Wine Republic, edición Junio-julio 2008

Nº32 JUNE / JULY 2008

NOW THE PARTY’S OVER...

MENDOZA WINE SEASON ROUND UP ATM FRUSTRATION WINERY BENVENUTO DE LA SERNA

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EDITORIAL Wine Republic - London Wine Contents News Republic What´s going on in Mendoza ..................................... 6 Wish List Recommended wines ........................................................ 8 Now the Party’s Over What a summer it has been.............................. 9 Quit Your Wine…ing The common cure for the common hangover ... 12 ATM Automatic Theft Machine .......................................................... 15 Mil Piedras A new winery in Valle de Uco ........................................ 16 Wine Tour Rookie Take a wine immersion course .............................18 All Mixed Up A wine tradition in Mendoza ........................................ 20 Charity Starts Abroad Kick back and give back ...............................22 The Top 20 Wineries The best to visit .............................................. 24 Getting Rid of Dead Wood Pruning time in Mendoza ....................... 26 Dining Out Where to eat in Mendoza ............................................... 27

A snapshot of one summer week in Mendoza; the balmy streets brim with partying Washington restaurateurs, shopping mad Russian journos, drunken Irish honeymooners, sober Australian salesmen, wide-eyed Spanish hoteliers, calculating Californian property developers, nosey British travel agents and stressed out New York travel writers. They are all here for one thing – the wine.

Every bottle that leaves this province is an advertisement for Mendoza. The province’s future is not petroleum, garlic nor uranium, but wine. That is why Governor Celso Jaque recently attended the world’s most important wine fair – London Wine, along with eighty Argentine wineries. Wine Republic was there too, for the third year running, at the stall of one of Mendoza’s greatest wine champions and consultants – Cellar World (www.cellarworld.co.uk). We all want the same thing - that the foreign wine lover sips and enjoys his Malbec, then pauses to admire the label and when he reads about Mendoza, he thinks; “I’d like to go there some day.”

Bars Where to drink in Mendoza ...................................................... 31 Useful Information ....................................................................... 32 Maps .............................................................................................. 34

CREDITS June July 2008 / 10,000 Copies / Published by Seven Colors S.A. / San Lorenzo 170 / Mendoza City / Tel (0261) 425 5613 / Cel. 155 413 892 / ask@wine-republic.com Editor: Charlie O’Malley Assistant Editor: Katie Taylor.

Publicidad: Gabriel DellInnocenti, Carolina DellInnocenti, Ana Laura Aguilera (155 01 88 74) publicidad@wine-republic.com Publishing Assistant: Muriel Altamirano P.R.: Judith Clinton Design: Beattub www.beattub.com Printer: Artes Gráficas UNION Contributors: Meredith Pilcher, Charles Pestridge, Mike Kivisto, Olivia Wilson, Katie Taylor Distributors: Martin Altamirano (Mendoza City), José Luis Cano (Greater Mendoza), Julie Monteith (Bariloche), Emiliano Guevara (Buenos Aires), Sergio Lucca, Rosa María Aguilera (Cordoba).

Special thanks to: Duncan and Rosaura Killner. Giles Hunt, Mariana Cardello.

Opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily the editorial opinions of Wine Republic.

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LA London

Una foto de una semana de verano en Mendoza: calles cálidas y frondosas repletas de fiesteros chef de Washington; periodistas, compradores compulsivos rusos; mareados mieleros irlandeses, sobrios empresarios australianos, encantados hoteleros españoles, calculadores constructores californianos, curiosos agentes de viajes británicos y estresados escritores neoyorquinos. Todos están aquí por la misma razón, el vino.

Cada botella que sale de la provincia es una propaganda de Mendoza. El futuro de la provincia no es el petróleo, el ajo o el uranio sino el vino. Esa es la razón por la que el Gobernador Celso Jaque asistió recientemente a la feria internacional mas importante del vino, London Wine, en la cual, junto a otras 80 bodegas, Wine Republic estuvo también presente. Por tercer año consecutivo, en el stand de Cellar World (www.cellarworld.co.uk), una de las consultoras vitícolas mas importantes de Mendoza.

