Eastern Mendoza is the heartland of Criolla grape varieties and wines in Argentina, and there is a quiet revolution taking place. Meet some of the winemakers at the forefront of the revival of old vine Criolla wines, including Lucas Niven, Matias Morcos, and the Vignoni brothers, as we visit the wine regions of ‘el este’ and explore what makes the region and its wines unique.
Video guide to Eastern Mendoza & the old vine Criolla wine revolution
The Vignoni family in Rivadavia
The Vignoni family reflect both the quintessential story of Eastern Mendoza, as well as a hard fought revival of quality wines coming from their old vines in Rivadavia.
Andres Vignoni is a winemaker I first met through his work in the regions of Lujan de Cuyo and the Uco Valley, where he continues to work today. But Andres, known as ‘el mono’, was born in Eastern Mendoza and his family still have a large vineyard and fruit production there.
Although wine production suffered during the series of crises from the 1980s onwards, the middle son Santiago Vignoni is focused on bringing back a revival of high quality wines with their Macollo label. As well as old Criolla vines, they work with some of the lesser known varieties found in the East including Bequignol and Sangiovese.
They also produce some top quality fruits, vegetables and preserves in the region, making excellent jams and conserves. The tomatoes are some of the best I have ever had in Mendoza!
Lucas Niven in Junin
Lucas Niven is a true champion of Criolla varieties, working with his family’s beautiful vines in Junin as well as Criolla vines and wines further afield. His approach in the cellar is low-intervention, but the wines are always bright and characterful with great approachability. Amanecer Andino, Palo Corazon, Bodega Niven and Corazon Valiente are just some of the brands.
He has now taken over the reigns of his family winery from his father, and is producing some of the most exciting Criolla wines as well as a plethora of interesting varieties from the region including Bonarda, Semillon and Bequignol.
Matias Morcos in San Martin
Matias Morcos is one of the most promising new generation of winemakers in Mendoza. Born in San Martin, where he works in his family winery, Matias has taken on a mission to bring back the fortunes of Eastern Mendoza by making wonderfully vibrant, juicy and fresh wines.
He makes a rather excellent Criolla Chica, but also works with a diverse range of grape varieties in the region. He’s passionate and a talented winemaker, making him most definitely one to watch!