Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
(
0264-422-4622; Av San Martín 163 Oeste;
9am-7pm)
, across from the tourist office
and
Trebol
(
0264-422-5935; Laprida 82 Este;
9am-8pm)
, inside the Alkazar Hotel.
OFF THE BEATEN TRACK
RUTA DEL VINO DE SAN JUAN
San Juan's winery tourism industry isn't quite as developed as that of Mendoza,
but in a lot of ways that's a good thing. There are no crowds for a start, and tours
are occasionally conducted by the winemakers themselves. A few wineries have
got together to promote the Ruta del Vino de San Juan (the San Juan Wine Route).
The best way to do it, if you want to hit them all in one day, is to hire a car. Starting
from downtown San Juan, it's about a 40km return stopping at all the places listed
here. It is feasible to do it by public transport and taxi, too. None of the wineries lis-
ted below require reservations.
The first stop on the route should be
Las Marianas
( 0264-423-1191;
www.bodegalasmarianas.com.ar
;
Calle Nuevo s/n; 9am-8pm Mon-Sat)
. One of the pret-
tiest wineries in the region, this one was built in 1922, abandoned in 1950 and rein-
stated in 1999. The main building is gorgeous, with thick adobe walls and a few ex-
amples of the original winemaking equipment lying around. The mountain views
out over the vineyard are superb. If you're coming by bus, catch the 16 (AR$4.10,
40 minutes) near the corner of Santa Fe and Mendoza in San Juan. Get off at the
corner of Calle Aberastain and Calle Nuevo, where you'll see a signpost to the
winery (an 800m walk).
Making your way back to Calle Aberastain, turn right and follow the road south
9am-7pm Mon-Sat)
. This stately old winery has more of a museum feel than
others. The tour of the underground cellar complex is excellent and tastings are -
generous.
If you're not up for a walk, now's the time to call a remise(taxi). If you are, make
your way back north to Calle 14, turn right and continue for 5km until you hit RN40.
Turning left, after about 1km you'll come to
Fabril Alto Verde
(
0264-421-2683;
, a
www.fabril-altoverde.com.ar
; RN40, btwn Calle 13 & 14;
9am-1pm & 2:30-6:30pm Mon-Fri)
big, state-of-the-art winery that sells 90% of its wine for export; tours here are in
English or Spanish and come accompanied by a rather dreary promotional video.
The award-winning organic brands Buenas Hondas and Touchstone are produced
here.
Next, catch a 24 bus heading north on RN40 up to Calle 11. Turning right down
Calle 11 for 300m brings you to
Miguel Mas
(
0264-422-5807; miguelmas@infovia.com.ar;
This small winery makes some of the coun-
Calle 11 s/n;
9am-5pm Mon-Fri)
