Mendoza is one of my favourite wine capitals. A bustling city with endless places to eat and drink, a wonderful country park nearby and the endless vista of the magnificent Andes. And it’s not all Malbec. Many other grapes are focussed on with great success.
Our second tour to started with a wonderful meal at Magnolia restaurant – one of Mendoza’s most highly rated eateries. With an open plan kitchen with the expected Asado grill, they produced the perfect opening night dinner: grilled avocado and prawn, sauteed pork and dessert. All washed down with a mix of Bonarda, Torrontes and Malbec.
Saturday 23rd March
Our first visit was to Bodega l’Orange in the elegant district of Chacras de Coria – a tiny boutique winery that is run by Joanna Foster and Ernesto Catena. They focus on natural, organic and biodynamic wines and the eclectic range was amazing. They have a unique set up whereby you taste each wine with a particular dish and these food partnerships are utilising local produce and traditions. It was a great start to the tour and certainly a bit left field.
From L’Orange we headed to Agrelo and to Finca Anita – a little bit more traditional in style relative to L’Orange but nonetheless they had plenty to show including a Syrah vineyard dating back to the 40’s. We were expertly hosted by their winemaker Denise who gave us a wonderfully succinct insight into the estate followed by a tasting through the range. The tasting was then extended by the opportunity to taste some fermenting juice in the tanks. March is of course harvest time so it was great to winery operations in full swing. The day concluded with a super asado lunch.
Sunday 24th March
Sunday was our Uco Valley day. The Uco has become the most exciting wine zone in Argentina with the vineyards and terroir of the Andean foothills producing some amazing wines. Our first stop was at the Bemberg winery and wow….what a set up. Set up by the owners of the Quilmes beer brand, money was clearly no obstacle and a state of the art winery has been built with extensive other buildings, water features and sensational views. After a quick walk round the winery we sat down at an incredible long table outside and were lucky to taste with one of the winemakers. A Chardonnay, two Malbecs and a Cabernet Sauvignon completed the lineup.
From Bemberg, it was a relatively short drive to Bodegas Zorzal – another winery I the acclaimed Gualtallary area of the Uco Valley. Emiliano hosted a brilliant visit that comprised a deep insight into the terroir of the Uco Valley and some fascinating insights into water rights and regulations, followed by a wonderful tasting with an asado lunch.
Monday 25th March
Catena was our first visit of the day – a true global wine legend! No winery has done more than Catena to put Argentinean wines on the map. Their famous pyramid winery is an icon of Mendoza so it was a real pleasure to be there. The legendary Carolina hosted our visit which started with a glass of fizz and then we worked our way round the winery with the occasional glass of wine followed by a tasting in one of their supremely elegant tasting rooms. It was an experience that was well worthy of their status and hugely informative.
From Catena we headed over to Kaiken, the Mendoza arm of Vina Montes. A delightful lunch and visit ensued!
Tuesday 26th March
Sparkling wines were the order of the morning at Bodegas Cruzat. Cruzat specialize only in fizz and not only make wines from their own vineyards but act under contract for lots of smaller producers. It was fascinating to see the various bottling operations happening and we tasted an eclectic selection of wines.
From Cruzat we headed to our final visit and light lunch at Bodega Renacer. With Tuscan inspired architecture, Renacer has developed some unique wines – being the first to offer a Passito style and has also cultivated several obscure European varieties. A delicious light fish lunch was just enough before heading back to Mendoza.
Our final dinner was at the excellent Soberano restaurant – just round the corner from the hotel, marking the end of a wonderful tour, and for me, six memorable weeks in South America. How lucky am I to be coming back in 2025!