| To the East of the City of Mendoza there is a
plain irrigated by the waters of the Tunuyan river. Mendoza’s Eastern region
is a true wine-producing power considering its vine-planted area and the
quantity of wineries concentrated there. Altitudes range from 750 to 640
meters, and the different zones in this area are substantially distinct in
terms of climate, soil and thermal amplitude. The Eastern zone has a
template and warm climate and it counts with more than 2,200 hours of
sunshine in the period of 210 days favorable for the vegetative development,
which allow the optimum ripening of the cultivated varieties. It has a
marked temperature range during the whole year. The soils of eolian origin,
have sandy loam and sandy slime texture, rich in potassium. There are some
plots of saline soils.
Soil runoff capability is poor in the sectors located closer to the City
of Mendoza, while well into the East, especially in the departments of Santa
Rosa and Rivadavia, where the environment is typically arid and soils are
sandy, water-retention capability is poor. Also, this area offers great
thermal amplitudes as a result of its desert-like characteristics.
In the last years, the region has shown a remarkable progress in handling
cultivation, irrigation systematization, incorporation technologies in the
vineyards, wineries and factories dedicated to the concentrate grape juice
production.
Some of the advantages of this zone are the availability of lands for
cultivation, the youth of the vineyard, apart from the agroecological
conditions that have resulted to be optimum for the development of a top
quality viniculture.
The viniculture industry goes together with tourism development, because
the Eastern part of Mendoza keeps an important part of the sanmartinian
heritage. Another attraction that this zone offers is the reservoir El
Carrizal, a place with a great beauty, suitable for practicing aquatic
sports and fishing.
The region includes the districts of Reducción, La Libertad, Los
Campamentos, La Central, El Mirador, Medrano, Los Arboles, Andrade, Mundo
Nuevo, Santa María de Oro, Rodríguez Peña, Los Barriales, Algarrobo Grande,
Alto Verde, El Ramblón, El Espiño, Chivilcoy, Las Chimbas, Alto Salvador and
Chapanay.
All grape varieties grown in Argentina can be found in Mendoza’s eastern
region, although Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin, Torrontés, and
Viognier stand out among the white varieties, and Sangiovese, Syrah, Bonarda,
Malbec, Merlot, Barbera and Tempranillo are the preferred red ones. We
should stress the excellent conditions this region presents for the
production of punch and sweet wines (late vintage, fortified wines), which
is already underway thanks to the innovative style of the area’s wineries. |
