Over the past few years, Argentina's wine industry has experienced dramatic ups and downs. A surge in wine consumption during the pandemic was soon followed by a decline in local demand and escalating economic challenges, placing the sector at a critical juncture. The wine industry is a story of contrasts in a nation plagued by inflation and the economic policies of the Javier Milei administration. Wages are falling behind real inflation, and the goal of fighting inflation at all costs has resulted in widespread job losses and a continuous decline in purchasing power. After six straight years of falling real wages, the minimum wage is still just $160 per month, the lowest in the continent aside from Venezuela.
Given this, the wine industry has seen a strange reversal in fortunes: sales volume fell by 18% during the first nine months of 2024, even though overall revenue rose by 205%. Price increases have driven revenue growth, but at the cost of reduced volumes sold. Lastly, the wine industry in 2024 shows revenue expansion through rising prices, although at a decelerating consumption. Inflation continues to reshape the purchasing pattern, with customers opting for cheaper options to adapt to the evolving reality.
The domestic market is highly saturated, with top 10 companies commanding sales to the value of 65%, equating to 493m litres. Some wineries therefore play a major role in determining the market. By comparison, wineries are making efforts to make up for pandemic-era losses in terms of markets through a relatively modest recovery in exports with a hope to offset declining domestic consumption and improve profits.
Economic situation and impact
The economic situation in Argentina is facing severe challenges. In 2024, real GDP fell by 3.5% according to the World Bank, and inflation was an incredible 117.8% annually in December, with monthly increases of about 2.7%. Poverty also sped up to 52.9% in the first half of the year. Even if the IMF is projecting 5% growth in 2025, there are doubts regarding the methods of inflation measurement and exchange rate lags, the aftermath of the mega-devaluation in December 2023, and economic realignments of the government of Milei.
Domestic consumption versus exports
Per capita wine consumption has declined sharply over the last couple of years. In 2023, it hit a 60-year low of 16.7 litres per capita and in 2024 dropped to 12 litres in the first nine months, a 1.9% decline from the year before. Exports, on the other hand, have been rising, with 173m litres of wine exported between January and October 2024 — a 5.3% increase from 2023 — achieving an FOB value of $601.6m (a 4.1% increase), with significant growth in bottled and bulk wines.
In the context of high inflation and in the wake of adjustment policies leading to mass layoffs and frozen wages, the domestic market has witnessed glaring contrasts. Moreover, the market is concentrated, with the top 10 companies making up 65% of sales (493m litres), which means a handful of wineries dictate the direction of the market.
While the sector is faced with shrinking domestic demand and lost overseas markets, wineries are striving to regain lost ground through a slow pick-up in exports. The sector must fight its way through a competitive international market and deep-rooted macroeconomic issues to continue producing quality wines and maintain its position in the world market.
In spite of all this, the industry is still a productive and cultural symbol of the country.
The main wine institutions
Instituto Nacional de Vitivinicultura
The Instituto Nacional de Vitivinicultura (INV - National Institute of Vitiviniculture) was established in 1959 as an independent institution. It is currently headed by agronomist Carlos Raúl Tizio Mayer,with economist Ricardo Abel Chiconi as vice-president. As the government works to reduce bureaucracy and streamline administrative procedures, the INV has taken the bull by the horns, reviewing its resolutions and eliminating unnecessary burdens on producers.
Fondo Vitivinícola Mendoza
Established in 1994, Fondo Vitivinícola Mendoza (FVM - Mendoza Wine Fund) is a non-state public body dedicated to promoting winemaking activity in Argentina, comprising both private sector entities and the provincial government of Mendoza.
Among FVM’s most notable endeavors is the award-winning campaign “Wine: The First Social Network,” recognized in 2018, and the success of the Harvest Festival, which in 2019 won the Gold Award at the Best of Wine’s Tourism Mendoza contest, representing the province on the international stage. Moreover, FVM has championed communication and wine culture: in 2019, the first episode of the documentary “The Voices of Wine” premiered at the Most International Film and Wine Festival, and between 2023 and 2024, it organized the strategic event “The Future of Argentine Wine.”
