Across the rippling ridges of the Andes, the sun moves slowly as it bathes the high altitude vineyards of the Uco Valley in a light that feels almost ceremonial: Pure, warm, and deeply receptive to contemplation. At Alpasión Winery in Los Chacayes, each vine seems to stand as both witness and participant in a larger story of this land, its people, and the aspiration to make wine that speaks with clarity about this moment in Argentine enology. Uco Valley is a crucible where altitude, warmth, and wind converge and where winemakers are asking new questions of terroir, identity and purpose in 2026. These questions find a living answer in the hands and voices of the team at Alpasión and in the wines that emerge from this extraordinary place.

The first thing any visitor hears from those who care for these vineyards is the same phrase, soft but persistent: “This land makes us think differently.” It is said with a mixture of wonder, respect and urgency, because viticulture at more than a thousand metres above sea level reshapes expectations. These are soils forged by ancient alluvial flows, soils that carry a mosaic of sandy loam and stone, and soils that make grapes sing with a combination of freshness, structure, and mountain resonance. The Uco Valley’s altitude confers a signature acidity and aromatic precision that in 2026 remains among Argentina’s most treasured assets in global wine conversation, especially as producers seek to balance tradition with evolving climate realities.

Alpasion’s story began in a way that feels cinematic, yet entirely human: a group of friends, each successful in different walks of life, convened by chance and later by choice over bottles of wine and lengthy conversations about meaning, craft, and connection. These gatherings sparked a collective ambition that reached beyond personal fulfilment. They wanted to create something that mattered. A project that was more than label and logo, more than vineyard and cellar. In 2009 they found land deep in Los Chacayes and by the next year began to transform their idea into a landscape worth betting upon. Their inaugural wine, a Malbec called Alpasión, a fusion of the Spanish words for soul and passion, premiered in 2012 to critical acclaim and became an emblem of their shared vision.

Guided walks through the rows of vines feels like being given access to a long conversation about tenure and transformation. It is here that you learn about the soil’s voice, the sun’s insistence, and the way that each vintage adds nuance to the valley’s interpretation of a grape like Malbec or Cabernet Sauvignon. Sustainability at Alpasión is not an abstract ideal; it is an operational rhythm rooted in soil care, organic practices, and attentive irrigation systems that respect natural water cycles. The vineyard even includes a hectare planted in the shape of a giant fingerprint, a quiet nod to identity and belonging that mirrors the etched signatures on the label itself.

What emerges in the glass from these vineyards are wines that carry the imprint of both place and partnership. Climate variability in 2026 has seen producers everywhere adjusting canopy management, yield control and harvest timing, and Alpasión’s techniques reflect this larger shift toward precision viticulture and adaptive stewardship. Wines from here feel alive, dynamic and expressive of both tradition and innovation. Thursday Food introduces a few labels from a winery which features amongst The World’s Best Vineyards to explore:

Alpasión Rosé is a 100 per cent Syrah rosé that is soft and fresh on entry, with some volume in the mouth, it has very good acidity and low alcohol which makes it very drinkable. Aromatics of persimmon, clementine, as well as prosciutto wrapped cantaloupe burst from the glass.

Alpasión Grand Chardonnay is a clean and bright expression of the Chardonnay grape that is the white wine of this winery’s “Grand” line. It has undergone a partial malolactic fermentation, resulting in notes of green apple, pineapple and lemon curd, backed by a crushed sea shell minerality.

Alpasión Sauvignon Blanc is a marriage of fresh fruit and herbs that had its first vintage inaugurated in 2022. It is a thirst-quenching high acid wine that is the perfect sipper with or without food. Meyer lemon, mango and starfruit meet Thai basil and fresh cut grass in its notes.

Alpasión Private Selection is a red wine blend typically composed of Malbec, Syrah, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Franc, in a combination that changes every year depending on the best grapes that are available. This is a powerful, full-bodied wine, with complex aromas and great aging potential.

