Argentina is one of the fastest-growing New World wine exporters, an exciting region of diverse terroirs and highly dedicated producers. Most of the country’s vineyards surround the foothills of the Andes Mountains, extending into a range of environments including cooler southern latitudes, high-altitude sites, arid plains, and newly explored Atlantic vineyards.

Most of the moisture supplying Argentine vineyards originates high in the Andes Mountains in the form of glaciers and melting snowfall. Many growers have noticed what seems to be a climatic change in the amount of moisture available in groundwater and for agricultural purposes. Water conservation measures are constant priorities.

“Water is the main resource that we need to protect,” says Anne Bousquet, president of Domaine Bousquet in Gualtallary, Uco Valley, which is located in the Mendoza region. She says that water has become a limited resource, and working with restrictions means leaning on new innovations. “Water preservation is a pressing issue that we are tackling through sustainable technologies, like drip irrigation and high performance water treatment plants which reuse water from the winemaking process.”

Domaine Bousquet has utilized organic and regenerative farming since its vineyards were planted in 1999. “This allows us to preserve the quality, health and biodiversity of our soils and their ecosystems, which subsequently can absorb greater quantities of CO2 than conventionally farmed soils,” says Bousquet.