High-Altitude Viticulture

Temperature is the first lever of high-altitude viticulture. For every 100 metres (328 feet) you climb above sea level, the temperature drops approximately 0.6 degrees Celsius, and in warmer climates altitude can provide some relief from the heat. Published rates vary: other figures put the drop at about 1°C for every 100m gained, or at 1°C for every 150m on the mountains of Argentina. Optimal conditions are generally found between 30 and 50 degrees latitude, and closer to the equator, cooling influences such as sea breezes or mountain air may be needed to prevent the vineyard from getting too hot. This is particularly important in Argentina's Mendoza, where vineyards can be found at well over 1,000 metres above sea level. In the Andes, as one climbs, the average temperature decreases and the amplitude between day and night temperatures increases. At Catena Zapata's Adrianna Vineyard, the weather falls between Winkler zone 1 and zone 2 depending on the year, which would put it between Burgundy and a very cool part of Bordeaux. In Lebanon, Serge Hochar of Château Musar held that the height of Musar's Bekaa vineyards, at 33° latitude, gives them a climate equivalent of ten parallels further north.

• Temperature drops approximately 0.6°C for every 100 metres climbed; other published figures give about 1°C per 100m or 1°C per 150m
• Closer to the equator, cooling influences such as sea breezes or mountain air may be needed to keep the vineyard from getting too hot
• Adrianna Vineyard weather sits between Winkler zone 1 and zone 2 depending on the year, between Burgundy and a very cool part of Bordeaux
• Serge Hochar of Château Musar held that the height of its Bekaa vineyards at 33° gives a climate equivalent of ten parallels further north

Sunlight changes with altitude as well as temperature. Grapes receive more UV rays the higher you go, which is linked with thicker skins and thus more colour, tannic structure and body in Malbec. For years, intense solar radiation was believed to be the main determining factor at altitude, although temperatures also get cooler. At Catena Zapata's Adrianna Vineyard, the levels of polyphenols and tannins were much higher than for similar plant populations at lower altitude. Federico Berli, a PhD student at the local Mendoza University working with Catena, found that sunlight intensity caused significant increases in the skin tannins of high-altitude Malbec. He separated the effect of sunlight from that of cool climate by covering the vineyard with transparent sheets that shielded only the intense high-altitude rays. At Bodega Colomé's Altura Máxima vineyard, the grapes receive more sun and less UV protection, producing thicker-skinned grapes. In Bolivia's high vineyards, ultraviolet exposure is linked with more photosynthesis, heightened development of phenolics and improved stem lignification, resulting in riper tannins, and research suggests higher altitude wines contain more resveratrol than lower altitude wines. The downside is the risk of sunburned grapes: Nerello Mascalese on Etna and Cannonau in Mamoiada, Sardinia, are grown on shaded bush vines to protect the grapes.

• More UV rays at higher altitude are linked with thicker skins and thus more colour, tannic structure and body in Malbec
• Mendoza University PhD student Federico Berli found sunlight intensity caused significant increases in the skin tannins of Catena's high-altitude Malbec
• In Bolivia, UV exposure is linked with heightened development of phenolics and improved stem lignification, resulting in riper tannins
• Sunburn is a risk at altitude; Etna's Nerello Mascalese is grown on shaded bush vines

In the Andes, climbing higher widens the gap between day and night temperatures. The majority of cooler climate cultivars achieve greater typicity in ripening periods with higher diurnal temperature ranges, where daytime temperatures are high enough to facilitate ripening while nighttime temperatures slow respiration and metabolism. Swings at altitude can be large: in Bolivia's Cinti Valley, at an elevation of 2,400m, daytime highs of 35°C can drop to 15°C around harvest, and Ribera del Duero has marked day/night temperature variations. Cafayate's vineyards, between 1,600 and 2,100 metres, lie in a sunny, desert environment, while in Cinti, frequent winds and a semi-arid climate foster vine health. At Adrianna, the volcanic subsoil drains so quickly that it is impossible to get very high yields or botrytis rot. Frost and hail are risks. Radiation frosts form on calm nights, with a warmer thermal zone upslope, generally found 30 to 300 meters off the valley floor, that protects from the coolest valley bottom sites. Bodega Colomé's vineyard at 3,111 metres sees late frosts in spring and early ones in autumn, and hail is such a threat in Bolivia that a 2005 law required all vineyards to adopt systems to mitigate its effects.

