Mendoza

After walking around in the damp heat of Buenos Aires for four days, we were delighted to embark on our next adventure in Mendoza. My sister had organized for us to stay at Salentein, a winery just twenty minutes from the town, where we could relax, taste some Argentine wines and learn about the process of wine making. Salentein also boasted a pool, which I could not stop dreaming about while wondering the hot streets of Buenos Aires. As one can imagine, two nights in Mendoza was simply not enough. Just steps from our room laid miles upon miles of vineyards. The slightest breeze carried with it the sweet aroma of ripening grapes. And behind the already breathtaking scene of the vineyards sat the Andes Mountains. The jagged line serves as a natural border between Argentina and its neighbor, Peru.

Our first day in Mendoza, my family and I dined at La Bourgogne. Don't be fooled by the French name though. This spot served tasty dishes of goat and lamb meat, perfectly washed down with a crisp Torrontes. Since we were four people, we had to take a table inside, but the real jewel of La Bourgogne is its patio. Lined with romantic tables of two, the deck overlooks a vast terrain brimming with vineyards and of course the snowcapped mountains of the Andes in the distance. I can't think of a better lunch date than enjoying a steak and a malbec while overlooking such an incredible, natural view.

After lunch, the Latapie's kept on schedule! We first visited one of the smaller wineries in Mendoza called Durigutti. There, our tour guide showed us around the winery and explained how the philosophy behind Durigutti is to blend traditional ecology with modern technology to produce something natural and true to its origins, yet distinct in flavor. The winery is still under renovation and won't be finished until 2013, but the brick walls and comfy leather chairs of the tasting and cigar rooms lead me to believe Durigutti will become something beautiful and unique in Mendoza.

Durigutti

True to its reputation, the Durigutti malbec is well-rounded, complex and definitely one of my favorites. It pales in comparison to the Malbec Reserva though, which takes more time and effort to produce, making it more expensive but also exponentially superior in quality. With blackberry and licorice aromas, this wine is smooth on the nose and tongue. Absolutely delicious malbec. 

Finally we arrive at Salentein! It was on this vineyard that we stayed for two nights. I could stare at the sunset as it sunk under the vineyards for hours. Everything looked naturally gilded with light. 

One of our activities at Salentein was touring the grounds. Salentein is home to not only miles of vineyards, but also a plethora of orchards producing apples, peaches, cherries and olives among others. Our guide walked us through and pulled off fruits for us to taste every once in a while. He said the peaches weren't quite ripe yet (they needed about two more weeks), but I sampled one anyway and almost fainted. Soft and sweet, the peach melted in my mouth! I wanted to set up a tent in the middle of the orchard and never leave. I could just live off sun and those delectable peaches for the rest of my life and be perfectly happy. One day!

We assumed the netting above the orchards protected the trees and fruit from bugs. But actually, in Argentina the culprit is not insects, but hail! These nets cushion fragile branches from torrential downpours of the golf ball-sized hail that frequents Mendoza. 

Alas, what is a tour of Salentein if we don't visit the vineyards? These pictures speak for themselves. What I wish I could impart better in this blog is the smell. There is nothing more aromatic than the fresh, sweet smell of the grapes at a vineyard. It's so natural that you can't help but feel unusually connected to the land, yet so slight that you breathe deep with each breeze just to fill your nostrils with the scent of these sun-drenched grapes. I would go back just for that one aroma. 

An olive tree

Enjoying the vineyards...

Some horses grazing

Seemingly infinite, isn't it?

Inside the temple that is the Salentein winery

Sabine in the wine tasting room

She can't help herself...

The winery also hosts an art gallery that houses works from Argentinian artists, as well as Dutch artists. The owner of the winery is an 80-year-old, wealthy Dutch man, which is why many of the paintings depict scenes of Amsterdam or the countryside of the Netherlands. 

On our last day in Salentein, we visited more of the vineyards and orchards, this time on horseback. In Latapie fashion, we all acted too competitive on our horses (even though none of us have experience riding), and kept trying to cut in front of each other. This of course annoyed our poor tour guide who was getting increasingly nervous as his American comrades attempted to trot and gallop ahead. We managed to survive and I have to say, I think my horse took to me quite well. I always ended up leading the pack!

Sunset in Mendoza

Driving to the airport, I made my dad pull over for one last picture. I couldn't get enough.