Cuyo is the wine-producing, mountainous region of central-west Argentina. Historically it comprised the provinces of San Juan, San Luis and Mendoza. The modern New Cuyo includes both Cuyo proper and the province of La Rioja. New Cuyo is a political and economic macroregion, but culturally La Rioja is part of the North-West rather than of Cuyo.
Cuyo has some of the most popular tourist attractions in Argentina and the highest mountain massifs in the Andes, including Aconcagua itself, the highest peak outside Asia, and the Ischigualasto Provincial Park.
The soil is arid and reddish, crossed by few rivers. Most of the rivers are fed by the thawing of snow on the peaks, and their volume of water increases considerably in spring. The Desaguadero River is the main collector, receiving waters from the Bermejo, Vinchina and Salado before reaching the Colorado River.
Viticulture is one of the main activities of the area. The wine production of the region represents almost 80% of national production, and the wines are highly regarded throughout the world. Olives, potatoes, tomatoes and some fruits are also cultivated, and there is production of sweets and preserved foodstuffs. Quarrying and oil exploitation are other important industries.
The cities and towns in the region are characterised by colonial low houses and churches, and narrow streets, contrasting in the principal cities with the modern parts. The Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, founded in 1939, is the most important within these provinces, and has its campus in Mendoza, but has faculties as far as Río Negro.
Statistics
Population and area of provinces, according to the :
{| class=wikitable
|- align=left
|Province || Population || % of Cuyo|| Area (km<sup>2</sup>) || % of Cuyo || Density (inhabitants/km<sup>2</sup>)
|- align=right
|Mendoza || 1,579,651 || 55.28 || 148,827 || 36.76 || 10.6
|- align=right
|San Juan || 620,023 || 21.70 || 89,651 || 22.14 || 6.9
|- align=right
|San Luis || 367,933 || 12.88 || 76,748 || 18.95 || 4.8
|- align=right
|La Rioja || 289,983 || 10.15 || 89,680 || 22.15 || 3.2
|- align=right
|Cuyo Total || 2,857,590 || 100 || 404,906 || 100 || 7.1
|- align=right
|Argentina Total || 36,260,130 || - || 2,780,403<sup>1</sup> || - || 13.0
|}
Provincial Gross Domestic Product (nominal) per capita, the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation in a given year, divided by the average population for the same year is in the table below, based on data for the year 2013 for the 23 provinces:
{| class="wikitable"
! Rank !! Province !! GDP !! Comparable<br>country !!($)<br>per capita
|-
| 1 || Mendoza || 22,023 || Zambia || 11,957
|-
| 2 || San Juan || 7,341|| Niger|| 10,170
|-
| 3 || San Luis ||6,117 || Guinea || 13,201
|-
| 4 || La Rioja (Argentina) || 2,447 || Maldives || 6,844
|-
|}
Climate
thumb|225px|Colder weather predominates at higher elevations which can receive snow during the winter
thumb|225px|Much of the region is dry, depending on rivers for irrigation
The region of Cuyo has an arid climate or a semi-arid climate with an average annual precipitation of about that is generally unreliable from year to year. The region, which encompasses a wide range of latitudes combined with elevations ranging from 500 m to nearly 7,000 m means that it has a diverse range of different climates. In general, most of the region has a temperate climate with higher elevation valleys having a more milder climate. At the highest elevations (over 4,000 m), icy conditions persist year round. Amongst all locations in Argentina, the region has the largest diurnal range in the country with areas in San Juan Province having a diurnal range exceeding . The Andes prevent rain–bearing clouds from the Pacific Ocean from coming in, while its latitude puts it in a band of the sub-tropical high pressure belt keeping this region dry. With very low humidity, abundant sunshine throughout the year, and a temperate climate, the region is suitable for wine production. Most of the precipitation falls during the summer, when hot temperatures and high insolation lead to the development of a low pressure system ("Chaco low") situated over northern Argentina that interacts with the South Atlantic anticyclone to generate a pressure gradient that brings moist easterly winds to the region, favouring precipitation, which mostly occurs in the form of convective thunderstorms. Higher elevation locations receive precipitation in the form of snow during the winter months. In the Cuyo region, annual precipitation is highly variable from year to year and appears to follow a cycle between dry and wet years in periods of about 2, 4–5, 6–8, and 16–22 years. In contrast, winters are dry and cold and average around 7–8 hours of sunshine per day. At higher elevation locations and in the western parts of Mendoza province, the mean annual temperatures range from in Cristo Redentor to with a larger difference in temperatures between winter and summer months. In San Luis province, mean annual temperatures range from in Villa Reynolds to in the provincial capital. The Sierras Pampeanas, which cross into both San Juan province and San Luis province have a milder climate with mean annual temperatures ranging from . This wind often precedes following a cold front passage across Argentina and tends to occur when a low pressure system brings heavy rain to the Chilean side, and when an upper-level trough allows the winds to pass over the Andes to descend downwards. As such, when a zonda wind event occurs, the temperature may raise as much as in a few hours with humidity approaching 0%. Temperatures can dip below at the higher elevations.