Todos nosotros queremos lo mismo. Que los extranjeros amantes del vino puedan saborear y disfrutar el Malbec y al admirar la etiqueta y leer sobre Mendoza, piensen “me gustaría ir allí algún día”

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NEWS REPULIC Primo Vodka

I Want Candy

We all know that Argentina is the most child friendly country in the World. This is confirmed by the fact that the unofficial currency is candy. If you haven’t noticed, due to the perpetual change crisis, shopkeepers are prone to adding some caramelos to your money back to make up for the shortfall. In most countries, every household has a jar of pennies that they take down to the store once a year and exchange for a packet of cigarettes. When this writer tried to make such a sweet exchange here (after digging out some more lozengers behind the sofa cushions) he was given short shrift and looked at like he had lost his marbles.

The penny dropped, so to speak.

Domaine Dumont

A hot, delicious mulled wine greets you on the terrace of a Victorian style mansion in the heart of Maipu. Delectable dishes, each paired with some of the region’s best wines are served in an atmosphere that exudes charm and originality.

Domaine Dumont is the latest fine dining experience in Mendoza wine country and pips most for hospitality and creativity. The Irish coffee in front of the garden wood stove rounds the experience perfectly. Canadian owners the Montgomerys are the perfect hosts and chef Jasmine Montgomery puts to good use her extensive culinary expertise picked up in some of Vancouver’s best restaurants.

Make this lunch stop your final stop when touring Maipu as you won’t want to go anywhere else. Domaine Dumont is running a winter offer of free lunch to all those who turn up in Xena Princess Warrior outfits. Ask why when you get there. Domaine Dumont, 271 Perito Moreno, Maipu. Tel. (0261) 156 173 626.

Reservations Required.

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The San Francisco World Spirits Competition is to hard liquor what the Pulitzer is to hard liquor drinkers. The annual top shelf awards gather 800 spirits from almost seventy countries. The lucky judges then taste and distill them down through selection to come up with the 100% proof best in the world. Mendoza’s very own Primo vodka has just won the 2008 Double Gold. It is not common knowledge that vodka can be made from almost anything. In Ireland, for example, there is a long tradition of making it from old, mashed up 1970s newspapers. Primo Vodka however, take the finest Malbec wine and distills it until you get the pure, clear stuff, the essence of basically what is the most important part of wine – the alcohol. The vodka company’s aim is to get on the top shelf of every top bar around the world and the young distillery in Maipu is making a good job of it. www.primovodka.com/

Arts and Crafts and Breakfast and Tea

Have you ever browsed the arts and crafts stores of Argentina and wondered is there just one factory in BA belting out belts and ponchos for naive tourists? It is hard to know just how genuine the goods are wherever you go. Ayllu is a large store specializing in authentic handicrafts from all over South America and Latin America. You can pick up genuine ethnic art goods from as far away as Mexico, many with a verification stamp proving their origin. Situated 15 minutes south of Mendoza city (close to Chacras de Coria), the warehouse style outlet brims with wall hangings and ceramics and is a browser’s paradise. At the back is a coffee shop serving breakfast and afternoon tea. On the walls are photos of the owners on buying trips to Peru and Bolivia.

Ayllu is open everyday from 9am to 7pm and Sundays 11am to 7pm. Ruta Panamericana 8343. Tel. 496 1213; www.aylluartepopular.com

Tank Theft

Many wine tourists are somewhat surprised at the strict security applied by Mandoza wineries. A forbidding guard standing at a heavy, closed gate was not what they had in mind when touring Mendoza Wine Country. Often the wine tour guide is at a loss to explain why exactly the guard wants names, details and eye color before letting them in.