• Cooler climate cultivars gain typicity with higher diurnal ranges; warm days facilitate ripening while cool nights slow respiration and metabolism
• Daytime highs of 35°C can drop to 15°C around harvest in Bolivia's 2,400m Cinti Valley; Ribera del Duero has marked day/night temperature variations
• Frequent winds and a semi-arid climate foster vine health in Cinti; Adrianna's fast drainage makes very high yields or botrytis rot impossible
• Risks: radiation frost on valley floors, with a thermal zone 30 to 300 meters upslope; late and early frosts at Colomé's 3,111m vineyard; a 2005 Bolivian law on hail mitigation

Argentina shows the altitude effect across a wide elevation range. In Mendoza, vines have been planted along the eastern edge of the Andes from 900m up to 1,500m above sea level, and the climates between 900 and 1,500 metres elevation are very different, in vineyards that might only be an hour apart. Catena Zapata uses that spread: its Catena Malbec blends riper components from slightly warmer climates and sandy soils with more mineral, floral, high-acidity components from the very high altitude. Nicolás Catena established weather stations throughout the Uco Valley and in 1992 settled on Gualtallary Alto, the westernmost and highest district inside Tupungato, where the land sat at almost 1,500 meters or around 5,000 feet; he named the vineyard after his youngest daughter, Adrianna. Adrianna is now subdivided into over 200 distinct parcels, its soils mix calcium carbonate covered stones, gravel and layers of limestone, and Catena vinifies between 200 and 300 separate lots there. Compared with lower-altitude sites further south such as Altamira, La Consulta and Eugenio Bustos, Catena has consistently found more minerality and more acidity at Adrianna. Further north, Salta's Calchaquí Valleys go higher. Cafayate's vineyards sit between 1,600 and 2,100 metres, the Colomé and Tacuil wineries in Molinos grow vines at 2,500 metres, and the Calchaquí Valleys as a whole are higher than 2,000m with 300 days of sun. Bodega Colomé's own four vineyards sit at altitudes ranging from 2,300 to 3,111 metres, with the Altura Máxima vineyard at 3,111 metres.

• Mendoza: vines planted from 900m up to 1,500m along the eastern edge of the Andes, with very different climates between 900 and 1,500 metres
• Adrianna Vineyard: Gualtallary Alto, Tupungato, chosen in 1992 at almost 1,500 meters; over 200 distinct parcels; 200 to 300 separate lots vinified
• Catena has consistently found more minerality and more acidity at Adrianna than at lower-altitude sites further south such as Altamira, La Consulta and Eugenio Bustos
• Salta: Cafayate vineyards at 1,600 to 2,100 metres, Colomé and Tacuil at 2,500 metres; Colomé's four vineyards at 2,300 to 3,111 metres

Altitude shapes wine well beyond Argentina. In Chile, vines have been planted up to 975m above sea level along the Andean foothills and up to 600m on the slopes of the coast range. In Bolivia, 99% of the country's vineyards lie between 1,600 and 3,000 meters; 93% of grapes for wine production are centred on the Tarija Valley, where altitudes range from 1,600 to 2,150 meters, and the Cintis Valley reaches up to 2,400 meters. Singani is a clear brandy distilled from Muscat of Alexandria, and Tannat, Petit Verdot and Malbec became the darlings of Tarija. In Lebanon, most production is in the Bekaa Valley, with vineyards at an altitude of 1,000 to 1,200m. Château Musar's red-grape vineyards, on the western side of the Bekaa, sit between 900m and 1,050m above sea level, with white-grape vineyards at 1,400m in Ain Arab and 1,500m in Baqaâta. In Spain, one regional feature links Ribera del Duero's refreshing acidity to its 800 metre-plus altitude. In Italy, Valle d'Aosta, Alto Piemonte, Valtellina, Trentino-Alto Adige, Tuscany, Campania, Sardinia and Sicily all produce wines at altitude, and on Mount Etna altitude is essential for cooling Nerello Mascalese.

