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San Pablo receives official GI status

Published:  12 November, 2019

Mendoza’s San Pablo has received official Geographical Indication (GI) approval.

The Argentinian town is known for Bodegas Salentein's wineries surrounding La Pampa Estate and the eponymous high altitude San Pablo (Uco Valley) Estate vineyards.

The Bodegas Salentein, Bodegas Tapíz, and Familia Zuccardi wineries, together with the Agronomy School of the National University of Cuyo and the National Institute of Viticulture, said they had joined forces to gain GI approval for San Pablo, located at the Uco Valley in Mendoza, Argentina.

For the past four years, the three wineries and two educational institutions said they had “worked tirelessly” to obtain the recognition with their efforts finally having paid off, with the region having been recognized as GI within the following four boundaries: East boundary - Provincial Route N°89, North boundary - Las Tunas River, West boundary - dimension lines at 1.700 meters above sea level and South boundary - Villegas Creek up to its intersection with Cuevas Creek.

“Years after the pioneering vision of our founder Mijndert Pon, and after years of dedication from our viticultural team and vineyard workers, the Institute of Viticulture has named San Pablo as a GI for its unique grape-growing conditions and fame for making top quality wines in Argentina," said Bodegas Salentein.

Bodegas Salentein pioneered the development of viticulture in this new GI. In 1996, Myndert Pon, founder of Bodegas Salentein, acquired La Pampa and San Pablo estates and in 1997, he planted the first very high-altitude vineyard of Malbec 1.300 meters above sea level.

Later Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Sauvignon Blanc vineyards were planted in the same estates at altitudes ranging from 1.250 to 1.600 meters above sea level. Thus, Salentein began working towards obtaining the Geographical Indication approval.

Today, Salentein holds 30ha of planted vineyards in the San Pablo GI.

GI is the name used to identify a product from that region, city or production area, within the national territory, which is smaller than a recognized province or interprovincial zone. The GI will only be justified when product quality and features are linked to their geographical origin.


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