“‘Mendoza’ and ‘wine’, ‘wine’ and ‘Mendoza’. To an Argentinean, the words are almost interchangeable “
-The South American Specialists Blog
February 8-11, 2024
If you have ever driven through California’s central valley with it’s hot, dry, and flat landscape then you have been to Mendoza, Argentina. Like that fertile region of the U.S., the area here is bursting with crops of a staggering variety. Here you will see ancient 1970’s era flatbed trucks laden with fresh melons, peaches, cherries, plums, , olives, and red delicious Sandia watermelons. It is summer fruit season here and the harvest is ready to be collected.
But there is no crop more prized here than the millions of acres of wine grape vineyards. This is the wine capital of South America. More on that in a moment.
Mendoza and the surrounding area is one of the largest cities in Argentina with a population of around a million. The city was founded in March, 1561. That is a very long time ago. Consider there were no hints of eventual American colonies then, the Spanish just landed on the tip of what is now Florida and Queen Elizabeth was feuding with her sister Mary Queen of Scots. - Ironically they would reburied in the same tomb side by side in Westminster Abby, but that is another story.
The indigenous people here were the Huarpes and the Puelchas. They has developed an ingenious series if irrigation canals that allowed the population to flourish. The Spanish seized upon this system, expanded it, and in an all too familiar story, violently pushed the indigenous people out.
Today the city is very much a working class town. It boasts a charming city center and some lovely areas but is otherwise is not not particularly attractive. There are large sections festooned with graffiti and many blighted neighborhoods. It is clear that this is a town geared towards big agriculture but recently oil was discovered here and , of all things, uranium.
The town’s dominant feature, beyond the fields is the surrounding Andes mountains. It has been cloudy during our visit, but on clear days the glory of this great range is easily seen.
In fact this area is the gate way to Aconcagua. This peak is the highest in the western world with a summit that reaches 22,838 feet. That height is almost 3,000 feet higher than Denali, the highest peak in North America. As mountains go, it is remarkably accessible. It is the one of the very few great peaks in the world that you do not need alpine training to ascend. You can actually hike it. But it is that sense of ease where the danger lies. Just because you can climb it easier than a Himalayan peak does not mean people cant get altitude sickness and succumb to this illness regularly.
It is the wine that remains the principal reason you travel here. This is the home of the finest red wines in the country and numerous wineries each with their own character and charm.
We are staying at Club Tapiz. This property is no longer an active winery but is still surrounded by vineyards of Malbec and Cabernet grapes. The property today is mainly a hotel with beautiful old rooms, an amazing meeting/wedding venue, old trees, a fine restaurant, and faded glory architecture. You could imagine Julia Child, if she ever visited Argentina, would stay here.
Old water features adorn the the courtyard with great antique water basins and trees filled with melodic Saffron Finches, staccato barking King Fishers, and the ever noisy colonies of Monk parakeets. During our visit, the hotel census was low and it was easy to feel like you had the place to yourself.
And the food. Dear God, the food is good here. To eat your meal by an open window overlooking vineyards and olive trees is nothing short of divine. On nice days you can sit under an old world oak tree or even have a table in the vineyards themselves.
What brings it all together is the wine. Mendoza is known for red wines, particularly Malbec. While for wine enthusiasts, Malbec is synonymous with Argentina, it is actually a French grape brought here in the late 18th century by, what else? - a Frenchman.
Although you can find Malbec vineyards in every part of the world. the Argentineans have taken the variety to award winning levels. The climate here, elevated, close to the Andes mountains lends itself to a particularly delicious variety of the wine.
The subject of wine can be boring and pretentious. (Which is the main reason I am so attracted to it). I have always loved the culture of wine. Despite being a vast and complex subject it always comes down to what I first learned when I became interested in the subject.
“What tastes good to you?” It doesn’t have to be expensive. What varieties gives you the most pleasure. It that simple.
Here is a helpful primer -
Then, once you develop a basic understanding you want to try to pair the wine with various dishes. Like the right spice on a dish, a good wine can elevate the meal to new heights. The fun part is learning what goes best with a dish and trying new things.
“Pocket Wine” - an app for your phone, is a great resource you can use the next time you go shopping.
I have learned to love Malbec wine. It is a smooth easy wine that is less full bodied and complex than a Cabernet Sauvignon or a Shiraz. The easy drinkability make it a pleasure to drink with a meal or to sip alone. And they do Malbec better here than anywhere in the world.
Our trip to explore wineries took us to the Uco Valley about an hour west of town. Here, the finest wineries in the region reside. Along the way we came across this hillside which perched atop was a statue of Christ 92 feet tall. We drove the curvy dirt roads to the top and were rewarded with panoramic view of the countryside. If the could were clear the eastern walls of the Andes would have been visible.
The enormous statue is dedicated to “The march of General St Martin” - the fellow buried at the Buenos Ares cathedral we visited earlier in the trip. Again, he is the main founding father of independent Argentina and his path to Buenos Aires from Chile came through here.
On the way down from the hill we ran into numerous horses. They probably were not wild seeing that many of them looked groomed. But they were way up the side of this small mountain with no obvious Estancia (Ranch) nearby to belong to nor was their any fencing. So who knows? They were beautiful though.
In the valley, we went to a wine tasting and the best lunch we have enjoyed so far. We sat drinking wine and watched thunderstorms approach.
It was magical.
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