Mendoza | Great Wine Capitals

At the heart of the Andes Mountain range, Mendoza is located in the western central part of the country, in the Cuyo region. Founded in 1561 by the conquistador Pedro del Castillo, the province was rebuilt in 1861 after an earthquake. Around the 1890s, following the development of the wine industry, the region began to grow quickly and to attract European migrants.

TOURISM

Besides the highly recommended wine tourism, there is a great tourism offer in Mendoza and around.

Rivers, valleys and mountains of Mendoza are ideal natural settings for the practice of adventure tourism. In the water, rafting and cool river kayaking stand out as key leisure activities. In the mountains, it is possible to practice rappel, mountain bike, adventure tours, climbing and zip-lining. The Aconcagua Provincial Park, a national park located on the international route to Chile is a great place for this. The place is characterized by its high summits, rising towards the sky. Reaching its greatest expression, Aconcagua (22,841 ft.), the highest peak in the Americas, catches the attention of mountaineers coming from all around the world.

In addition to these nature activities, rural tourism that combines regional landscapes, architecture and cuisine, folklore and traditions that are all carefully preserved by people representing Mendoza’s identity. The Cuyana cuisine incorporates raw materials from the area and reflects the rural spirit of the traditional dishes. The province offers different tours where the visitors can participate in works such as sowing, harvesting, pruning or other handcraft production.

The National Grape Harvest Festival is one of the world's most famous celebrations carried out in the open-air. During this event, locals pay tribute to all the people who work in this field by making offerings giving. The main ceremony, a traditional folk music show, is celebrated every year during the first weekend of March. on this occasion, the National Grape Harvest Queen is elected.

The area of Mendoza also offers outstanding facilities for professional congresses and seminars. It includes high level equipments and infrastructures and a great number of fully equipped meeting rooms that have the capacity for more than 2000 people.

 

WINES

 

Mendoza is one of the main wine-making provinces in Argentina. It provides more than 70% of all the country wine production, which represents more than 150.000 hectares of vineyard, and the biggest number of wineries in all the country.

Surrounded by exceptional vineyards, wineries open their doors to tastings, art and culture providing entertainment, horse and bike rides, stays at inns or in thematic accommodations.

Mendoza represents excellence in wine and tourism, and for this reason it has been positioned as one of the Great Wine Capitals.

Nothing can compare to visiting Mendoza on a brilliant summer day, standing in the vineyard against the majestic backdrop of the snow capped Andes, and enjoying the hospitality of an asado (barbecue) or the delicacies offered by the wineries of Mendoza.

Mendoza is a desert with just 200 mm rainfall a year. Because of that, an elaborate canal system, which dates back to the Pre-Columbian Incan Empire, distributes the water coming from the melting snow to the vineyards below.

ECONOMY

 

The Province of Mendoza has an area of 148,827 km2 (57,462 sq mi) and almost 2 million inhabitants. It ranks 4º as regards GDP in Argentina with USD 9,246 per capita and an annual growth rate of 2% (2004-2016). It is located at a strategic geopolitical point within the Central Bioceanic Corridor. Steady growth during recent years and the diversification of productive activities has made Mendoza one of the most developed provinces in the country and the main industrial hub of western Argentina.

Mendoza stands out for its human capital, infrastructure, natural resources and its commitment to sustainable economic development. It is known for its agricultural production and industrialization of raw materials as vines, fruits and vegetables. Other sectors of industry are metal-mechanics, engineering, construction, trade, services, and ICT (Information and Communications Technology)

Mendoza has become a top travel destination given its magnificent natural beauty, great services and infrastructure. Oil, gas, sustainable mining and renewable energy are also key sectors for the local economy.

 

CONNECTIVITY

 

Mendoza is internationally acknowledged for being an ideal area of economic, cultural and tourism development.

The strategic positioning of the provincial territory is linked by land from north to south by the N.R. (National Route) 40 and from east to west by the N.R. 7. The central location regarding the "bioceanic corridor" connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean is exceptional.

The city also receives more than 170 flights per week thus communicating with different cities of Argentina and connects with Santiago de Chile via 3 regular flights a day.

https://www.greatwinecapitals.com/capitals/mendoza