Articles of Interest

Vendimia: Argentina's Wine Harvest Festival

While the grapevines in the Napa Valley are deep in hibernation from the winter's cold, grapes in the southern hemisphere are in full bloom. February marks the beginning of the harvest in South America, and nowhere is this more celebrated than Mendoza, one of the world's great wine capitals. Tucked into the foothills of the Andes, Mendoza and its people have long been identified with viticulture and wine making.

Vendimia, Mendoza's wine harvest festival, takes place on the first weekend of March each year. This event has been aptly described as a 'Eurovision Song Contest rolled up with a North American beauty pageant, served up with a South American street carnival and washed down with lots of wine.'

Although the main event takes place in March, the months leading up to it are filled with cultural activities throughout the province of Mendoza. Each of the regions within the province holds its own, smaller festival where a regional ‘Harvest Queen’ is elected, music festivals take place and sporting demonstrations occur.

Vendimia offically begins with a sunset blessing of the vineyards and grapes by Mendoza’s Bishop, signaling the end of the work year in the fields. Then the festivities commence and the wine starts flowing. The event is attended by tourists and locals alike, including those from the various regions throughout the province of Mendoza. Throughout the weekend parades consisting of a variety of floats and traditional locomotives make their way through the city streets. Each region is represented by their selection for 'Harvest Queen' and the lucky girl gets to witness the festivities from the top of her regional float in the parade.

The event culminates on Saturday night with the election of the Offical Reina de Vendimia (harvest queen) at the Greek Amphitheatre in Mendoza's Park San Martin.

If you are planning to visit Mendoza and the wine regions of Argentina be sure to check out our tips for visiting Mendoza's vineyards.