Though it may still be a struggle to find fine South American wine on the wine list of a top restaurant in London, informed wine enthusiasts and professionals know how the growing reputation of this continents’ s wines, especially Argentina and Chile, is fully deserved.
While there is some wine production in the provinces of Buenos Aires, Cordoba, and La Pampa, the vast majority of wine production takes place in the far western expanse of Argentina leading up to the foothills of the Andes. The Mendoza region is the largest region and the leading producer, responsible for more than two-thirds of the country's yearly production, followed by the San Juan and La Rioja regions to the north.
Chile is the fifth largest exporter of wines in the world, and the ninth largest producer. The climate has been described as midway between that of California and France. The most common grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Carmenere.