Reality Tour, South America: One señorita, one señora, three bodegas…

Outside Mendoza city, we wind and weave along Los Camino del Vino through vast dry valleys with the beautiful snow-capped Andes dominating the breathtaking views. Fabian tells us that melting snows and glaciers in the Andes Mountains runs into the Mendoza desert through extensive man-made irrigation systems. The question on my mind was how wine production began in Mendoza… Fabian’s answer: the Jesuits who came with the Spaniards to teach and convert the natives needed wine to celebrate Mass. You gotta love history…

The first bodega we hit is Norton. It was founded in 1895 by an Englishman (hence the Anglo-Saxon name) who was a civil engineer and came over to work on the building of a railroad. He married the daughter of a farm owner. In 1989 Norton sold to the Austrian firm, Swarovski.

Norton is what I would classify as large and modern – producing 22 million bottles of wine, 40% for export and 60% for internal consumption. Inside the fermentation area, our group crossed over a narrow bridge high up and over the tanks. Some opted for another route. At Norton, we tasted wine throughout the fermentation process. Debbie liked the first tasting, which essentially was grape juice!  I liked the final product and purchased a bottle of Bodega Norton Reserva Malbec 2006. With pesos, of course…

Ruca Malen was Bodega #2. Ruca Malen is located in the Luján de Cuyo region of western Argentina, set just off national route 7, the road that traverses the Andes from Mendoza to Santiago, Chile. Borrowing its name from a local indigenous legend about an Araucan woman who fell in love with a god, Ruca Malen (literally translated as ‘the house of the young girl’) is what I would classify as small and being only a few years old, modern.

Here is where we had lunch and what a lunch it was! Five courses of beautifully presented, flavorful food paired with five different wines, our luncheon was a definite highlight of our day in Argentina’s Napa Valley. The setting was in a small, open air restaurant overlooking the Andes although a shroud of clouds kept our view pretty obscured. While the tasting menu changes, this was our menu (if you’re not a foodie, just scroll over this part):

 

 

First Appetizer

Summer Squash, fennel and apple Ceviche, served on a fresh cheese mousse paired with Yauquén Sauvignon Blanc 2008.

Second Appetizer

Beetroot Capuccino garnished with crunchy sweet potatoes seasoned with black pepper and a balsamic reduction. It was paired with Yauquén Cabernet Sauvignon 2008, a fresh fruity wine.

Starter

Smoked pumpkin terrine paired with Ruca Malen Merlot 2005.

Main Course

Grilled beef tenderloin medallion served with grilled polenta, sautéed vegetables, raisins, and a black olive sauce. The main course was paired with two wines – a Ruca Malen Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 and Kinién Malbec 2007.

Pre-dessert

Chardonnay, lemon and mint granitee.

Dessert

Regional fruit pastes and cheeses.

Wish I knew the Spanish equivalent for scrumptious—that would sum up the whole experience at Ruca Malen!

Feeling stuffed and slightly tipsy, we’re off to our final bodega, Lagarde. Ah, here is our traditional, older winery. Founded in 1897 by Capitan Pereyra and his brother, both originally from Spain, they sold to the Pescarmona family in the 1970’s. Lagarde is dedicated to small production of high quality wines and is known for sparkling wine.  We learn on tour that what makes wine sparkling is the sugar and yeast the wine maker adds right before putting the cap (not a cork) on the bottle.

The main building which houses the winery, dates from 1897 and with its adobe walls (a traditional turn of the century construction material made of mud and hay covered with stucco) and original wood beamed roofs lined with reeds it is a one of the last examples of Colonial architecture in Mendoza.

I think leaving Lagarde, most would agree that 3 bodegas in one day is just right!

Click here to read about Collette’s Wines & Wonders of South America tour!

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posted by Melissa McKee

Collette Vacations

Tags: Arts and Culture, Chile, Food, Reality Tour, South America, Winery

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