Mendoza

Thursday

Oh, how I wish I could extend my time in Mendoza. The weather was like fall in DC, crisp air and brown leaves covering the ground.

My first night in Mendoza I joined a group horseback ride and gaucho tour. We drove out into the countryside of Mendoza and got on horseback:

I’m not sure how to ride a horse gracefully, so I left the ride with an ache on my backside. Nevertheless the views were incredible!

After the ride, we sat by the parilla with glasses of Malbec in hand, listening to one of the gauchos playing the guitar and singing:

Inside we sat by the fire with asado, wine, potatoes and vegetables. This was by far the best meal I ate in Argentina. After eating, we danced to more music from the gaucho and went to get some drinks downtown.

Friday

Friday morning I enjoyed the chilly weather with coffee and a pastry outside a cafe.

My afternoon was spent hopping to two different bodegas (or wineries) and an olive oil factory.

The first stop gave us a tour of their family-owned boutique winery. We tasted a good Malbec, Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc.

The next stop was mostly sweet wines that I unfortunately disliked. However, this winery was beautiful and had the sweetest dogs running around the property, so I played fetch with them while the group tasted the wine.

The last stop was visiting an olive oil factory. We saw the machinery and learned about the process or making olive oil. The green vats below hold the oil.

Then it was onto the fun part - eating bread drenched in different kinds of olive oil! The olive oil was delicious, especially the oregano and spicy versions, but it unsurprisingly left me feeling greasy and bloated.

Upon return from the bodegas, I felt like I had yet to try a great Malbec in Mendoza. So, off I went to find a wine bar. My new friend Lica from the hostel and I came across a wine bar having an event with a small bodega called Amansado.

The winemaker of Amansado came and presented the tasting. We tried a white, Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, reserves of both Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon, a red blend, Cognac, and Grappa. Additionally, we put our names in a hat and raffled off a limited edition bottle of wine, one without a label. I won the bottle, a blend of 70% cabernet sauvignon and 30% Malbec! The winemaker wrote my name on the bottle and there was a big celebration. In the picture I’m with the winemaker (left) and the owner of the wine bar (right).

Needless to say, I rose from bed with a searing headache the next morning. After some ibuprofen, coffee and pancakes, I left for the airport. Now I’m off to Buenos Aires!

¡Hasta pronto!

Ellie