The Wine Route in Argentina: History, Culture and Sustainable Contributions to the Economy and the Environment

Abstract

The Mendoza Wine Route can be conceived as a Latin American benchmark for the articulation of history, oenology, and culture, which embodies SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) in several of its goals. From a historical and heritage perspective, the network of irrigation ditches and public trees protects and manages an urban-productive oasis landscape that makes the Andean desert habitable and constitutes a natural and cultural asset in line with target 11.4 to protect cultural and natural heritage. This green and water-based fabric supports both the city (tree-lined streets, plazas, waterways) and the winemaking foundation that gave rise to the Wine Route. Mendoza (Argentina), is the heart of the South American wine industry because of its natural elements, production tradition, and the strength derived from distinct stages of the sector’s growth. The Wine Route, running through the province’s grape-growing districts, benefits the region’s economy, society, and environment. Popular festivals and traditional uses of wine and grapes in gastronomy are expressions of this integration. Yet, economic and social development cannot be detached from environmental preservation. Hence, sustainable wine tourism routes organize wine areas to protect the biodiversity of productive systems and satisfy growing visitor interest.