Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
292
The Story of Mendoza's Wine
Blessed by rich sunlight and a panorama of sno w-filled mountains, Mendoza
dominates Argentina's winemaking industry, and it's one of the most suc cess-
ful wine r egions on ear th. Surrounding the beautiful cit y of M endoza, just t o
the east of the t owering Andes, the pr ovince accounts for more than 70% of
the nation 's wine pr oduction, and it 's the w orld's six th-largest pr oducer of
grapes.
The Spanish began cultivating M endoza's wild American vines in the 16th
century as w ell as g rapes they'd brought with them fr om the Old C ontinent,
and wine production soon dominated the region's economy. They were able to
harvest this semiarid land—which r eceives little natural rainfall—b y using a
vast irrigation sy stem originally developed by the I ncas and ex tended by the
Huarpes, indigenous people fr om the r egion. A series of ar tificial irrigation
ditches and canals div ert water from the M endoza, Diamante, Tunuyán, and
Atuel rivers, which fill as snow melts in the Andes to nourish the land.
The development of Mendoza's wine industry ebbed and flowed. Wine pro-
duction stalled in the lat e 18th c entury as Spain r estricted grape growing to
prevent c ompetition with its c olonies. The industr y was r enewed f ollowing
national independenc e, as E uropean exper ts intr oduced F rench g rapevine
stocks and wineries to the region. However, the earthquake of 1861 destroyed
most of the existing wineries , and it was not until the opening of a railr oad in
1884 that wine production resumed on a significant scale. The railway brought
10
Andeluna
An absolutely beautiful, shiny ne w winery owned by Texan (and lover
of all things Argentine) Ward Lay has a lo vely old-world feel. G ourmet lunches are also
served, with reservations only. Lay's brought together a top-notch team of winemakers.
Tastings are held in a sumptuous “living r oom” with a stellar mountain vie w.
RP 89, K m 11, Gualtallar y, Tupungato.
&
262/242-3226.
www.andeluna.com. Reser vations required.
Tour only $5 (£3.40); tastings $10-$27 (£6.80-£18). Tours daily 10:30am, 12:30 and 3:30pm.
Bodega J & E L urton
Two sons of a Bor deaux wine legend, J acques and F rançois
have wineries around the world. H ere in the Valle de Uco, their
bodega
is a wood, con-
crete, and stainless steel beauty that fits naturally into the environment. Their Pinot Gris
is among the best in South America.
RP 94 Km 21, Vista Flores, Tunuyán.
&
262/249-2067.
www.bodegalurton.com. Reservations required.
Tastings start at $10 (£6.80) Mon-Fri 10am-5pm.
Bodega La Azul
For a very personalized look at a small boutique winer y, visit
La A zul. The grapes hav e to be v ery, v ery good to make it into their ex
clusive, high-
quality selection of wines.
RP 89, A gua Amarga, Tupungato.
&
262/242-3593.
www.bodegalaazul.com.ar. Reser vations recom-
mended. Free tours; tastings $10 (£6.80) per person. Daily 8:30am-6pm.
Bodegas Salentein
This complex is practically a planet of its own. It includes
a modern chapel, the P osada inn (see abo ve), the r ecently opened and much-heralded
Kiika
art gallery
, a restaurant and gift shop , and, of course, the
bodega
itself. Kiika
