San Juan, Argentina

Valle del Pedernal (Pedernal Valley)

Few miles from the limit with Mendoza, west from the city of Media Agua in Sarmiento county (San Juan), there is a valley called El Pedernal that lies over the foot of Los Andes. For over 150 years, there have been people living there, dwelling in a ranch known as El Durazno. This old region had witnessed the Huarpes' culture. They had to pass through the valley on their way from Calingasta to Huanacache lagoons in Mendoza. Remains of this civilization have been found in the area, which makes the region propitious to be developed as a high-quality agro-touristic complex. Since 1994, El Pedernal stands as a new world in the Argentinean viticultural landscape. In this valley, the man blended soil and weather to enhance the highest oenological varieties. Will and effort turned a dessert landscape with gentle slopes into a green bed of vines. El Valle del Pedernal is synonym of present and future. This valley features the optimum conditions to produce great, fine style and defined character wines. It is located at 4,396ft above mean sea level; and it offers warm summers with fresh nights. The media thermal amplitude between 18 and 20ºC make it possible to form polyphenol, tannin and colour, which contributes to obtain well-structured wines. The soils are poor, just between 8 to 11 inches of rocky-clay-loam soils that restrains the vegetal expansion and its productivity. There is a scarce average annual rainfall -just 150mm-, but there is an irrigation water supply provided by streams that are born in Cerro del Tontal.