MENDOZA.- A different bet in the land “of sun and good wine.” An activity that begin to appear with force now gain weighty terrain, with international recognition. HE treats of the production of oregano from Mendoza, particularly from San Carlos, in the Uco Valley, which is not only the only one in the world to have a Geographical Indication (GI), but concentrate more than 80% of the total species consumed in the country, with a notable growth in exports, leaving behind bulk sales that were they performed to Buenos Aires. Oregano is an ancient plant from the Mediterranean Region.
According to official data accessed THE NATION, Mendoza is the main oregano producing area in Argentina, concentrating between 70% and 85% of all the oregano consumed in the country. They follow him in importance the provinces of Córdoba and San Juan.
Meanwhile, exports report encouraging figures: in one year, shipments abroad more than doubled. Thus, in 2024 there were shipments for more than 600,000 dollars while 2025 closed with shipments above 1.4 million dollars, which represents an increase of over 130%. Likewise, in kilograms exported, it went from 250,000 kilos in 2024 to more than 600,000 kilos last year. Meanwhile, there is a significant rebound in the value of the kilo that is exported: in one year it went from 1.70 dollars to 2.40 dollars today, which represents more than 40%.
“Producers are having a good margin for their oregano. It is due to several factors, but without a doubt the IG has made them visible and they are very enthusiastic about the future projection of the sector, especially for the domestic market that accompanies the upward trend in prices; “The best quality product is valued and paid for it,” expressed to THE NATION Rodolfo Vargas Arizu, Minister of Production.
Entrepreneurs in the sector in the province are enthusiastic about the good numbers and value the benefits of the product they offer, characterized by its purity and deep aroma. The thing is that the oregano they market achieved the quality seal and there is no other on the planet that has accredited quality linked to origin.
There are five companies, with seven trademarks and eight types of presentations, that completed the certification this year. The legitimized firms are Las Elviras Group, under the Las Elviras brand; Mardegan, such as classic Mardegan and organic Mardegan; Especias Cortijo SAS, with the Kidul brand; Fernando Pattaro, under the brand Especias Pattaro; and Servicios Conjuntos SAS, with the Las Acacias brand. In total, in San Carlos, there are more than 140 local producers who cultivate around 1,200 hectares.
As explained by the local Executive, in the last two years, the province participated with the financing, through a project of the Federal Investment Council (CFI), which included certification and promotion. It was a key movement, in a few years: they went from bulk sales to achieving GI. “Until recently, all the oregano produced in San Carlos was sold in bulk, to companies in Buenos Aires or other places in the country, which then “cut” it by mixing it with other oregano of lower quality, often imported, and which could have remains of other plant species, dust and even soil. This fractionated mixture was what reached the stores,” indicated to this medium. Thus, the leap occurred when they decided to start dividing and selling under their own brands. “The difference in quality has its origin in the natural conditions of San Carlos, which result in a high-end product,” they expressed.
In this sense, the sector’s leaders consider traceability and guaranteed quality, which allows them to offer a different product, which stands out for its aromatic intensity. The San Carlos Geographical Indication was recognized on February 19, 2025, through National Resolution 0028/25 of the Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, dependent on the Ministry of Economy. This means that the product went through a strict surveillance process from the farm to the packaging, with chemical and sensory controls carried out by professionals, which guarantee the genuineness and quality of the product.
“This puts us as a sector in a privileged place and shows that in Mendoza we not only make good wines, olive oil and garlic but that we have the best oregano in the world. We are at the beginning of something excellent that is coming in economic and also tourist development, with the path of aromatics. “We want our land to be known,” pointed to THE NATION Gonzalo Appiolaza, owner of Mardegan, who also referred to the project they are developing together with the San Carlos Rural Society with other products linked to local aromatics, such as basil and garlic, which allow, under a dream landscape, to offer a specific tourist proposal for lovers of aromas and flavors.
“This proposal, which we have been working on together with producers, schools, chefs and tourism agents, seeks to highlight a differential tourist offer, which allows access to unique sensory experiences, while adding value to local production,” the local government stated.
According to experts in the area, an oregano with GI San Carlos must be grown and processed in this department of the Uco Valley, have a “compact” variety percentage, high aromatic intensity, homogeneous colors tending towards yellowish greens, a homogeneous particle size, absence of dust, sticks and other plant remains, be released and sold in closed containers, weighing less than 1 kilo.
To recognize this certified oregano, the container has a security label attached that identifies it, printed with VOID technology, which prevents it from being peeled off and stuck on another container. It has measures such as security microtexts, text reactive to UV light and holographic bands, similar to those on banknotes that prevent their tampering.
