Mendoza, Argentina: More than Malbec

(Guest blogpost and photos by Marla Felcher)

I recently traveled with my husband to Mendoza, Argentina, the largest wine producing area in Latin America, for the Malbec. Period. But within an hour of checking into the Park Hyatt Mendoza and eating our first meal—avocado toast topped with peppery local greens at a neighborhood bakery—we knew we were in for much more.

Yes, the wine was spectacular. But equally impressive were the beauty of the vineyards in the foothills of the snow-capped Andes, the painstaking care winery chefs take to pair the wine with local, fresh food, and the pride the Mendozans take in sharing the love of their land, food, and wine, with others.

Eager to get started, our first stop (after breakfast!) was one of the many city-based tasting rooms, where our pourer gave us an overview of her favorite local wines and cheeses.

That night we ate at Azafran, the city’s top-rated restaurant, a casual bistro popular with locals as well as tourists for its fixed-price menu featuring local foods, and an extensive collection of Argentinian wine. Pre-trip research suggested we reserve the table in the wine room, where other diners visited throughout our meal with sommeliers who helped them choose the evening’s wines. Leaving the restaurant that first night, we already felt fully immersed in Mendozan wine culture.

The wineries are spread across three towns outside of downtown Mendoza—Lujàn de Cuyo, Maipù, and Uco Valley—all within a 90-minute drive. (Tip: Hiring an English-speaking driver for the day is easy, relatively inexpensive, and recommended, given the distance between wineries and the abundance of spectacular wines.) Some wineries are modern architectural masterpieces, others are cozy and family-owned.

We were struck by the melding of Old World and modern winemaking techniques. Italian family-owned Masi Tupungato organically farms Argentinian (Malbec, Torrontes) and Venetian grapes (Corvina, Pinot Grigio); the vineyards are bordered by botanic gardens planted to help maintain the biodiversity of the land.

Grapes are dried for three months on bamboo racks, as they have been for almost 1,500 years in regions of Italy.

Some of the best food in the region is to be found at winery restaurants. Six-course wine-paired lunches gave us a deep understanding of the reasoning behind late afternoon siestas.

 

At some point during any wine-centric trip to Mendoza, most visitors feel the need to wave a white flag of truce and seek a non-drinking activity. Mendoza’s Mercado Central is the perfect Rx. In the heart of the business district, the market offers a little of everything—fresh vegetables and fruit, prepared foods, dried beans and rice, and of course a panoply of meat.

 

 

 

With the Andes as a backdrop, Mendoza offers ample opportunity to immerse oneself in natural beauty. There are options for all levels of activity, from mountain-climbs that take you up 10,000 feet, treks around Parque General San Martin in the city, horseback riding, and vineyard bike tours. Our day-long hike on a private ranch got us up-close-and-personal with impressive Argentinian cattle.

We saved Zuccardi Winery for last. One of Argentina’s most successful wineries both domestically and abroad, its winemakers routinely take home “Best of” awards, as do its olive oils. From its distinctive pergola vines to the egg-shaped cement Star Wars-esque fermentation tanks, there was much to take in on the Zuccardi estate.

 

 

 

While Zuccardi’s fermentation tanks, must-making, and large-scale composting were fascinating to witness, our favorite Zuccardi experience involved watching a group of skillful employees at work; rows of women standing at fast-moving conveyor belts sorting grapes before feeding them into a machine that separated the fruit from stems. It reminded us of the famous I Love Lucy episode in which Lucy and Ethel worked (much less successfully) at a similar task, sorting chocolate candy.

Our last night in Mendoza, enjoying a bottle of Kaiken Malbec with a bowl of homemade pasta and freshly baked bread at Francesco Ristorante, we reviewed our “best of” wines and meals of the week, and planned our return—a sign of a perfect vacation.   

All text and photos by Marla Felcher

Marla Felcher writes the blog Good News from the Resistance. She has worked as a marketing professor, investigative journalist, and consumer advocate. She is a co-founder of The Philanthropy Connection, a women’s grant-making organization. She currently sits on the Board of Directors of Road Scholar, a non-profit educational travel organization, which gives her plenty of opportunities to travel and learn. Sign up for the Good News via her blog and follow Marla on Facebook and Twitter.

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