Over the last week there have been several articles about the investment potential and the power of the dollar in Argentina and Mendoza. Not only does the dollar have buying power, but the agricultural potential and wine quality of Mendoza make it one of the most desirable investment opportunities as well as a travel destination.

The Financial Times says Mendoza might be the best place to retire:

Few places on earth are suitable for quality wine production. The climate and soil need to be right, and vine cultivation and wine production expertise (ideally the experience of many generations) should be available locally.You also need a production and marketing infrastructure.

Mendoza has all of these in abundance.

Today there is a third wave of pioneers setting their sights on Mendoza. They are coming from all over the globe.

The reason is simple: U.S. dollars buy 30-40 times more vineyard here than in Napa Valley.

In fact, $5,000 will buy you an acre of vineyard in Mendoza. Big label vineyards are coming… joining the small local and gringo wineries. With the bigger wineries comes wine tourism. Boutique hotels are opening up to cater for high-end wine tourists.

They call Mendoza “The next Napa.” Time will tell. Today however the real estate values here are amazing.

In the March issue of the International Living Magazine, one of the property picks is for a 12.5-acre vineyard (planted with malbec) with a house, a caretaker’s cottage, and wine making equipment…total price: $239,000.

Another article in the Financial Times talks about Peace and Wine, the ability to settle in Mendoza, not only to invest in wineries, but to stay and create other businesses and live the quintessential Argentine lifestyle.

Travellers arriving in Mendoza, Argentina’s wine capital, invariably do so with a sense of relief. Arriving from Chile in the west, the descent from the barren peaks of the Andes often signals an end to altitude sickness. Crossing the flat and mainly treeless pampa from the east, meanwhile, the sight of snowcapped mountains – and the prosperous, green city at their feet – ends the monotony.

Add to that, a dollar that is strong and getting more so creates stronger buying power despite the recession. A blog article about Buenos Aires says:

Start your introduction to Argentinean wines at the centrally located Vines of Mendoza Tasting Room. The owners have selected the best wines from the region and offer flights from the 120 varieties.
“Argentina, and Mendoza in particular, is the most exciting and dynamic wine region in the world today. In many respects, it’s a lot like the Napa Valley was 30 years ago,” said San Francisco Bay-area transplant Matt Hobbs, the vice president of marketing and sales at Vines of Mendoza,. “Thanks to a wine-making renaissance over the last 15 years, Argentina now crafts wines of tremendous quality and value across an entire spectrum of prices.”

So now is the time to buy in Mendoza, especially at The Vines of Mendoza Private Vineyard Estates!