LUJAN DE CUYO – TIERRA MALBEC…
Luján de Cuyo is where it all began in Argentina, a deep-rooted lineage of grape growing expertise for centuries. In 1993, Luján de Cuyo was established as Argentina’s first official appellation, creating an atmosphere for a massive improvement to high-quality wines. Today Luján is considered the No. 1 location in the world for growing Malbec, and now has numerous awards, accolades and high scoring points.
Luján de Cuyo is located in the foothills of the Andes Mountains, just 30 minutes south of the city, right in the path of the Mendoza River, bringing fresh snow-melted water from the Andes on a year-round basis. The Inca Indians created an ingenious irrigation system in the 14th century, a channel they called Goazap Mayú, which fed the Luján properties and then eventually created the canal system of today. The grapes are irrigated by flooding the vineyards. When it is time for a drink, the flood gates are opened and the vineyards are filled with water. This contrasts other severe dry climates where extreme water conservation occurs, and yet here, the Andes provide an endless supply of water.
There is more to this exciting story in the book EXPLORING WINE REGIONS. Get the book at: ExploringWineRegions.com