Argentina comprises the majority of the southern half of South America, bordered by the Andes Mountains to the west and the southern Atlantic Ocean. A country of breathtaking landscapes, it has long conjured romantic images of the lonely gaucho, roaming the sun-bathed pampas as they tended their cattle and sheep. Argentina is a country known for its tender carne asada, or 'grilled meat,' and is also famous for the most sensual of dances: the tango. Since the 1980s, however, Argentina has now come to be recognized for its outstanding wines.

Although generally considered 'new world,'  winemaking traditions in Argentina date back to the early 1500s. As in so many other parts of the world, missionaries brought winemaking techniques and vine cuttings with them so that they would be able to produce sacramental wine for religious services. In the nineteenth century, an influx of European immigrants (mainly from Italy and France) brought new cultivation techniques and vinifera grape varieties. Even then the immigrants recognized the great viticultural potential of what was then the underappreciated desert of Mendoza province. Collectively, they shaped Argentine culture, and wine became an integral part of the meal and daily life in general.