Cycling through Malbec country
Trip Start
Jun 14, 2009
1
47
49
Trip End
Dec 24, 2009
Mendoza, Argentina
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Mendoza is located on the eastern side of the Andes and is considered the heart of the winemaking industry in Argentina. The vast majority of large Argentinean wineries are located here and they produce nearly two-thirds of the total wine produced in the country. It’s famous for also being where French director Jean-Jacques Annaud shot his 1997 film, Seven Years In Tibet – recreating the Tibetan capital city of Lhasa which was built in the foothills of the Andes. Renee and I were planning to find inner peace here - not through mediation though, but through Malbec.
Arriving in Mendoza early morning we spent the first day setting ourselves up in the hostel and scoping how we were going to attack the wineries the next morning. It became apparent that there was a well trodden route for tourists involving a public bus out to the wine growing region, Maipu, and the hiring of bikes to visit the wineries scattered in close proximity through area. While rain had been affecting the region, the next morning we rose to a blue sky and gentle breeze. All bode well and we caught the local 10:15 bus out to the starting point. As soon as we had stepped off the bus we were surrounded by kids on bikes, each touting a nearby bike hire company. We had already purchased tickets to what became clear was the most popular (and previously recommended to us) bike hire company in town: “Mr Hugos”. Welcomed by the man himself, we sorted out the bikes and were on our way, a thirst quickly forming in each of our mouths.
Our first stop on the trip was a few minutes ride away at what was both a wine producer and the local wine museum “Museo del Vino”. It was interesting to see the how wine was produced back in the 1800´s when grape cuttings were first introduced to the fertile lands here, and all the implements and tools that were used in the development of the industry. Who are we kidding though, we were here for the wine and after a look around tasting of the winery’s Malbec we were on our way to our next stop. Being of a sensible disposition, at least prior to any consumption of wine, Renee and I had ignored the route suggested by Mr Hugo´s and decided instead to bike to the furthest point and then meander back via the vineries that run through the area. This would ensure a long ride while fresh, and most importantly minimise the distance we would need to wobble back following many vinos. Following a 30 minute ride along an ever quieter and secluded road we came upon our second stop. Shockingly enough it wasn’t a vinery but an olive oil factory. “Laur” is the biggest olive oil producer in the region and produces much of the olive oil used by the local. A tour through illustrated the way olive oil is produced, from picking the olives (extra virgin oil coming from olives with acidity of lower than 0.6 %) through to the crushing and production of the oil. It was an interesting tour, despite the production being shut for the season, and ended up with a sample of the oils along with some tasty morsels of bread, sun-dried tomatoes and cheese.
But more wine beckoned, and across the road from the olive factory laid a great little winery called “Carinae”. Named for a constellation only visible during the grape harvest, the winery was purchased by a French husband and wife couple who brought the land, transformed the run down surroundings and kept the ancient vines producing. The result is some of the best wine we’d tasted in South America. Sampling a range of their white and red wines we had to buy a bottle of their red Malbec Merlot blend which we both thought was fantastic: smooth and full of fleshy fruits. The French obviously hadn’t lost any of their flare for making wine in the region ever since they originally brought Auxerrois, which became known as Malbec to Argentina in the 1800’s. There are now over 50,000 acres of Malbec grapes in the Mendoza region, and we planned to sample as much of it as we could.
The second to last visit (time was getting on, the weather was beginning to turn) was Familia Di Tomaso, the oldest vineyard in the area. It’s a lovely estate, and given it was around 2pm and we’d already had a fair number of wines, we decided to have lunch at the winery. First through, a tour beckoned. Being the oldest winery the establishment was full of history, old wine making equipment and cobwebs. It was a great tour beaten only by the tasting of the five wines after the tour ended. The guide showed us the bowl we could use to pour the rest of the wine from our glasses if we couldn’t finish them. Needless to say it dust as we sampled the five wines, four of which were red and, like something from “The Godfather”, the last being “mama’s secret recipe sweet desert wine”. They were great wines, and made all the more special by the fact that Familia Di Tomaso do not sell wines to stores or restaurants. Instead their stock is sold directly to consumers from the winery– such is the popularity of what they produce. Ready for lunch we choose a spot looking out to the vineyards and had a large platter of cheeses, meats and olives as the weather quickly deteriorated. The storm became progressively worse, and, as gale force winds and torrential downpours aren’t conducive to bike riding we decided to settle in and have another couple of wines. It was difficult to believe that only an hour before it was sunny and hot with customers quickly taking cover inside as things became progressively worse. And then, as we finished our last glass of house Malbec, the storm passed. We wiped down our bicycle seats and were on our way to our last stop.
In marked contrast to Familia Di Tomaso, our last winery Tempus Alba was a new winery, or at least had new modern buildings. By this stage we were fully accustomed with the wine making process so were pleased to see it was a self guided tour through the winery. It was a winery more in the mould of New Zealand wineries, modern, well laid out and tailored to people coming in and relaxing over a bottle or two of wine. We enjoyed a bottle at the winery, and managed to get it in just before closing time. Christian, one of the owners, chatted to us for a while and then we, regrettably, climbed on the bikes for our ride home. There was some wobbling on the bikes as we rode back, but it was a happy swaying and in no time we were back at Mr Hugo’s. By the time we got back the party was in full swing and we hung around with the rest of the revellers to partake in the free wine (you can imagine the quality) before we, merrily, headed back to the hostel. It was a great day sampling the fantastic wines, particularly the Malbec, that the region had to offer, and it was fun exploring the area on bikes. Don’t mistake that riding a bike after a few bottles of Argentinean red is a skill that should appear on even the most accomplished of CV’s!
Until next time, Love Renee and Eugene