The current leadership of Fondo Vitivinícola Mendoza consists of President Bernardo Lanzilotta, First Vice President Eduardo Córdoba, and Second Vice President Pablo Miguel Asens.
Corporación Vitivinícola Argentina
The Corporación Vitivinícola Argentina (COVIAR, Argentine Wine Corporation) is the organization responsible for managing and coordinating the Plan Estratégico Vitivinícola (PEVI, Argentina’s Strategic Wine Plan), with the goal of positioning the Argentine wine industry among the most prominent in the world.
Since March 2023, the COVIAR board of directors has been led by Mario González as President, alongside José Alberto Zuccardi as Vice President. The board also includes Pablo Asens, President of the Federación de Cámaras de Productores Vitivinícolas de Argentina (Federation of Chambers of Viticultural Producers of Argentina), and Gustavo Samper, President of the Cámara Vitivinícola de San Juan (Viticultural Chamber of San Juan).
One of the most important studies recently conducted by the Consejo Federal de Inversiones (CFI, Federal Investment Council of Argentina) and COVIAR along with the winemakers of each region and financed with the Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo (IDB, Inter American Development Credit Union) is the Characterization Study of the Argentine Wine Regions. The objective is to add value to each region, group together regions with the same varietal behavior patterns, and make it easier to establish geographical indications. It places Argentina as the first nation in the world to have all of its surface area covered by vines inventoried and described under one scientific methodology, setting a global benchmark. The study has databases and digital maps of the productive areas of the wine provinces.
COVIAR has also set up a certification program under which it awards the "Vitivinicultura Argentina Sostenible" seal (Sustainable Viticulture Argentina). Promoted by COVIAR as a hallmark for the entire Argentine wine industry, the seal is intended to promote and certify the application of sustainable production techniques and practices.
Malbec by the Numbers 
Malbec remains Argentina’s most iconic variety, with 47,064 hectares under vine – 25.5% of the country’s total vineyard area and a dominant 42% of all red grape production.
In 2024, Argentine wineries crushed 4.02m quintals of Malbec grapes, with Mendoza alone accounting for 86% of the total.
Exports reached 1.27m hectoliters, valued at USD 429.75m – a 4.8% increase from 2023. The U.S., U.K.,and Brazil remain the leading destinations.
Geographic Diversity
While Mendoza leads with 84.7% of production, 17 other provinces grow Malbec, including high-altitude vineyards in Salta (up to 3,111 meters) and emerging regions like Neuquén and Río Negro.
Source: National Viticulture Institute (INV), Wines of Argentina, 2024
Wines of Argentina
This organization has been promoting the brand and country image of Argentine wines worldwide since 1993. Alejandro Vigil, from Catena Zapata Winery, has been re-elected as its president, beginning his second consecutive term at the helm of the entity. He is joined by Claudia Piedrahita, CEO of Casarena Winery, who will serve as Vice President. Recently, Magdalena Pesce was promoted to general manager of the institution and was named ambassador of the Argentine Country Brand by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of the Nation for her “contribution to the positioning of Argentine wine in the world.”
Its core activities include content creation for interactive digital media, influencer and media relations, and event management like "Malbec World Day." Furthermore, Wines of Argentina has also adapted its behavior according to the changing consumer trends, focusing on sustainable wine development with lower alcohol content and experience innovation to involve consumers and Argentine wine culture.
Bodegas de Argentina
Bodegas de Argentina promotes and defends the interests of the nation's wineries. Among its most recent achievements are the elimination of withholdings on exports, regulatory process simplification, and the dissemination of the Sustainability Protocol for Argentine Viticulture. Walter Bressia is the president, accompanied by Juan Schamber from Peñaflor as first vice president and Alejandro Vigil as second vice president.
