Dear friends,
The search for the best red wine has begun…
We travelled South-West from San Ignacío towards Mendoza, stopping along the way to break up the long hours spent on the poorly air-conditioned buses. Some towns aren’t really worth mentioning such as Corrientes; where we began to think staying on the bus was a better option!
Other places surprised us however and we found ourselves recommending them to other backpackers along the way. After a few days travelling we reached Paraná, where we enjoyed wandering the meandering river. We decided against kayaking or wild swimming after a quick Google search confirmed – yes there were Piranhas in there! Next, we reached Córdoba a vibrant city famous for both culture – museums, town squares and churches but also for its nightlife. With lots of universities in the city, it was full of over spilling bars and clubs. It was a hit with Simon who described it as “like Shoreditch, but you know if Shoreditch was actually…cool.” Here in Córdoba, we visited an old observatory in the city no longer used for research but now a museum and linked with one of the universities. It was initially set up as part of an astrometry project to map the night sky, here at this observatory, pioneering astronomer Gould studied the stellar south hemisphere. Here I saw my first stars through a telescope and Simon enjoyed scientific discussions with our tour guide (don’t ask me about Spectroscopy!)
As we travelled towards Mendoza, Argentina’s seemingly endless flat landscapes which we had spent days travelling across transformed, replaced by the silhouette of one of the largest mountain ranges in the world.
Argentina is the fifth largest producer of wine in the world. It’s particularly famous for its Malbec, but produces a huge variety of different wines. It is the high altitudes and sunny climate in Argentina’s high desert wine regions that make them so unique. There are three main wine regions in Mendoza: Maipú, Luján de Cuyo and Valle de Uco, the latter is much further out from the city at the base of the Andes.
With most of the large vineyards closed on Sundays we made our way to a small family run bodega in Luján de Cuyo, half an hour out of town. I initially had my reservations, it seemed no one had heard of this small vineyard but we eventually found a driver willing to make the journey. After a few phone calls to his friends for directions we were on our way and the buildings were replaced by the appealing rows of vineyards. On the serene terrace of Tierras Altas we enjoyed a four-course tasting menu with wine pairing. As well as the amazing wine they produce, we were blown away by their olive oils and miel de malbec – their alternative to balsamic vinegar. Saving the best till last, the highlight of the meal was dessert, a divine fresh fruit salad with sauvignon blanc ice cream and yet more miel de malbec! After lunch they gave us a tour of their cellars and discussed the interesting family history of the vineyard. That evening we watched the sunset behind the mountains from our hostel’s rooftop before a storm approached and we retreated back downstairs. Full, happy and very sleepy from the day time drinking we had an early night, ready for another busy day of wine tasting.
Getting up early the next morning, we caught the local bus to Maipú – our busy itinerary for the day combining both our passions – mine drinking wine and Simon’s of cycling. We rented bikes from Maipú Bikes, drawn in by the easy wine trail and the promise of happy hour at the end of the day. We cycled their recommended route, visiting four different vineyards – sensibly starting with MEVI the vineyard furthest away, sure that the quality of our cycling would only decline as the day went on! We opted to try three glasses of their red wines: Malbec, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon between us (it was only 11am after all). We lined our stomachs with a delicious charcuterie board whilst gazing out at the snow-capped peaks of the Andes.
Next, we visited Vina El Cerno an old organic winery, where we could choose any three glasses of wine to try from their extensive selection. I enjoyed a Rosado de Malbec a nice sweet rose, a great Malbec and one their extra brut champagnes. Whilst Simon opted for Cabernet Sauvignon, a Chardonnay and a Syrah. After these large glasses we zig-zagged on our bikes to our next stop, Tempus Alba. Flagging a little we decided against a tasting and ordered ourselves a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon each to accompany a juicy choripan (chorizo sandwich) from their restaurant.
We pedalled at top speed to make our 3pm tour and tasting at our final and most well-known vineyard of the day, Trapiche. They produce over 10 million litres of wine a year; exporting it to 90 different countries around the world. Our tour took us through the elaborate courtyard and stone buildings, where we saw the original equipment used to remove the stalks, crush the grapes and the pools used for fermentation. We learnt about the process used to make these bestselling wines, with Simon learning a few tips to hopefully improve his own homebrew from his university days.
Upon making it safely back to the bike shop, we were presented with glass after glass of the owner Christian’s own concoction of non-descript red wine, which was surprisingly good! We really enjoyed meeting other couples and backpackers, sharing itineraries, experiences and recommendations. Long after happy hour was meant to have finished, the free drinks were still flowing and bottles of red wine was still being passed around. We left them to it!
We returned to our hostel in the city, hangovers somehow already kicking in and went to a quiet local restaurant for dinner. We were sad to be leaving Mendoza but aware that continuing to drink this much wine was not be sustainable! Under the twinkling fairy lights in the courtyard of Anna’s Bistro we discussed in anticipation the next stage of our journey, as we were to travel through the mountains, and over the border into Chile in the morning.
And the winner is… Vina El Cerno’s Gran Reserva Malbec!
Lots of love,
Xaverie
xxx