Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
CUYO AND THE
WINE COUNTRY
Known as the wine cellar of Argentina, Cuyo is noted for a landscape
dominated by plains covered with acres of lush vineyards. To the
west of the province are the towering Andes, which give way to the
fertile wine-producing valleys. Heading east, the landscape changes
dramatically to one of sand dunes and rocky desert formations
shaped by the region's dry and dusty Zonda wind.
The original inhabitants of the Cuyo
region were the Huarpe people, colonized
by Chile's Captain-General Garcia de
Mendoza in the late 1500s. Although
Cuyo was administratively under Chile
and was a flourishing region, it was
isolated from Santiago de Chile by the
snows of the Andes for months on end.
This encouraged a self-sufficiency that
survived even after the area became part
of independent Argentina.
The region is a vital energy storehouse
as most of the country's petroleum and
natural gas reserves are found here. Its
main economic activity, however, is
agriculture, most notably viticulture.
Meltwater from the snowcapped Andean
peaks flows into canals that irrigate the
region's many vineyards. Mendoza alone
contributes 70 percent of Argentina's
wine production, and the world-class
Malbec is the region's specialty. Cuyo's
wines in turn are driving its tourism
sector, which also offers a wide array of
outdoor activities that attract locals and
visitors from around the world. These
range from mountain-climbing and
white-water rafting in summer to skiing
at Las Leñas in winter. The region's cities
have good museums, sprawling parks,
and verdant plazas, as well as quality
res tau rants and acco mmo dation options.
Growing areas of interest, however,
lie in the fossil-rich deserts and dramatic
canyon country of Ischigualasto and
Las Quijadas, both emblematic of
Argentina's impressive achievements
in paleontology.
Rows of wooden wine barrels in the cellar of Zapata Agrelo winery, Luján de Cuyo
The magniicent El Hongo balancing rocks at Parque Provincial Ischigualasto, San Juan