Globally, it is a member of the World Wine Trade Group, collaborating together to avoid tariff regulations, and locally, it works with authorities to cut bureaucracies. In sustainability, it has led the way, establishing an overall protocol and bringing certification through agreements with WOFA and Valos.
Asociación de Cooperativas Vitivinícolas
The Asociación de Cooperativas Vitivinícolas (ACOVI, Association of Argentine Viticultural Cooperatives) is a non-profit civil organization based in Mendoza that represents wine cooperatives. Among its main functions, ACOVI manages economic and social relations between its members, as well as with national and international cooperatives.
Argentine Association of Sommeliers
The Argentine Association of Sommeliers (AAS) is a non-profit entity created in 2001 and a member of the ASI since 2002. Through activities, seminars, publications, meetings, and competitions, the AAS contributes to the technical and professional development of the sector, improves the quality of service in restaurants and hotels, and positions Argentina internationally. Among its notable initiatives is the Best Sommelier in Argentina Contest, scheduled for October 28 to 30. Its president is Somm. Marcela Rienzo.
Asociación de Profesionales en Enología y Alimentos
The Asociación de Profesionales en Enología y Alimentos (APEAA, Association of Oenology and Food Professionals) is a non-profit institution that brings together oenology and food professionals. Its president is Abel Furlan, and its director is Miguel Codatto.
Wine Tourism
Today, Argentina boasts over 400 wine estates welcoming tourism, spread across 17 provinces. That means a steep growth in the sector, for in 2020 there were just 14 provinces and 200 estates dedicated to wine tourism. In Mendoza, the Faculty of Engineering and Oenology at Universidad Maza has a Diploma in Wine Tourism Management, while the Faculty of Agrarian Sciences has a Program in Planning and Management of Wine Tourism. Both are aimed at shaping professionals and preparing resources to improve the development of this increasingly important industry.
Top Wine Journalists
Joaquín Hidalgo
Joaquín holds a license in periodism from the Universidad de La Plata and an enology degree from the Mendoza Agricultural School. He worked in almost all media with wine-related content. His website Vinomanos.com was launched in 2013, and its “Informe Malbec”, unique in its field, chooses the best etiquettes every year. Since 2014, he has started contributing regularly to La Nación newspaper. By joining the staff of Vinous, a well-known specialized media website in the US that publishes dozens of his reports on Argentina, Chile, and Spain, he became the first Argentine to join the select group of international wine critics in 2019.
Fabricio Portelli
With over two decades of writing background and a special interest in Argentine wines, experienced sommelier Portelli is one of the strongest contenders. An ever-present contributor to top media journals since the beginning of his career in 2000, he has expressed his extensive knowledge and love for wine in magazine columns, websites, and TV shows.
Sommelier education
The Argentina School of Sommeliers (EAS) was founded in 1999 by Marina Beltrame, under the patronage of Georges Sabaté, owner of a cork company. The EAS is now a model institution for academic training, having trained hundreds of professionals, and has diversified its programs in semi-face-to-face and distance learning modalities, in addition to establishing international partnerships in Costa Rica, Peru, and Brazil.
Other sommelier courses are available at Escuela Argentina de Vinos (EAV), which offers a technical degree in Sommellerie and a postgraduate degree in Sensory Food Evaluation. Also at the Gato Dumas school they teach a Professional Sommelier course and a Technician's degree. The Centro Argentino de Vinos y Espirituosas (CAVE) has offered sommelier courses and the WSET Diploma in Wines and Spirits courses in Argentina since 2009.
Notable Sommeliers
After his 2017 win as Best Sommelier in Argentina, Bruno went on to finish with a superior 15th rank in Belgium in the 2019 ASI Best Sommelier of the World contest. In 2024, Bruno received the Michelin Sommelier Award for his outstanding performance as Wine Director of world-famous restaurant Don Julio in Buenos Aires. Named the best restaurant in Latin America by the 50 Best Guide, Don Julio is also a Michelin-starred restaurant and twice voted the world's greatest steak restaurant.
