A little fyi...most wines produced in Mendoza are either malbec or cabernet sauvignon. The malbec is what this region is specifically well known for. They also produce some merlot, rose, chardonnay and red blends, but produce few whites.
Our first wine tour of the Mendoza wineries was by a tour bus with a group of about 16 people. It was your typical tour group-esque tour at each winery (also known as a Bodega). This was a good intro course for Matt because he had never been on a wine tour.
After visiting three different wineries, each unique in its own way, we got to have a great spread for lunch. We arrived to a table full of meats, cheeses, and random sides which were only the appetizers, as well as homemade pasta, and ice cream to finish it off. We also had an abundant amount of wine left on the table for us to dispense at our own liking. Our group managed to empty all the bottles.
Our wine tour experience on the next day was much more intimate and was also in a different wine region. We took a public bus about 45 minutes out from town and then rented bikes from Baccus Bikes. They provided us with a map and an itinerary of which wineries we should try to go to and how to get there.
Our first stop was a well hidden gem, Bodega Carmelo Patti, a place with no sign, no advertising, and simply relies on word of mouth (aka boca-a-boca).
Once we found it, a little old man (well, little next to Matt) met us and took us into a room for free wine tastings. It was nice because it was just the two of us and him. He explained a few details to us about looking for great wine based on the cork in the bottle, various tips on how to serve it, and about the different flavors in the reds we were tasting. He also told us something that Matt wants to stress to Libby Grigsby (Matt's mom): NEVER put ice in wine, NEVER. We had that warm fuzzy feeling while talking with him that made you want to sit down and hear his stories all day long as if he was your grandfather.
We then hopped back on our bikes and tried to get into a couple different Bodegas, unfortunately they were already closed even though it was only 2ish on a Saturday afternoon. We eventually made it to our stop at La Antigua, a small chocolateria, spreads, licquor, and absinthe shop. We opted for the $15 peso option to try the different olive spreads , jams, and licqours. Neither of us like olives, so Matt just pounded to red pepper spread and I sampled the sweet jams.
Finally, it was the grand finale of Absinthe (75% alcohol). I just had a little taste, but Matt wasn't scared.
Next up, we made to Bodega Pulmary, a family run place and one of the coolest tours because it wasn't by a tour guide at all. It was done by Paul, a guy that travels to various countries to hone his craft as wine maker. All the info we received was direct, to the point, and no fluff added that wasn't needed. Perfect for what we wanted. Their wine is actually grown and produced organically, the way it should be done! It was also cool because he poured the wine in our glasses straight from the tank. Then we went into the "cave" (cellar) and he poured it straight from a wine being aged in a barrel. Of course, we ended with wine from a bottle to taste a final product. All were delicious in our opinion.
Finally, we lucked out as we made it to our last stop, Clos de Chacras winery, and there was a tour in English starting with two others that made an appointment (lucky us, because apparently appointments were necessary). Despite another wine tour, we also loved this one because we still learned more interesting facts about the life of the plant, the soil, and the key in producing quality grapes.
That evening we continued the celebration by feasting on one of the biggest and most delicious Argentine steaks yet. Yum!
We relaxed the next day and spent our last day in Argentina trying to be typical Argentines: Matt cooked steaks out on the open grill and Kristin enjoyed an Argentine tango show later that evening. :-)
In Mendoza we stayed at Hostel Lao in a 6 bed dorm for roughly $17 a person each night.
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