by Laura Catena

For nearly two centuries, viticulture and winemaking have defined the culture and the people of Mendoza, Argentina. It is rare to find a Mendocino who doesn't have a family member involved in the wine industry. Today we are the heirs to a generation of European immigrants who came to Mendoza in the 19th and 20th centuries to fulfill their dreams of having a vineyard of their own.

Mendoza proved to be different from anything they had encountered in their native Europe. The desert soils and the lack of rain made it difficult to grow large crops, but gave them fruit of extraordinary quality. The bright Mendoza sun and the water from the snow-capped Andes gave them the tools to grow healthy vineyards. These pioneers made Mendoza known in Argentina for the quality of its wines.

In the last decade, a new generation of Argentine vignerons has become determined to establish a place for Mendoza's wines among the best of the world. It is Mendoza's terroir that has emerged as the defining element in making intense and concentrated wines with a distinctive personality. In the foothills of the Andes, at 3,000 to 5,000 feet elevation, the wide day-night temperature differential, the well-drained alluvial soils and the careful use of irrigation, provide a unique and ideal terroir for quality viticulture.

Mendoza, Our Terroir, is a book dedicated to showing those who enjoy drinking our wines the real source of our precious Mendoza fruit. The quotes from vignerons and proprietors bring to you the soul and passion behind our wines. Sara Matthews' inspiring photographs and the series of maps and list of wineries are an open invitation for you to come visit us in Mendoza.

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