Visiting Domaine Bousquet Winery

Domaine Bousquet Winery doesn’t make a lot of noise.  The architecture incorporates traditional materials and a warm rustic elegance emanates throughout the entire property – a distinct change from the grandeur of other bodegas in the neighborhood.  In that sense, Domain Bousquet is a sleeping giant.  But this low-profile winery is responsible for producing wines that have an impressively strong presence in both international minds and markets.

The winery produces an average of 2.5 million liters annually and can be found in over 45 countries around the world, making Domaine Bousquet one of the most prolific exporters of South American organic wines.  Located at 1200m above sea level and just off Highway 89, a main thoroughfare that sweeps through Uco Valley, there are nearly 500 acres planted under the Domaine Bousquet name.

Founded by a French winemaking family in 1998, the winery places particular importance on caring for the land – and the fruit that it produces.  The winemakers utilize both French and Argentine winemaking know-how, coupled with organic practices that prohibit the use of all pesticides and chemical products.  According to the winery´s manifesto, the oenologists are guided by the intention to “combine the European elegance in winemaking style with the perfect cool climate and terroir of the Uco Valley.”  For that reason, the grape is always treated with utmost respect.

Successful winemakers know that the goal is first to produce the highest quality fruit possible and then to preserve its characteristics as it goes through the winemaking process.  Therefore, at Domaine Bousquet all grapes are hand-harvested, hand-sorted and gently destemmed.  This premium raw material then becomes the basis for what Domaine Bousquet likes to call “Naturally Elegant Wines.”  That is, wines that aren´t adultered by harsh practices or corrected by chemical additives, but rather they are wines that maintain an authentic and evident connection to their origins.

Domaine Bousquet is also home to Gaia Restaurant, a French-inspired restaurant that takes its name after the Greek goddess of the earth, echoing the winery’s inherent respect for the land.

A small plot on the property is set aside for a small organic garden, where goodies such as fresh raspberries and cherry tomatoes hang from the vines, waiting to be served to hungry guests sitting just a few paces away.

Gaia offers a variety of menu options, all of which are carefully paired to showcase the natural flavors of both the wine and the ingredients on the plate.

“When you taste a fruit or vegetable from your own garden, it tastes different than the supermarket version,” says Pier Thouement, hospitality manager at the winery.  “That same reason is why the owner tries to preserve the quality of the grapes and highlight the fruit even when the wine is aged in oak.  The idea is that even when you can sense the oak in the wine, that it be always well integrated into the other elements.”

The Gaia Restaurant fixed menu changes seasonally. This is a sampling of what their kitchen creates. (clockwise) Gaia cream soup, Prawn bruschetta with parsley pesto, Beef filet with grilled vegetables and grapefruit reduction, Crispy halibut in papillotte with ratatouille.

And there’s no better way to understand the winery’s philosophy, than to sit down to enjoy a wine-paired meal on Gaia’s outdoor patio.  On a recent trip to the winery, just as the first course arrived at the table, the snowcapped mountain peaks poked through the cloud cover and delivered on the first half of Uco Valley´s inherent promise – and Domaine Bousquet delivered on the second: panoramic Andean views and beautifully balanced wines.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Our team of highly passionate, skilled trip planners wants to get to know you so we can construct the perfect getaway.  We pull from our large network of local winemakers, adventurers, chefs, artists and more to introduce you to a side of Mendoza, Argentina that you won’t see with any other tour agency.

Ready to get started?  Tell us who you are and what you love – and we’ll use that to build your perfect trip!  Click here to get started!

The Uncorking Argentina Team. (Left to Right) Daniel, Luján, Molly, Madeline, Carolyn.