Mendoza, the Long and Wine(dy) Road
Of all the Argentinean destinations, except for Buenos Aires, Mendoza evokes more recognition from travelers than any other. Well known, because it’s one of the beloved wine regions of the world ranking up there with Napa, Tuscany, and Rioja. Of course, Raphael and I being well versed in the culture of wine (winos), we were already aficionados of Mendoza wines. We were picked up at the Mendoza airport in the evening and we were whisked straight through the city of Mendoza straight to our hotel. Usually we will take a tour of the city, but our guide told us that the earthquake of 1861 decimated the town and the town was lacking historical treasures. We didn’t return to the city of Mendoza until we left three nights later. Get thee to a winery.
Hotel Villa Mansa Wine and Spa
Our boutique hotel was located at the end of long narrow dirt road in the Lujan de Cujo Wine District. Most remarkable were the looming Andes mountains in the background. Each room is named after a wine and we were escorted to Cabernet. Our roomy room had a window that looked out onto vineyards below. In the morning, the snow capped Andes gleamed with the morning light. The evening sunset light blazed fiery red.
A Tale of Three Wineries
We were picked up by our guide early morning to visit two local wineries in Lujan de Cujo. Called Bodegas, they have security along the lines of Fort Knox. You must have a reservation which is a bit different from most California wineries.
The word “Decero” means from zero or from scratch in Spanish, a well chosen moniker. Swiss winemaker Thomas Schmidheiny, Decero’s founder, was inspired by a bare patch of land adjacent to the Andes Mountains and began his winery with the “amano” approach–every thing by hand. Sustainabiltiy is foremost.
Entering Decero we pass through forboding iron gates complete with imposing security guards. Once inside, calm pervades as the grounds resemble a Zen Buddist Meditation Garden. The well manicured gardens instill peaceful sensations as we strolled listening to our guide describe the vineyards. One of their vineyards is romantically named Remolinos which means tiny whirlwinds referring to the dancing gusts of wind circulating through the grapevines keeping them in “perfect condition” according to our guide. After a lovely tasting of their delicious wines, we were off to the next Bodega. So much wine, so little time.
Matervini
The next winery we visited with our guide was a smaller bodega called Matervini or Mother of Wines. Their approach was to use different soils in different wine valleys to come up with distinctive flavors of Malbec. Our tasting was led by an enthusiastic taskmaster who imposed rules on our tasting–one being that no water was to be drunk while tasting wine. He also stressed the wine club opportunities. His spiel evidently worked because everyone in the group but us bought in. Wines were delicious, but spoiler alert–every Malbec we drank in Argentina was sublime.
Kaiken Winery
Just down the road from our hotel is Kaiken Winery, the one wine that we knew because it is widely distributed in California. We walked over after breakfast, and, of course, our hotel had to call to let them know we were coming. We entered into serene, tranquil setting–once you brave the security guards at the front. Still early, we were offered tastings, but asked if we could just stroll the peace-inducing grounds. Kaiken is named after a wild goose that flies over the Andes in Chile and Argentina. The name is a clever twist in that the owner mimicked the wild goose by traveling from Chile to Argentina and then settling in Mendoza.
Adventures in Dining: Jalapeño Restaurant
Getting there was half the fun. No one knew where Jalapeño was including our hotel concierge and our impossibly lost taxi driver who made 20 frantic u-turns trying to find it. Off the beaten track, Jalapeño sits off the road in a residential neighborhood. A well kept secret –not even a sign. Virtually a locals only eatery. Our winery tour guide had made our reservation and the owner was waiting out front to escort us to the charming bungalow further back on the property.
Arriving a little before nine, we were the only diners and that was true for an hour until the locals showed up and by 10:30, the restaurant was packed. Decor is eclectic, almost Hobbit-like and truly inviting. Where most restaurants in Argentina are steakhouses, Jalapeño is a marisqueria or seafood house. Our chef, incredibly young and female, greeted us and made suggestions. We ordered an Alaskan crab casserole and humongous scallops with creme sauce on the shell along with a Sauvignon Blanc from Chile. Looking back, this was our favorite meal of all in Argentina.
Note: When we entered the residential area, I thought the street was closed because metal barricades were blocking the streets. The barricades were set intermittently requiring drivers to weave in and out. Later, I found out from a young mother that all the residential neighborhoods erect these to slow cars down, a cheaper, more elaborate speed bump.
Travel Hacks
- People from Menoza are called Mendocinos.
- There are three wine regions: Maipú, Luján de Cuyo, and Uco Valley. Maipú is closest to Mendoza City. Uco Valley is farthest away, We only went to Luján de Cuyo, but if I visited again, I would try Uco Valley because of the rave reviews.
- Shoulder season, fall or spring, is a good time to travel. Summers (Dec.-Feb.), it’s broiling and winters (June-August) is a bit brisk.
- Wines are expensive at the bodegas, but not all wines are exported to the United States. If you fall in love with a wine, it’s a good souvenir to bring home.
- For a change of pace, Craft beer breweries are popping up all over.
- Like a movie backdrop, the snow capped Andes Mountains continuously punctuate the scenery with their regal splendor– a view you never tire of.
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