Five well-priced wines from Argentina's Mendoza region recommended for fall

Five well-priced wines from Argentina's Mendoza region have been recommended for their quality and value. The selection includes reds and a white from the mountainous area that accounts for 75 percent of the country's vineyards. Argentina ranked sixth worldwide in wine production in 2025, according to the International Organization of Wine and Vine. While malbec remains its most successful export, winemakers in Mendoza have access to more than 20 different grape varieties, including bonarda, cabernet sauvignon and syrah for reds and sémillon, chardonnay and pinot grigio for whites.

The Finca Sophenia Altosur Malbec 2024 is a full-bodied, organic red from the high-altitude Gualtallary region of Mendoza's Uco Valley. It offers flavours of cherry, blackberry, wet stone, spice and lavender with a lingering finish. The wine has 14.2 percent alcohol by volume and 4 grams per litre of residual sugar. It is vegan friendly and priced at $15.95 in Ontario, $22.99 in British Columbia and various prices in Alberta.

Another malbec, the La Linda Private Selection Old Vines Malbec 2024, comes from the family-run Luigi Bosca winery, which was established in Lujan de Cuyo in 1901. It is produced from vines aged 30 years or older, with a portion aged in American oak barrels for eight months. It has 13.5 percent ABV and 3 g/litre r.s. It is available for $17 in Ontario, $24.99 in B.C. and $17.90 in Quebec, and is recommended for drinking now to 2029. The standard La Linda Malbec 2024 is a more affordable option fermented and aged in stainless steel tanks and concrete vats to preserve its freshness. With 13 percent ABV and 3 g/litre r.s., it is available in Ontario and is recommended for immediate drinking.

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For cabernet sauvignon lovers, the La Mascota Cabernet Sauvignon 2024 is described as one of the best value cabernets in the country. "A retaste of the 2024 vintage confirms its classic character based on plummy, berry and herbal flavours, with cedar and spice notes adding complexity." Its strong character includes nicely integrated, fine-grained tannins. It has 14 percent ABV and 4 g/litre r.s. Priced at $17.95 in Ontario, it is also available in B.C., Manitoba, Alberta, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland, and is recommended for drinking now to 2030.

The sole white wine in the selection is the Lurton Piedra Negra Pinot Grigio Organic 2025 from Bodega Piedra Negra, established by French winemaker François Lurton in 1996. The vineyard has been farmed organically since 2016 and remains the country's largest producer of pinot gris, a grape variety introduced to Argentina by Lurton. The 2025 vintage is described as "an appealingly fresh and flavourful expression of pinot grigio with a mouth-watering character thanks to its mix of green apple, citrus and spice flavours." It has 13 percent ABV and 2 g/litre r.s. It is priced at $16.95 in Ontario and is also available in Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, PEI and Newfoundland, and is recommended for drinking now. Novello Desserts reported in October on another selection of value wines from Portugal, Canada, Italy and France.

With files from The Globe and Mail