Junín IG

Junín is the third largest of the five eastern departments. The INV counted 10,764.9 hectares in 2025, down from 11,062 in 2022. Of the vines used for wine, 48.8% are red, 34.2% pink and 17% white.

The climate is typical of the East. The INV puts the zone at 600 to 700 metres, with more than 2,200 hours of sun over 210 favourable days and wind-blown soils of sandy loam and silty sand, rich in potassium. Growing-season days run around 30°C and nights around 15°C, the widest swing of the five departments in one regional guide. Rain is under 200 mm a year, so the vines live on river and canal water, and hail is a real risk.

Lucas Niven makes wine from his family's vines in Junín and focuses on Criolla varieties, with some Bonarda. Bodega Carelli, based in Rivadavia, farms 140 hectares across San Martín and Junín and is known for a juicy Bonarda. When I open a Junín red I'm looking for ripe fruit and enough freshness to carry it.