Dear <<First Name>>,
Argentina is one of the oldest wine producing countries in the New World, with vines being introduced during the Spanish colonisation and the first vineyard was planted around 1556 by Jesuit monks for wine to use in the Eucharist.
Argentina has diverse and extensive geography, with pampas plains covering around a quarter of its land mass, a 5,000 mile long coastline, and the majestic Andes Mountains. It is unique among wine regions worldwide because Argentina has the highest commercial vineyards in the world: cool nights control the acidity in the grapes and different varieties are planted at different altitudes to emphasise the expression and flavours of the fruit. In this part of the world the vineyards start at 850m above sea level, and rise to around 3,000m. To give you some idea – the highest point of the South Downs is 280 metres!
Bodegas Catena Zapata was founded by Nicola Catena, an Italian immigrant who planted his first vineyard in Mendoza in 1902. The winery is still family run – now 4th generation, and is one of the few family-owned wine companies in Argentina which remains in Argentinian hands. Today Nicolas Catena and his daughter Laura head up the business, and Nicolas has conducted extensive research into the soils and microclimates of Mendoza's high altitude wine country in the foothills of the Andes. Their Adrianna Vineyard at almost 5,000 feet elevation has been called the Grand Cru of South America.
Malbec is of course Argentina’s signature red grape variety capable of producing impressive age-worthy wines. The origin of the vines for Zapata’s Nicasia Malbec are called “The Catena Cuttings”.
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