Dis, Dat & Dee Udder ;-): Patagonia & Beyond (7 of 9)

Despite my best efforts to create an itinerary with only direct routes, the journey from Bariloche to Mendoza required a layover in Cordoba. Unfortunately, a technical problem caused a lengthy delay in an otherwise seamless Aerolineas Argentinas experience. But despite the late arrival, and the 30 min taxi ride to the Luján de Cuyo suburb (Mendoza is much bigger than I imagined) we were still able to enjoy a late dinner at El Mercadito. Midnight on a Monday and the place was packed. It was Jan 1^st after all. Cheers!

Our very nice rental in Luján de Cuyo

Mendoza has over 1,000 wineries. At least 300 of them allow visitors. Maipu, Luján de Cuyo, Uco Valley, San Rafael and East Mendoza are just the major regions (Uco tends to have the best wineries). Overwhelming to draw up an itinerary, given the options, so I caved and connected with a local travel outfit for support. Two weeks and a hundred WhatsApp messages later we had an itinerary that included tours or lunches at 3 of the Wineries in the world’s Top 10 list (https://www.worldsbestvineyards.com/list/1-50) and a private driver for door-to-door service. The small premium paid for outsourcing that leg of the trip was absolutely worth it. I did connect with a couple private drivers in the process (who would have covered the transportation a little cheaper) but the headache around coordinating the winery visits on my own would have been too much. Macarena (yup, stage name or not!) had the right connections, patience, and flexibility to get it all seamlessly planned.

The first day started early since the destination was Valle Uco. The furthest away from the city, but the one with optimal climate, altitude, and soil. What can I tell you… perfect conditions. The area is dry (most rain from the Pacific drops over the Andes) which is excellent for wine making. They barely get 7-8 inches of rain per year. Couple that with 320+ sunny days, cool nights, and ideal, rocky, and sandy soil, and you have the ultimate recipe for amazing wines. It all started with European immigrants (mostly Italy and France) so French grapes are the basis. Malbec wears the crown, but other reds, like Bonarda (you’ll start to hear more about this one, for sure), Cabernets Franc, Syrah, Tempranillo, Pinot Noir, and Petit Verdot have their place. For whites, Torrontés (Flagship white variety of Argentina), Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillón, and Pinot Gris. In Puerto Iguazu we fell in love with an Angelica Zapata Chardonnay. As you can see, it’s not so one-dimensional as one would imagine. And better than Napa, in my opinion, both in terms of wines, but especially in terms of the service and attitude. My last visit to Napa Valley left such a bad taste: stuffy, pretentious, unaccommodating experience, overvalued and overhyped wines (only winery to break into the top 50 above was from Sonoma). They could learn a lot from Mendoza!

So… Vamos a Tupungato/Valle Uco. About 80 km South. The snow-capped Andes on the right. Desert on the left. Rich desert. Apparently, despite the huge wine industry, crude oil is the main industry in the area! Finca Sophenia was the first stop. Most wineries are owned by outsiders, foreigners, or corporations. This one, started in 1997 by a couple of local guys, whose daughters (Sophia and Eugenia) were the inspiration for the name. The tour guide was delightful (despite starting drinking at 10 am) and so were the wines. Nice, clean, refreshing choices. Very inexpensive. Too bad shipping to the States was double the price of the wine itself!

Two hours later (only 6 km away) Bodega Salentein was the next stop. A different type of winery, owned by a billionaire Dutch family. “Production-line” feel to the whole experience. The guide was just going through the motions, rushing through things, likely to get to the next group. The wines were undoubtedly good (they came in at #9 World’s best Wineries) and the facilities (especially the Cellar, with its grand in a courtyard-like setting, with perfect acoustics) were top notch. But the entire experience felt empty. As if the aforementioned laurels got to their head. Humbleness is such a virtue…

Regardless, after all the wine tasting, we were ready for food. A two-hour long, five course al-fresco lunch at Gaia Restaurant (Domaine Bousquet Winery) paired with their outstanding organic wines was a nice change of pace from the “go-go-go” cadence over the last couple weeks. Excellent experience.

Later that evening, an equally excellent dinner at Brindillas – a Michelin star restaurant in a very unassuming location, but with impeccable food and outstanding service.

Next day, we saved the best for last. Best in the World, that is: Catena Zapata. Truly an institution in Mendoza and beyond. Huge, these days, but still run as a family business. A dynasty. Pride and love in what they do is starkly apparent. We booked the “Blending Games” tour, which gave us an opportunity to learn a lot about all the variables that go into a bottle of wine, and ultimately create our own blend. A unique experience indeed!

Before heading out, one last leisurely lunch, at Casa Vigil restaurant, El Enemigo winery. A place run by Alejandro Vigil, chief Winemaker of Bodega Catena Zapata, also recently added to the list of best up and coming restaurants in South America.