Argentina's growing collection of Geographical Indications (GIs)

Amanda Barnes MW charts Argentina's shift from variety-led Malbec branding to place-based indentity.

 
Argentina's growing collection of Geographical Indications (GIs)

The search for terroir expression continues

  • Amanda Barnes MW
  • 2025-09-23

Malbec is here to stay in Argentina — but it is no longer simply the easy-drinking, purple-fruited crowd-pleaser that dominated export markets two decades ago. Today, Malbec has become Argentina's most effective vehicle for communicating terroir and sits at the heart of an evolving system of GIs that is reshaping how the country positions itself in premium markets.

From the "French Grape" to Terroir Messenger

Malbec's trajectory in Argentina mirrors the country's broader wine history. Introduced in the late 19th century during the great wave of European immigration, it was planted widely across Mendoza and Cuyo at a time when Argentina's vineyard area exploded from fewer than 3,000 hectares (ha) in 1883 to 70,000 ha by 1914. Known simply as the cepa francesa, Malbec became one of many varieties blended into the industrial wines that fuelled Buenos Aires' booming middle and working classes.

When the conversation shifted to premiumisation in the 1980s, Malbec all but disappeared from focus — and more than 80% of Malbec plantings were unrooted. Cabernet Sauvignon was tipped as Argentina's international calling card, but it failed to ignite global excitement. Meanwhile, a handful of winemakers who bottled Malbec almost as an eccentricity began turning heads abroad. They gained some traction in the international market, which catalysed a rapid replanting of Malbec. By the late 1990s, Malbec's second act had begun, and plantings shot up from fewer than 10,000 ha in 1995 to nearly 50,000 ha today.



That wave cemented Argentina's reputation on export markets, especially in the US. Yet the style that first won attention — ripe, oaky, fruit-driven Malbec — has given way to a more nuanced approach. With Malbec planted in every wine region of the country, thanks to the style-driven boom in the 2000s, it has become the benchmark variety through which Argentina can demonstrate the diversity of its terroirs.

It is these differences in expressions of Malbec which have been at the core of the development of Argentina's new group of Geographical Indications (GIs).

The Shift to Topographical GIs

For years, Argentina's appellation system was largely administrative: GIs followed provincial or departmental boundaries with little relevance to site character. That began to change in 2013 with the recognition of Paraje Altamira, the country's first GI defined by geology and climate rather than politics.

The case of Altamira shows how Argentina's new GI system has been driven from the ground up. As critics and buyers began singling out wines from this alluvial fan at the foot of the Andes, more producers started using "Altamira" on labels without formal recognition. Tired of misuse of the region's name and charlatan marketing, a group of local winemakers and wineries undertook detailed soil and climate studies to establish rigorous boundaries. After five years of research, working with the local university, they presented the blueprints to the National Viticulture Institute, which approved Paraje Altamira as a GI in 2013 — setting a precedent for a new generation of appellations.



Since then, other producer-led initiatives have followed. Los Chacayes GI, El Peral GI, San Pablo GI, Pampa El Cepillo GI and others have been delimited through similar topographical and climatic studies, often overlapping older political GIs but offering much stronger explanatory power for Argentina's growing fine-wine segment. Today, the country is developing what is arguably the most sophisticated appellation map in South America.

Place Trumping Variety

The impact is already visible in how Argentina presents its most expensive wines. In the top wines of Zuccardi, Catena Zapata, El Enemigo, Altos Las Hormigas and Raquis, the GI or vineyard name often takes precedence on the label. Malbec is almost always inside the bottle — but not always on the front label.

This reflects a deeper bet by leading producers: that Argentina's premium future depends less on variety and more on provenance. Just as Burgundy's climats or Napa's AVAs allow differentiation within a single dominant grape, Argentina's GIs are beginning to map out a hierarchy of terroirs.

The stylistic contrasts between regions are clear. Malbec from Los Chacayes, for example, typically shows power, red fruit and firm tannins, while the Malbec wines of Paraje Altamira are silkier, more perfumed expressions with a finer tannin structure. These differences give importers and buyers a vocabulary to sell Argentine Malbec not just as a varietal, but as a spectrum of terroir expressions.

What it means for the trade

For producers, the shift to GIs offers a chance to move beyond a one-size-fits-all Malbec story and to command greater value through terroir-driven differentiation. It also provides a framework to protect reputations: delimitation and approval by the INV helps prevent the dilution of place names through overuse or misuse.

For the trade, Argentina's GI movement creates new opportunities — and new challenges. Buyers will increasingly encounter wines that downplay varietal in favour of place, which demands a deeper understanding of Argentina's geography and geology. Portfolios can now be built around distinctive terroir expressions - not just "Malbec from Mendoza." A fine-boned Altamira, for example, alongside a structured Gualtallary expression and a powerful Los Chacayes style.

 

It also sets up a clear premium ladder for Argentina's wines. As GIs become more recognised internationally, pricing will likely stratify accordingly. Wines carrying GI names will increasingly be positioned as Argentina's fine-wine tier, while generic Mendoza or varietal-only Malbec will dominate entry-level and mid-market.

The consumer may not yet be ready to decode El Peral versus San Pablo. But as importers, distributors and sommeliers begin to engage with these distinctions, the groundwork is being laid for the next phase of Argentina's international reputation: a shift from variety-led branding to a cru-based fine-wine identity.

What the Future Holds for Argentina's GIs

Argentina's appellation system is still evolving — new GIs are under discussion, and boundaries continue to be refined as research deepens. But the trajectory is clear — while Malbec remains the flagship, the focus is moving from grape variety to the ground it is planted on.

For the international trade, this is the moment to pay attention. Understanding Argentina's GI map now will position buyers to anticipate the next wave of demand, to curate portfolios with clearer differentiation, and to tell a more compelling story of Argentina as a fine-wine origin.

Malbec made Argentina's name, but its GIs may be the key to securing its future.

Amanda Barnes MW has been based in South America since 2009 and is author of The South America Wine Guide (southamericawineguide.com/book).

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