The fact is having a winery in an isolated area means the unlikeliest of items may go missing. One major winery had a serious headache during harvest this year when they discovered their San Juan facility had been completely robbed of all its steel tank doors. 100,000 liters of grapes had to be crushed and fermented but where? All the tanks were virtually useless. If, whilst wandering the streets of Mendoza, anybody should offer you a wine tank door for sale at a suspiciously low price, politely refuse, surreptitiously take a photo of suspect steel vendor if you can and call the police immediately. Note: any tourists caught trying to leave the country with steel wine tank doors will be asked for proof of purchase by customs.

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THE Wish List Some wines to try while in Mendoza

Sottano Malbec 2005 Juicy, ripe cherries and plums, flavours of chocolate and vanilla Velvety tannins, great structure make this a wonderfully elegant Price: $20 ARG

are enriched by delicate supported by subtle oak. and a lovely long finish wine to be enjoyed now.

Mil Piedras Sangiovese 2005 A seductive aroma of ripe, jammy fruit with a subtle hint of white chocolate. This Italian grape has found its home in the Uco Valley producing a delicate, dry wine with good body and crisp acidity. Price: $ 25 approx

Melipal Reserva Malbec 2003 Intense ruby red with almost black hints and luscious aromas of over ripe black currants and cooked plums. This complex, full bodied wine has sweet tannins and a long persistent finish. Decant before drinking. Price: $110

Enrique Foster Reserva Malbec Made from 80 year old vines, this single varietal winery has produced a huge wine with fruity aromas and berry flavours.

A stunning example of a full-bodied Malbec. Price: $ 60

Mendel Unus 2004 Malbec Notes of black cherries, prunes, raisins and jam, together with the chocolate, vanilla, toast and caramel which come from its aging in new French oak barrels. This is a fullbodied wine, with a lot of structure, mature, rounded, sweet tannins and a very long length. Price: $ 160

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Pulenta Estate La Flor Sauvignon Blanc A brilliant greenish yellow colour with intense aromas of grapefruit and citrus fruits. This wine exhibits a perfect balance of sweetness and acidity with a fresh, long finish.

Perfect for sipping on summer afternoons. Price $ 30

Tapiz Sauvignon Blanc Despite Mendoza’s constant sunshine, the area is producing some excellent acidic whites and Tapiz Sauvignon Blanc is one of the best. Strong hints of gooseberry and guavo.

Price $ 25

Yauquen Chardonnay Semillón Soft golden colour with greenish hues. Intense, fruity nose and citric aromas. The perfectly intergrated acidity highlights its freshness and produces a light, fruity summer wine. Price: $ 17

Ruca Malen Kinien Ruby red colour with spicy aromas and a delicate touch of pepper among an array of plums, blackberries and cherries. Maturation in French oak barrels provides smoky flavours with vanilla and chocolate overtones. A complex and intense wine with balanced tannins. Price: $ 95

Cavagnaro Malbec This Maipu Malbec has delicious, juicy, ripe fruit. It is elegant, well balanced and has an excellent long finish.

Price: $ 25

Now the Party is Over ......

The best thing about throwing a party (besides the actual party) is cleaning up the mess afterwards. With a fuzzy head and a shakey hand finishing off the last of the Chardonnay, you pick through the remnants of the night before. The bottles pile up in the kitchen and those lipstick stains on the wine glasses just won’t come off. Then it all comes back to you: that joke, that song, that embarrassing incident with the banana.

Mendoza’s high season is drawing to an end and what a party it was. Here we pick through the high lights and low points of what was a great year.

New Faces

The Biggest Splash

The Americans just keep on coming. It might be something to do with the fact that the Argentine peso is the only currency in the world that the dollar is not tanking against.

Yet this year was different, as other new nationalities were drawn here by the lure of Malbec. Canadians, Brazilians, British, Irish, Swedes were all out in force on the leafy laneways of Mendoza wine country.

