Mendoza.
Mendoza.
OK, full disclosure - My wife is from Argentina. If you visit Mendoza with someone from Argentina trust me, you’ll have the best wine region trip of your life.
Argentina is undergoing a bit of turmoil and a clear indication of that is the fact that every winery has a gate with guards. Having made no appointments, which basically every winery asked for, I thought for sure I was doomed. Not so! Once they recognized my wife’s accent every single winery not only let us in but upon discovering that we came from New York, gave us the red carpet treatment.
We were given a private tour at Catena Zapata and Emilio Bianco welcomed us into their living room for a wine tasting complete with some lovely bites. These and many other experiences make me anticipate my next trip back to this beautiful area.
The first thing to do upon arrival at the Mendoza airport is to rent the sturdiest car or SUV you can find. I suggest making a reservation ahead of time. The roads in Mendoza can be bumpy (some of them are more dirt path than road) so you’ll need a car that can take the bumps and rocky terrain without knocking you around.
Stay at the Park Hyatt Mendoza and do visit the nearby wine shop, Sol y Vino where the best Argentine wines are under one roof with tastings everyday.
There are 3 wine regions in Mendoza: Maipú, Luján de Cuyo and Valle de Uco. While Maipú is closest to the Mendoza city center, I suggest you focus on the other two. Once you travel 30-40 minutes you will approach Luján de Cuyo. Keep your eyes on the road because the vista of the Andes Mountains is enough to hypnotize anyone. It’s that stunning. Every winery has the Andes as a backdrop.
Many people think most of Argentina’s wines are available in North America but you’ll see many wineries you have never heard of. In fact, Argentina holds most of its wine for themselves. One such winery is Bressia home of the cult wine Ultima Hoja. If you see a bottle, grab it! A few other wineries I love are Susana Balbo , Catena Zapata, O Fournier, Carmelo Patti, El Enemigo, Lagarde and Viña Cobos.
Driving to the end of Lujan de Cuyo takes you to a road that starts you on a path over the Andes and into Chile. We chose not to drive the 8 hours required but you may have the time to take the trip.
Valle de Uco is my favorite as it’s the most beautiful. I call the wineries here “Temples of Ego” and that’s saying something as I've been around the world a few times. I prefer more intimate than grandiose but having a glass of fine Malbec with the Andes in the distance isn’t the worst way to spend time in the rugged beauty that is Mendoza.
