Wine Country

After arriving in Mendoza the morning of July 3, I went on a five-hour wine tasting excursion to two of the region’s bodegas (vineyards). Although I reserved an English-speaking tour, they didn’t have one available. Fortunately, my Spanish has advanced enough that I understood about 90% of what the tour guide was saying.

The first stop was to Bodega Carmine Granata, in Luyan de Cuyo, about an hour outside of Mendoza city. After spending 45 minutes touring the winery and understanding the process, from the beginning to the end, we were treated to a tasting in their cava (cellar). We tried a Malbec and a Syrah – both of which were outstanding. I bought two bottles here for just 20 pesos each (about $6 US). In the states, the same bottle would sell for $20 or more.

The next bodega we visited was Cavas de Don Arturo in Maipu. Here, after another tour of the facility, we tasted three additional wines – another Malbec, a Cabernet, and a Pinot Noir. Again, all three were excellent and I bought a bottle of each to have on hand for future parties I will have in my place in BA.

Mendoza is primarily known for its Malbec grape. Originally from France, the grape was brought here in the 1800’s, where it prospered with Mendoza’s dry and warm climate. Mendoza’s wines are widely considered some of the best in the world and wine enthusiasts flock here from around the world to visit the different wineries and partake in tastings.