and Buenos Aires make up this journey that will end with several large multimedia installations including an original artistic encounter. Throughout the tour, the senses will be stimulated, allowing visitors to grasp all the diversity and richness of the country.

SECTION 1 - CORDOBA

The first section will invite visitors to discover Cordoba, the birthplace of traditional wines where small bodegas (wine estates) preserve traditions started by Italian immigrants in the 19th century. The charms of old-style viticulture, popular traditions and local culinary flavours exist side by side in an environment that gives rise to unique and elegant wines. A video projection will give a glimpse of the magic of this exceptional landscape.

SECTION 2 – NORTE

The second section will be devoted to the highest vineyards in the world, a geography that visitors can experience for themselves. Northern Argentina has indeed become one of the country’s most important wine regions, despite extreme altitude and difficult production conditions. These contrasting and mineral landscapes produce concentrated and fleshy wines of unique character. The king of Argentinian white grape varieties and a real trademark of the wines of northern Argentina, Torrontés will take pride of place here.

SECTION 3 – CUYO

The region grouping the provinces of Mendoza, San Juan and San Luis is renowned for the imposing presence of the Andes mountain range. With its mountains snow-covered all year long, vineyards of the deepest green, old cellars converted into wine estates, buildings both historic and modern, vast orchards... Cuyo is not only Argentina’s main wine region, the home of Malbec, but also a land of celebrations of wine and the sun. These riches will be unveiled through a large-format interactive map.

SECTION 4 - LITORAL

Famous the world over for the Iguazu Falls, its estuaries and its lush vegetation, the Argentinian coast has a unique wine history, taking in both prosperity and prohibition. With a humid climate and low latitude, the wines of Entre Ríos, the region’s main grape-growing province, have an elegant and exotic character, just like the local gastronomy of which the most typical ingredients will be represented.

SECTION 5 - PATAGONIA

Patagonia can claim to be the region of all the extremes, with its landscapes of imposing mountains and glaciers that will surprise the visitor. From the province of Río Negro, where Patagonia’s viticultural history began, to Chubut, the most southerly vineyards in the world, through the mysterious province of La Pampa and the extreme latitudes of Neuquén, the fresh and elegant wines of Patagonia defy adversity.

SECTION 6 – BUENOS AIRES

Known for its music, its tango, its gastronomy and its nightlife, Buenos Aires also takes in some rural areas. Not far from the beaches, Buenos Aires has a rural environment where the number of different grape varieties is on the increase (Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon, Chardonnay, Malbec, Pinot Noir...) so much so that Buenos Aires now offers Argentina’s youngest wines, both mineral and fresh.

INPROTUR, Argentina’s National Institute for the Promotion of Tourism, is a mixed public-private body presided over by the Secretary of State for Tourism, Gustavo Santos. Since its creation in 2005, the Institute has aimed to promote Argentina’s tourism offer internationally and to position the country as a flagship destination in Latin America.