• Chile: vines up to 975m along the Andean foothills and up to 600m on the coast range slopes
• Bolivia: 99% of vineyards between 1,600 and 3,000 meters; Tarija Valley 1,600 to 2,150 meters; Cintis Valley up to 2,400 meters
• Lebanon: Bekaa Valley vineyards at 1,000 to 1,200m; Château Musar's red-grape vineyards at 900m to 1,050m
• Spain and Italy: Ribera del Duero at 800 metres-plus; CERVIM's 500m threshold for altitude; altitude cooling Etna's Nerello Mascalese

Producers of high-altitude Malbec are increasingly opting to bring out the fruity, floral and herbal qualities of the grape, supported by juicier, tarter palates. At Adrianna, Catena found that the Cabernet Sauvignon had more pyrazines, the Malbecs had more grip and denser tannins, and the Chardonnays were both mineral and fat, and that slow ripening in the cooler climate allows fully mature tannins with alcohols in the 13% range. In Salta, Cafayate's reds are known for their structure and spice notes, and its Torrontés features citric, floral and tropical aromas. The Calchaquí Valleys hold around 3,300ha of vineyards, led by Malbec (1,300ha), Torrontés (970ha) and Cabernet Sauvignon (about 500ha). Bodega Colomé plants short-cycle varieties such as Pinot Noir at 3,111 metres because of the frost risk. In Bolivia, the strength of the UV exposure calls for thicker-skinned varieties, and red wines make up 77% of the country's production. One critic writing on Italy finds that the acidity of altitude wines can seem quite firm and upfront on the palate, and that they often have a floral touch.

• High-altitude Malbec: producers increasingly bring out fruity, floral and herbal qualities with juicier, tarter palates
• Adrianna: more pyrazines in Cabernet Sauvignon, more grip and denser tannins in Malbec, Chardonnay both mineral and fat; alcohols in the 13% range
• Calchaquí Valleys: around 3,300ha led by Malbec, Torrontés and Cabernet Sauvignon; Colomé plants short-cycle Pinot Noir at 3,111 metres
• Bolivia: strong UV exposure calls for thicker-skinned varieties; red wines make up 77% of production

Laura Catena started a research department in the mid 1990s, the Catena Institute of Wine, which does over 1,000 microvinifications per year and has worked with PhD students at the local Mendoza University. At Adrianna, the soil study has grown from 5 soil pits per hectare to 70, and forty separately vinified parcels are being followed to evaluate their ageability. Over the past 20 years, Argentine growers and oenologists have worked to better understand high-altitude terroirs, and many have concluded that plantings need to go even higher up the mountains to obtain fresher, more precise styles. Climate change is seen as a key factor in the increased popularity of high-altitude sites. Alto Adige producer Hofstätter has planted Pinot Noir at more than 1,000m, in an area where the temperature has risen by 1°C in the past 30 years, a figure from the Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche di Trieste.

• Catena Institute of Wine: started in the mid 1990s; over 1,000 microvinifications per year; work with Mendoza University PhD students
• Adrianna soil study rose from 5 to 70 soil pits per hectare; forty separately vinified parcels followed for ageability
• Many Argentine growers have concluded plantings need to go even higher to obtain fresher, more precise styles
• Climate change is seen as a key factor in the popularity of high-altitude sites; Hofstätter has planted Pinot Noir at more than 1,000m in Alto Adige

Primary sources: https://www.wsetglobal.com/knowledge-centre/blog/2021/august/24/how-does-geography-affect-a-wine-s-style, https://www.wsetglobal.com/knowledge-centre/blog/2025/how-malbec-went-global-laura-catena-on-altitude-myths-and-versatility, https://catenazapata.com/adrianna-vineyard/, https://bodegacolome.com/en/shop/altura-maxima-pinot-noir/, https://catenazapata.com/the-story-of-the-adrianna-vineyard/, https://catenazapata.com/wines/white-bones/, https://bodegacolome.com/en/. Secondary sources: https://www.decanter.com/premium/high-altitude-malbec-top-20-to-seek-out-509823/, https://www.decanter.com/premium/italys-high-altitude-wines-460029/, https://www.guildsomm.com/public_content/features/articles/b/aubrey-terrazas/posts/bolivian-wine, https://www.decanter.com/wine/cinti-valley-bolivias-magical-secret-wine-garden/, https://www.decanter.com/features/peak-practice-248440/, https://www.decanter.com/features/regional-profile-lebanon-245998/, https://www.decanter.com/wine-news/understanding-musar-2-103656/, https://www.decanter.com/wine-travel/south-america/decanter-travel-guide-salta-argentina-296940/, https://www.guildsomm.com/public_content/features/articles/b/gregory_jones/posts/climate-grapes-and-wine, https://www.decanter.com/premium/experts-choice-calchaqui-valley-reds-399848/, https://www.decanter.com/features/ribera-del-duero-has-wines-with-altitude-248458/. Last verified 2026-10-04