In a Mendoza State of Wine

The week before Thanksgiving, Brian and I headed west for some wine tasting in the province of Mendoza. It is the largest wine producing region in Argentina, which is is the fifth largest in the world! Many think of Argentina as part of the new world of wine, but they have been making wine here for over 400 years. Not so new, if you ask me.

Many of my wine drinking friends will know that Malbec is the most prominent grape here, and certainly the varietal that Argentina is known for, but there are other fabulous red wines to enjoy here as well. We tasted Bonarda (the second most planted grape in Mendoza), Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and a variety of different blends as well. As far as whites go, there are several varieties grown here, but Torrontes is reportedly only grown in Argentina. The best of the country are planted in Salta, a northwestern province, but Mendoza turns out some nice wine from this grape as well. At Alta Vista winery, we tasted a fantastic Torrontes made from grapes in their Salta vineyard. It was a blend of grapes of different levels of ripeness, making it deliciously complex. It had a floral aroma that turned into a fruit explosion in your mouth. Brian, who typically is not a fan of whites even enjoyed this one.

We visited a total of six different wineries in Lujan de Cuyo and Valle de Uco, two of the big wine producing areas in Mendoza. The region is absolutely stunning with beautiful vineyards painted on a backdrop of the Andes Mountains. It's Argentina, so you are able to take all of this in at a very relaxed pace. Some of the highlights from our trip include:

An incredible lunch at Ruca Malen winery with beautiful views of their vineyards and the Andes.

Meeting the charismatic father of Argentine wine, Carmelo Patti, and touring his very basic, but wonderful winery. The goofy expression on my face is because Ariel, our driver/guide for the day, told us to say "Carmelo" (instead of "cheese").

Tasting the wines at La Azul from stainless steel tank, barrel and bottle; chatting with their female winemaker (an apparent rarity in Mendoza); and unexpectedly getting to sip their yet to be released Sauvignon Blanc with  the owner's son (whose name sadly escapes me right now).

And, lunch at La Tupina under the blazing desert sun, being served several of the MANY courses by Lucas Bustos, the incredibly young, warm and talented chef.

Next stop: Chile, by way of the Andes Mountains!

Noviembre

The past several weeks have been a bit of a whirlwind for me, albeit a really fun one that I was more than happy to get swept up in. I guess that's how Noviembre (November) came and went so quickly. As I type this, I am realizing that I can no longer say "solo dos meses mas" (only two more months) when talking about how much time I have left living in Buenos Aires. Now the calendar is telling me there's just a little more than one month left.

Brian was here for two full weeks!! That in itself would have been great, but we also squeezed in a really awesome trip while he was down here, traveling first to Mendoza and then on to Chile by bus through the Andes. We returned to Buenos Aires to spend five days with my sister, Marie, and her boyfriend, Michael. What a wonderful few weeks it has been!

Many of you have asked me if I celebrated Thanksgiving in Argentina. I feel lucky to have been able to spend the day with Brian, Marie and Michael. Yes, a few really important people were missing, but it was as much as I could have hoped for being so far from home. Instead of chancing a potentially less than delicious traditional Thanksgiving feast, we opted for something traditionally Argentine at La Fachada (means, the facade). This place turns out some of my favorite empanadas in the city. They even have an open-faced variety which are especially spectacular. Anyways, I do hope your Thanksgiving was as good as mine. I have so many things to be thankful for this year, the least of which is getting to spend five months in a different corner of the world.

Stay tuned for details and photos from our recent trip. I promise them soon.

Chau.