Delvis Huck, Alma Cabral, Andrea Donadio, Best Sommelier in Argentina 2022, and Valeria Gamper, Best Sommelier in the Americas 2021 and Best Sommelier in Argentina 2019, who was placed sixth in the 2023 Best Sommelier in the World Competition in Paris, France.
Notable winemakers
Alejandro Vigil
He was born in 1973, and he graduated in Agricultural Engineering from the Mendoza Agrarian Sciences Faculty, where he later earned two master's degrees, one in oenology and another in irrigation. He began his professional career at the National Institute of Agricultural Technology, where, at 28 years old, he was appointed director of the department of soil analysis. He began his career at Catena Zapata in 2002 as Director of Research and Development Department. He became a member of the company in 2003 as Director of Oenology in charge of the flagship wines of the renowned winery. His scientific background allowed him to develop new viticultural and oenological techniques.
Agustina Hanna
At the age of only 34, Agustina has become one of the best young winemakers in Argentina, with her innovative spirit and her passion to make fresh, authentic, and meaningful wines.
As a winemaker at Ruca Malen winery in Mendoza, she has succeeded in combining tradition and modernity, trying new ways of making wine and rescuing forgotten varietals. Her approach goes beyond technical expertise; she wants each wine to express emotions and tell stories.
Named "Winemaker of the Year" and "Best Female Winemaker" by her industry peers, Agustina is one of a new breed of professionals transforming the Argentine wine industry.
Master of Wine
Marina Gayán of Buenos Aires remains Argentina's only Master of Wine, a qualification she attained in 2003.
New wine companies and investors
Even though Argentina's economy is struggling right now, several noteworthy investments have been made recently.
The Miolo Group, Brazil's largest wine exporter, recently acquired Bodega Renacer, a winery located in Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza. Miolo exports to 30 countries, currently produces an average of 10 million litres of wines per year in its four wineries, and has nearly 1,000 hectares cultivated with vineyards.
Fifteen years ago, Dr Barry Morgan purchased an abandoned dairy farm in the Las Paredes district of San Rafael, Mendoza. He planted garlic, alfalfa, fruit trees, and cattle there. It was only when he gambled with the grapes that it worked. His wines are now gaining recognition, establishing the San Rafael area as the source of excellent wines.
The same district of Las Paredes, San Rafael, Mendoza, was the place chosen by businessman Carlos Scrugli to found Scrugli C. Viñedos y Lodge. A family with Italian tradition planted 80 hectares of vineyards in 1975. The project has been continued by Carlos Scrugli, a passionate connoisseur of Argentine viticulture who decided to launch his line of wines on the market.
Alejandro P. Bulgheroni, owner of Pan American Energy and Alejandro Bulgheroni Family Vineyards, with wineries in Argentina, Uruguay, Italy, France, Australia, and the USA, built a new facility in Argentina’s Patagonia extreme region at Sarmiento Valley, Chubut Province, the southernmost winery in the world at 45º South. Otronia is the name of the new winery that was nominated as Best Winery in the New World by the famous Wine Enthusiast magazine that presents the Wine Star Awards. This award recognizes and celebrates the innovation of those who contribute significantly to the success of the world of wine.
Wine stores
Important Argentine wine retail chains include Ligier, Tonel Privado, and Frappé. Another retailer, Grand Cru, imports a wide collection of world wines. But Chinese supermarkets are the main wine sales retail channel in Argentina. Aggressive pricing policies let them offer wines at 20% to 30% cheaper than at other outlets. The main reason to achieve these prices is that the owners of the Chinese supermarkets stand out with lower percentages, make group purchases, and pay cash, which allows them to obtain extremely competitive prices.
Online wine sales continue to grow. Several wineries have implemented it. This is the case of Peñaflor with its site VinosySpirits.com; Tienda.luigibosca.com from Bodega Luigi Bosca; shop.norton.com.ar by Bodega Norton.
