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Altamira is a wine region at the southern tail of the Uco Valley in Mendoza, Argentina. The small sub-region has long been important to some of Mendoza's most prestigious producers (Catena Zapata and Achaval Ferrer among them), and has just started to attract attention from the world at large. Unsurprisingly, perhaps, Altamira's main grape variety is Malbec, which makes vibrant, intense wines with dark fruit and floral characters.

The sub-region is one of several that lie on the banks of the Tunuyan river in the Uco Valley. Altamira is one of the southernmost, with La Consulta a little way to the northwest. The winegrowing village of San Carlos is a stone's throw south. To the west, the imposing Andes mountains provide a buffer between this desert region and the verdant valleys of Chile.

Altamira's soils are among the most varied in the Uco Valley, composed of sand, silt and stone in varying proportions. As the area was once a river bed, there is plenty of gravel in the topsoil, providing good drainage to the vines. There is little in the way of organic material in the soil, which helps reduce yields and consequently increase the quality of the grapes that are produced. The volcanic material in the soil – contributed by the Tupungato volcano – provides plenty of minerals for vine health.

As is the case in most of Argentina's most famous wine regions, altitude is key to winemaking here – the vines' location at 3500ft (1000m) above sea level helps negate the reasonably low latitude of 33°S. Hot, sunny days promote ripening, adding weight and complexity to the wines, while much cooler alpine nights help with the development of acidity and delicate aromatics. This has proved particularly well suited to Malbec, which makes some of its best wines in this part of the world, and those from Altamira are no exception.

Rainfall in the region is very low, but traditional flood irrigation makes use of meltwater from the Andes in the west – and there is usually a plentiful supply. This form of irrigation, which is used throughout Mendoza, has the added benefit of preventing the spread of phylloxera.

As with La Consulta, Altamira officially falls under the San Carlos district, but has become known as a wine region in its own right.