La Rioja: the quiet birthplace of Torrontés
Older than almost anywhere else in Argentine wine, smaller in fame than its southern neighbors, and quietly essential to the story in your glass.
Most travelers meet Argentine wine in Mendoza and end their education there. But the grape that Argentina calls its very own — aromatic, floral Torrontés — feels most at home several hundred kilometers to the north, in a dry, sun-blasted province that shares its name with a famous region in Spain. This is La Rioja: older than almost anywhere else in Argentine wine, smaller in fame than its southern neighbors, and quietly essential to the story in your glass.
What's inside
01The forgotten region
A province older than the fame La Rioja is one of the oldest wine regions in Argentina.
Read Step 1 →The style
Build it into a northern wine route.
Read Step 2 →Producers
Chilecito is the natural base.
Read Step 3 →Quick answers
Where is La Rioja wine region in Argentina?
It is in the northwest of the country, in the foothills of the Andes north of Mendoza and San Juan. Its vineyards are concentrated in the Famatina Valley, between the Sierra de Velasco and the Sierra de Famatina, with the town of Chilecito as the main hub.
Is La Rioja in Argentina the same as La Rioja in Spain?
No — they are two different wine regions on opposite sides of the Atlantic that share a name. The Argentine province was named after the Spanish region by an early settler. A 2011 court ruling confirmed that Argentina can keep labeling its wines “La Rioja Argentina.”
What wine is La Rioja, Argentina known for?
Torrontés Riojano, the finest of Argentina's three Torrontés varieties and the most planted grape in the province. It produces aromatic, floral white wines. The region also makes Malbec, Bonarda and Syrah.
What is La Riojana?
La Riojana is a wine cooperative founded in 1940 in Chilecito. With around 500 grower families, it is the largest wine cooperative in Argentina and one of the largest Fairtrade-certified wineries in the world, known for organic and Fairtrade wines.
Can you visit wineries in La Rioja?
Yes. The La Riojana cooperative in Chilecito offers tours and tastings just a few blocks from the town's main square. La Rioja is far quieter and less developed for tourism than Mendoza, which is part of its charm.