Where in the world are we?
The Ensueños Vineyard, maker of Vinos Alviento, is located in the Valle del Uco, one of three main valleys in the district of Mendoza, Argentina's premier wine making district. There are six sub-regions in this Valley (Altamira, La Consulta, San Carlos, Tunuyan, Tupungato, Vista Flores); The Ensueño Vineyard is located in Tupungato, the northernmost sub region, at the foot of the Tupungato Volcano, one of the highest peaks in Argentina, nestled inside the Vines of Mendoza Wine owners community of wine Estates.
The altitude of the vineyards brings clarity of light, water, and air and moderates the high tempreratures associated with the lower latitudes in Mendoza. The small town of Tupungato is 65 kilometers south of Mendoza, along the western foothills of the Andes mountains. Finca Ensueño lie at 4200ft (1300m), above sea level, receiving very little rainfall, as it is in the rain shadow of the Andes. However, the Andean meltwater is plentiful, and this lower rainfall protects this sub region from the famous hail storms and Zonda wind storms, prevalent in other parts of this micro climate.
The area is known for excellent trout fishing, white water rafting, and horse back riding; in fact, people have been known to go on a nine day horse back treck across the Andes and into Santiago, Chile, or to go helisking into the virgin snow peaks off of Tupungato Volcano, straight from Tupungato.
CLIMATE
What makes this valley unique is a higher altitude location, where the valley of Tupungato sits at 3600 ft (1100 m). At a latitude of 33S, the elevated vineyard site benefits from high daytime temperatues which drop to cool at night. This allows the grapes to produce balanced sugars and acidity, while achieving phenolic ripeness. Some of the finest wines come from the surrounding Uco vineyards, as the cooler climes allow for a slower ripening.
SOIL
Soils throughout the Uco Valley are alluvial and fairly uniform; a clay and rock base with a stony, sandy surface. These free draining soils are excellent for quality viticulture as they stress the vines, leading to decreased vigor and lower yields, creating wines with a higher concentration of flavor.
Finca Ensueño sits along a small creek that fills with mountain runoff during spring thru fall....