Don Cristobal - Wines from Argentina

History
Argentina`s cultural tradition is strongly linked to wine. The influence of the Latin civilizations of Spain and Italy have played a very important role in the country`s social, political and cultural development.

Long term friends Eduardo Lapania and Juan Bautista Pacella established Latinfina S.A as a joint project and each has a 50% share in the company. The vineyards and winery of Don Cristóbal 1492 were founded in 1988 and the first vintage to be produced was 2001. By using state-of-the-art technology and following the best traditions for the production of their wines, the Don Christóbal team (18 people in all), aim to develop the highest possible quality of wines.

Vineyards
Don Cristóbal has three estates dedicated to modern growing techniques:
La Niña yields outstanding red varieties from its` 17 hectares of old vines: Malbec, Merlot, Sangiovese and Syrah, irrigated by the Tunuyán river. The estate lies at 600m above sea level at Rodríguez Peña, Junin in the province of Mendoza.

La Pinta is located at Campamentos-Rivadavia in Mendoza province, at 620m above sea level. Chardonnay is planted on 16 hectares and Verdelho on 4 hectares, currently the only such vines in Argentina. The Portuguese variety of Verdelho is ideally suited to the soil and climate of Argentina, yielding a fruity stylish white. The vineyard also grows 13 hectares of Cabernet Sauvignon and 6 hectares of Merlot.

La Santa María lies at 935m above sea level in Ugarteche, Luján de Cuyo in the Mendoza region. It enjoys an exceptional climate with outstanding soil for Malbec, Argentina`s flagship variety. There are 20 hectares of Malbec, as well as 6 hectares of the Italian variety Bonarda and plantings of both Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah.

The region of Mendoza, located at the foothill of the Andes at the border of Chile, is beyond doubt, the most traditional and developed grape growing area of Argentina. Due to exceptional climatic conditions, the best and most prestigious wines are produced here.

Winery
Don Cristóbal 1492 is an innovative, modern winery with a capacity of 800,000 litres, retaining the traditions of Mendoza and the best European oenological practices.

It processes its` own grapes, selecting and collecting the grapes by hand in 15 kilo boxes. The wines are matured in French Oak (90%) and American oak (10%) barrels for a minimum of 12 months.

The estates are close to Mendoza City and only 2.5 hours from the Aconcagua, which at 7,000m (22,965ft) is the highest peak of the continent.