The long and winding road through Mendoza wine country typically ends with purple teeth and a grumbling stomach. In an effort to offer a more complete experience, many wineries have built-in restaurants, which offer visitors menus designed to perfectly pair with house wines. In the sprawling vineyards of the Luján de Cuyo region, Ruca Malén Restaurant is a popular lunch spot for wine country...
The calm of the Cordillera kitchen before dinner service and an empty dining room made the setting feel less like a restaurant and more like a dinner party at a particularly well-stocked home, fireplace aglow in the background. Amy and Victor, both Boston natives, began their honeymoon in Buenos Aires, a bustling metropolis built for serious shopping, historical city tours and late nights out....
What happens in your mouth when you sip a wine is important, a wine´s texture, shape, acidity, sweetness, and length are all important style and quality markers. And though the tongue is the strongest muscle in the body, the nose is really the powerhouse sensor when it comes to a cup of vino. There are hundreds of identifiable aromas in wine, scents that stretch...
Route 40 before 9 AM is a kind of morning meditation. The van follows the trail of sunlight as it begins to turn the sleeping mountains into vibrantly colored slopes. And though the trip is long, some two hours south west of Mendoza City, it merits open eyes and a camera at the ready. By midmorning we had arrived at Quebrada del Condor (Condor...
Founded in 1888, Italian immigrants planted the first seeds in the vineyards that would later grow to be a part of the Nieto Senetiner collection of wines. In the course of the following decade, the winery changed hands several times, and the Nieto Senetiner family acquired it in 1969. The winery itself is located in Vistalba area of Luján de Cuyo. However, Nieto vineyards...
What do you get when you cross an apple/pear/peach-like fruit, cook it down, throw in some sugar, form it into squares and hand it to a traveler? Well, we mostly get looks of confusion. Contrary to popular belief, this sweet treat is not at all related to the gummy bear family of products, not by a long shot. Membrillo (Mem-bree-sho) is the Spanish word...
For the second year, Malbec World Day, April 17th, was celebrated around the world. Wine lovers uncorked bottles, filled glasses and gave toasts to Argentina´s flagship grape and all that it has achieved in the last century and a half. Key celebrations for Malbec World Day organized by Wines of Argentina will be held in New York, Washington, Los Angeles and Seattle in the...
Not quite European, not quite Hispanic, Argentina straddles a cultural line, which allows it to pull traditions from either side of the ocean, blending heritages that embrace the siesta and tea time all in the same day. Tea Sommelier, Founder and Owner of Tea & Company, is a strong believer in the tea tradition, and has made it her passion to bring Mendocinos high-quality...
Stepping out of the Mendoza rainstorm and into the workshop at Dolcezza, was something akin to entering Willy Wonka’s factory. Though instead of fanciful decorations and extravagant surroundings, the beauty and wonder at Dolcezza is stored in a series of freezers and scooped up with a spoon. Fernando Soria, founder and owner of Dolcezza Gourmet Ice Creams, was at the helm of his ice...
Wine lovers oooo and ahhh over winery architecture and label design, but I´m willing to bet you haven´t stopped to stare at the smooth curves and subtle drama of the wine glass. Am I right? Depending on whose cupboard door you open, you´ll find wineglasses that range from crystal masterpieces and blown glass goblets, to Dixie cups and big gulps. Safe to say that...
Séptima Winery Sets the Scene Argentina’s long, sweltery summers ensure that at dusk, when the sun dips behind the ridge of the cordillera, a collective sigh sweeps across the desert. Temperatures drop slightly, a breeze picks up and it somehow feels easier to breathe. Séptima Winery sits 3500 feet above sea level, along National Route 7, which runs from Chile to Mendoza and onward...
Months of wine tastings, wine tours, parades, and Vendimia partying all culminate in a final show: El Acto Central. A Las Vegas-style theatrical performance and live music concert hidden in the mountains and heard around the world. This year marked the 50th Vendimia festival held in the Frank Romero Day Amphitheater and the golden anniversary was marked with unique splendor. A twenty minute drive...