Mendoza pivots from wine to copper mining and vermouth production

The Argentine province of Mendoza, long known for its wine and tourism, is undergoing a structural economic shift. Governor Alfredo Cornejo highlighted the new direction by presenting a bottle of wine alongside a copper‑rich rock, emphasizing copper’s role in global electromobility and asserting that mining can coexist with viticulture. The provincial government now supports 65 copper exploration projects, with one mine under construction, despite Mendoza’s former reputation (2003‑2019) as “anti‑mining.” Minister of Energy and Environment Jimena Latorre stressed that the projects are exploratory and do not threaten the province’s water resources.

At the same time, Mendoza’s beverage sector is diversifying beyond traditional wine. Local producers have embraced vermouth, crafting it from regional grape varieties such as Malbec and Torrontés. More than 20 wineries and several artisanal distilleries now produce vermouth for export to markets across the Americas and Europe, including the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, and France. The growth has spurred capacity expansions and highlighted a broader trend of product innovation within the province’s historic wine industry.