Countless new wines appeared on the scene, too long to list here. Ones that struck an unforgettable pose were Melipal Malbec, Altos Los Hormigas Bonarda, Cavagnaro Malbec, Sottano Cabernet Sauvgnon, Tempus Alba Rosé, Ruca Malen Yauquen Chardonnay and Tapiz Sauvignon Blanc.

The Greatest Entrance

Everybody’s favourite Callia Shiraz continues to outshine its Salentein siblings on the wine dance floor. This red head throws more shapes than many mediocre Malbecs three times its price. The impostor from San Juan has made many friends in Mendoza and must be the biggest selling supermarket wine, and no wonder, it is only $13 pesos a pop. Get down to Super Vea now!

Gay Vendimia may be in its 13th year but 2008 was when this colourful alternative to the main event came into its own. Thirty meters from the staid corridors of Government House, Mendoza’s gay community threw the party of all parties at the expansive Auditorio Bustelo. Rose petal strewn walkways were stomped upon by monster platform shoes to the serene melodies of Erasure’s “Oh l’Amour.” The fiesta was titled “Vendimia for all” and attracted a mixed up and raucous crowd of transvestites, gays, straights and the occasional “stray” tourist. A salute to organisers Ricardo Tito Bustos and Mendoza’s top tranny La Turca for giving us a night of wine, women and thongs.

The Most Consistent Party Animal

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The Biggest Stain

The Most Unwelcome Gatecrasher

You’ll always find a bore at a gathering and in this case it is the terrible condition of Mendoza’s wine roads, particularly in Maipu and southern Lujan de Cuyo. The tarmac in Agrelo resembles Swiss cheese, for which there is no excuse as this area is the most expensive vineyard area in the country. Another drag is the epic journey to Aconcagua National Park, with its lines of trucks and unnecessary checkpoint delays. Ironically, the farmer’s strike showed just how beautiful and serene the journey could be without the diesel monsters bearing down on top of you so dangerously close. Cue: Tourists screaming for all the wrong reasons.

You always have unwelcome visitors who try and spoil the fun, in this case the opportunist thieves trying to get into your stuff.

Mendoza has seen a significant rise in street robberies, with beady-eyed pilferers sneaking bags from tourists in internet cafes, travel agencies, the bus terminal and sidewalk tables.

They are ingenious and often work in pairs with one acting as a decoy, so keep your passport and credit cards taped to your private parts. A more disturbing phenomenon is those “literal gatecrashers” who hijack secluded wine lodges and rob all the guests at gunpoint. Thankfully this does not happen often (every six months or so) but once is enough. Not all thieves are locals however. Watch out for the blond Belgian with a sob story that has been soliciting “loans” from unassuming tourists for over a year.

The Best Toast Do you have a vague desire to climb the tallest mountain outside the Himalayas? Thousands entered Aconcagua National Park this year and attempted the gruelling two week trek to the summit. If they’d only popped into the new visitor center at the entrance they would have saved themselves a lot of hassle and money. You can now watch a video and get up there in three minutes. The sight of the Pacific was amazing! Thumbs up! to the fact that the park has at last a loo, not on the top, but in the visitor center.

Bring your own toilet paper.

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Who’s Hiding in the Kitchen?

For Mendoza’s best restaurants check out the back section of this magazine. Here we want to talk about two big surprises – new restaurants that deserve your dollars. Sophia has to be the funkiest new eatery in the city with its yin and yang combination of Buddha and the Rolling stones. Who would have thought of it? Check out the back yard – its got bells on it.

The other culinary thrill causing a tremendous stir is the Maipu garden restaurant Domaine Dumont, a beautiful Victorian style mansion doing incredible lunches. Don’t let these chilly days deter a visit. Lunch is in front of an outdoor stove with delicious mulled wine for starters.

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Quit your wine…ing Everything has a price, including a day in the wineries. Katie Taylor examines that familiar phenomenon facing most of us the morning after the party – the hangover You’ve no one else to blame, no sympathy from me, I’m not surprised… Just a small selection of clichés you’ll have to endure after indulging in a few too many. But when you’re visiting wine country, it’s difficult hold back when the drink is flowing, whether you’re out on the tiles on Avenida Aristides or out on a guilt free all-day-drinking wine tour where it is strictly against your culture to spit.

