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Torrontés is the characteristic white wine grape of Argentina
Argentine wine

Argentine wine, as with some aspects of Cuisine of Argentina, has its roots in Spain. During the Spanish colonization of the Americas, Juan Cedr?n brought the first vine cuttings to Santiago del Estero in 1557, and the cultivation of the grape and wine production stretched first to neighbouring regions, and then to other parts of the co...
, producing fresh, aromatic white wines. Three criolla varieties exist in Argentina: Torrontés Riojano, the most common; Torrontés Sanjuanino; and Torrontés Mendocino.

A grape called Torrontés is found in Galicia
Galicia

Galicia may refer to:Geographic regions* Galicia , an autonomous community in northwestern Spain** Gallaecia, a province of the Roman Empire...
 in Spain
Spain

Spain or the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in Southern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though Espa?a , Estado espa?ol and Naci?n espa?ola are used interchangeably....
. Its relationship to the Argentine varieties is uncertain.

nt DNA research has shown that Torrontés is related to the Malvasia
Malvasia

Malvasia [malva'zi:a] is a group of wine grape varieties grown historically in the Mediterranean region and the island of Madeira, but now grown in many of the winemaking regions of the world....
 group of grapes which originated in the Eastern Mediterranean and found their way to Atlantic islands such as Madeira
Madeira

Madeira is a Portugal archipelago in the north Atlantic Ocean that lies between and . It is one of the Autonomous regions of Portugal, with Madeira Island and Porto Santo Island being the only inhabited islands....
.






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Torrontés is the characteristic white wine grape of Argentina
Argentine wine

Argentine wine, as with some aspects of Cuisine of Argentina, has its roots in Spain. During the Spanish colonization of the Americas, Juan Cedr?n brought the first vine cuttings to Santiago del Estero in 1557, and the cultivation of the grape and wine production stretched first to neighbouring regions, and then to other parts of the co...
, producing fresh, aromatic white wines. Three criolla varieties exist in Argentina: Torrontés Riojano, the most common; Torrontés Sanjuanino; and Torrontés Mendocino.

A grape called Torrontés is found in Galicia
Galicia

Galicia may refer to:Geographic regions* Galicia , an autonomous community in northwestern Spain** Gallaecia, a province of the Roman Empire...
 in Spain
Spain

Spain or the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in Southern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though Espa?a , Estado espa?ol and Naci?n espa?ola are used interchangeably....
. Its relationship to the Argentine varieties is uncertain.

History

Recent DNA research has shown that Torrontés is related to the Malvasia
Malvasia

Malvasia [malva'zi:a] is a group of wine grape varieties grown historically in the Mediterranean region and the island of Madeira, but now grown in many of the winemaking regions of the world....
 group of grapes which originated in the Eastern Mediterranean and found their way to Atlantic islands such as Madeira
Madeira

Madeira is a Portugal archipelago in the north Atlantic Ocean that lies between and . It is one of the Autonomous regions of Portugal, with Madeira Island and Porto Santo Island being the only inhabited islands....
. It is not known how it arrived in Argentina, but it seems to have been there a long time, suggesting that it was brought by Spanish colonists, quite possibly missionaries.

DNA research has also confirmed that the two major commercial varieties, Torrontés Riojano and Torrontés Sanjuanino, are closely related. Torrontés Mendocino has ampelographic differences that suggest it may a different variety of altogether.

Distribution and wines


Argentina

Around 8,700 hectares in Argentina have been planted with Torrontés Riojano, and 4,850 hectares, with Torrontés Sanjuanino. Plantings in the very high altitudes (1700m+) of the Calchaquíes Valleys in the far north of Argentina have recently met with success.

Chile

Torrontés is grown in Chile
Chilean wine

Chilean wine is wine made in the South American country of Chile. The region has a long viticulture history for a New World wine region dating to the 16th century when the Spain conquistadors brought Vitis vinifera vines with them as they Spanish colonization of the Americas....
, but mostly for the production of Pisco
Pisco

'Pisco' is a South American Distilled beverage distilled from grapes. Developed by Spanish Empire settlers in the 16th century, it takes its name from the conical pottery in which it was originally aged, which was also the name of the city where it was produced: Pisco, Peru, in the Viceroyalty of Peru....
.

Vine and viticulture

Torrontés likes dry, windswept conditions. Torrontés Riojano has large loose bunches of pale grapes; Torrontés Sanjuanino is similar. Torrontés Mendocino, however, has smaller, tighter bunches of darker yellow grapes.

Synonyms

Moscatel de Austria

See also

  • Argentine wine
    Argentine wine

    Argentine wine, as with some aspects of Cuisine of Argentina, has its roots in Spain. During the Spanish colonization of the Americas, Juan Cedr?n brought the first vine cuttings to Santiago del Estero in 1557, and the cultivation of the grape and wine production stretched first to neighbouring regions, and then to other parts of the co...


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