Alpasión Grand Malbec is the bodega’s flagship wine and represents about 80 per cent of their overall production. A perfect example of a quintessential Malbec from the Mendoza region, it is an opaque, inky purple in the glass with neon magenta at the rim. This full-bodied red bursts with macerated blue and black fruit as well as subtle notes of toasted oak and cocoa powder.

Increasingly, wine travellers show rising appetites for experiential as well as regionally anchored wine travel and this movement has found a vivid expression at Alpasión, where hospitality and vinification share the same root: Curiosity about people and place. The winery’s physical space reflects this philosophy. A warm, timber-lit lodge stands against the Andes, offering rooms that invite reflection as the wind draws patterns across the valley floor. Potatoes from the orchard become garnishes in the on-site restaurant’s seasonal menu, and tasting sessions unfold in newly constructed spaces where wine and story intermingle. This ensures each visit is shaped not as an itinerary but as a conversation with this place, its weathered soils and high plains.

In the vineyard at Alpasión, the grapes themselves offer a timeline of conversation. A grand vertical tasting, where vintages are sipped in sequence from youngest to oldest, reveals not only stylistic evolution but also the influence of seasonal water patterns, temperature shifts, and human decision-making. Vendimia 2026 in Mendoza winds through this continuum of reflection and celebration with a sense of renewal rather than spectacle, in a festival embodying heritage and pride in harvest labour, interweaving folkloric processions with community acknowledgements of climate realities and agronomic innovation. In its fullest sense, the Alpasión story is one of reasoned optimism. It honours friendship as the original seed of creation and deepens that origin through attentive viticulture, hospitality and cultural engagement.

For those who wish to explore such landscapes not only with their palates but also with their senses and intellect, Anetza Concierge serves as an interpreter of these narratives and a curator of experiences that traverse geography and culture. It is not a promoter of surface impressions, but an architect of deep engagement with vineyards like Alpasión and the larger dialogue of Argentine viniculture. In this way, wine tourism becomes not only a journey through bottles and cellars, but a series of meaningful connections between people, place, and time. Thus, the story of Alpasión is not merely about wine; it is about how an idea sparked among friends and a community of makers speaking through their craft, can embody the future of Argentine wine, an evolving chapter of the nation’s viticultural identity, written glass by glass in 2026 and beyond. Salud!

Alpasión Grand Malbec is the bodega’s flagship wine and represents about 80 per cent of their overall production. (Photo by Alpasión Wine)

Alpasión Lodge offers intimate accommodation and spectacular views. (Photo by Alpasión Wine)

At Bodega Jorge Rubio, makers of Finca Gabriel Rosé Malbec, visitors are treated to an unforgettable experience. (Photo by Bodega Jorge Rubio)

Alpasión Grand Chardonnay is a clean and bright expression of the Chardonnay grape that is the white wine of this winery’s “Grand” line. (Photo by Alpasión Wine)

Every tasting is a journey through the rich tapestry of wine making, meticulously crafted to educate and enchant with each pour. (Photo by Alpasión Wine)

The menu at the Alpasión Chiringuito Food Truck is tailored to complement Alpasión’s wine catalogue. (Photo by Alpasión Wine)

Alpasión Rosé, which has earned an 89-point score from Descorchados, is ideal for true gastronomic experiences. (Photo by Alpasión Wine)

Alpasión Sauvignon Blanc, a thirst-quenching high-acid wine, has scored 91 points from Tim Atkin, Master of Wine. (Photo by Alpasión Wine)

Alpasión Grand Malbec received 92 points from Descorchados, a gold medal at the Decanter World Wine Awards, & gold at the London Wine Competition. (Photo by Alpasión Wine)

Alpasión Grand Chardonnay has scored 92 points from Descorchados as well as Vinous and earned Double Gold from Vinus. (Photo by Alpasión Wine)

Alpasión Private Selection has earned a 91-point score from Descorchados. Tim Atkin, Master of Wine, London Wine Competition and International Wine Report. (Photo by Alpasión Wine)