Mendoza turned out to be far larger and much more built up than we had expected. Even the main wine tour route in Maipu was far from rural. Even so, on Saturday, we had a very enjoyable day out, renting bikes and visiting some of the smaller boutique wineries and vinyards. The Mendoza region produces over 70% of Argentinas wine, the majority of which is malbec or blends using malbec. This is a grape of poor quality in France, but grows far better in the dry areas of central Argentina. The region also has substantial olive tree plantations. We visited a small winery owned by a french couple who emigrated to Argentina in 2004 and bought a vinyard with little knowledge of wine making. The first years wine was not great, and thereafter for a few years they hired local consultants to work with them and teach them. Last year was their first range of wines produced by themselves. A real good story that dreams can come true!Monday, September 29, 2008
Mendoza, Argentina
Mendoza turned out to be far larger and much more built up than we had expected. Even the main wine tour route in Maipu was far from rural. Even so, on Saturday, we had a very enjoyable day out, renting bikes and visiting some of the smaller boutique wineries and vinyards. The Mendoza region produces over 70% of Argentinas wine, the majority of which is malbec or blends using malbec. This is a grape of poor quality in France, but grows far better in the dry areas of central Argentina. The region also has substantial olive tree plantations. We visited a small winery owned by a french couple who emigrated to Argentina in 2004 and bought a vinyard with little knowledge of wine making. The first years wine was not great, and thereafter for a few years they hired local consultants to work with them and teach them. Last year was their first range of wines produced by themselves. A real good story that dreams can come true!