UCO VALLEY

It is a valley formed by high peaks that, from its foothills, spill over into small, very fertile valleys, where the majority of the population is settled. It has not very abundant rains and frosts almost daily in the months of June, July and August. Ideal passage to be visited thanks to the diversity of activities that can be carried out: adventure tourism, religious, cultural, rural, nature and the Wine Roads.

The Andes Mountains frames the West and hides the most dazzling landscapes inside.

Next to the sources of the Tunuyán River are the southernmost 6,000-meter mountains in the world. The Tupungato Volcano reigns in this ravine. A little further south, the Maipo Volcano reflected in the Laguna del Diamante is a perfect synthesis of beauty.

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It includes the departments of San Carlos, Tunuyán and Tupungato. It is located southwest of the city of Mendoza between 33º and 34º south latitude. Its average annual temperature is 14.2º C. The altitudes range between 900 meters above sea level in the city of Tunuyán and 1,200 meters above sea level in Old Tupungato, which favors the great difference between day and night temperatures. At that point, the Valle de Uco region has the highest concentration of high-altitude vineyards in the world. The soils are very permeable and have good internal drainage.

The entire area is protected from the winds. The predominant ones have a SO direction. They are soft and fresh. The valley currently has around 8,000 hectares of vineyards supplied with the waters of rivers and streams, among which the Tunuyán river (with a very irregular flow) and its tributaries: the Grande and Guiñazú streams and the Las Tunas and Guajardinó rivers and de the Yaucha and Aguanda streams, which form the San Carlos stream. These vineyards include Altus, Andeluna, Bodegas Salentein, Clos de los Siete and Alfa Crux.

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This region is particularly suitable for achieving acidity in white grapes, and tannins and color in red ones. Traditional vine varieties such as Merlot, Malbec, Semillón, and Chardonnay stand out, the latter frequently used as components of the base wines for the production of sparkling wines. Among the recently established cultivars we find Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. The acidity of the wines is generally high and in many cases a malolactic fermentation is favored to round it off and give the wine complex aromas. It is currently the most important area from the point of view of wine investment.