The hangover – we all swear we will never touch another drop when faced with the text-book symptoms of an aching head and a churning stomach resulting in a dash to the bathroom, but we just keep coming back for more. The cause is plain and simple; drinking too much.

Here’s the science The diuretic effects of alcohol are largely responsible for a bad head and the dizzying effects of a hangover as it speeds up loss of water from the body. This, along with the alcohol itself irritating the lining of the stomach, effectively poisoning you, and the lack of sleep if you’ve been partying, means you could be more than a little worse for wear come the next day.

How to have your wine and drink it Unless you are particularly reactive to the very sniff of alcohol, a fuzzy head and a dry throat is about the worst you’ll feel after a day at the wineries, and you’ll be largely unaffected by the regular symptoms. But, prevention is the best cure there is and there are certain steps you can take before heading out on your day trip to keep you fresh and daisy-like until the very end: • Eat a good breakfast before you leave for the wineries • Perhaps substitute your morning coffee with a glass of milk • Take a vitamin C tablet to boost your reserves – it speeds up the metabolism of alcohol by the liver • While between wines at the wineries help yourself to plenty of the abundant water provided • Take a bottle of water with you and take regular sips to avoid dehydration • Avoid fizzy drinks as the sugars increase the volume of alcohol getting into the bloodstream • Nibble on the crackers left on tables at the winery to help absorb the wine in your stomach • Take a walk in the vineyards. The fresh air will clear your head and a stroll among the grapes can only enrich your tour experience.

• There is plenty of lovely wine to sample so to enjoy each one as much as the last, pace yourself and don’t drink to excess!

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Carry on Misbehaving So against your better judgment, the moment you put down your wine glass at the final winery of the tour you stepped it up a gear in Mendoza’s bar district by knocking back enough booze to make Oliver Reed blush, only to be greeted by a hangover sent from hell’s outer reaches the following morning.

Well, we have all been there, and everyone has their own hangover cures; some work, others don’t. Surprisingly, coffee doesn’t work. It doesn’t deal with dehydration and it doesn’t sober you up, so as a preventative measure before sleeping it’s not actually much use.

The ‘hair of the dog’ isn’t a good idea - why prolong the agony?

If you’re feeling queasy, antacid liquid or tablets will settle your stomach, as will a cup of ginger tea if a more natural remedy is your preference. Ibuprofen or paracetamol will relieve your headache, although avoid aspirin because it will irritate the stomach. Once again, water, vitamin C and toast are the best things to consume. Eggs are also good as they’re packed with cysteine, which is said to mop up the destructive chemicals that build up in the liver when it’s metabolising alcohol. This probably explains why a hearty full-English breakfast does the job - if you can face it.

The effects of a hangover last about 24 hours, so be patient.

You’ll soon feel better and ready, inevitably, to do it all over again.

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£5 per time. I called my bank, Mastercard, Banelco, Link and went to a couple of local banks here and nobody takes responsibility for this change.”

A spokesperson at Banelco, who wishes to remain anonymous, states that this is not a policy imposed by either Banelco or Link.

“Banelco is simply a business to business operation between Cirrus [the clearing system used by Mastercard] and Visa Plus and the banks”, he explains. “We simply provide the machines to allow people access to their money. It is Cirrus and Visa Plus who cap the daily extraction amount, with the agreement of the banks they work with, and it is to the discretion of the bank as to how much they charge for each transaction; Banelco does not charge for this”.

On opening a bank account customers agree, with or without studying the small print and albeit begrudgingly, to an extraction fee for cash withdrawals abroad and this is a policy imposed by banks worldwide. But the question still begs as to why networks Cirrus and Visa Plus would impose limits on withdrawals when seemingly only the bank where the account is held stands to gain.

ATM

Automatic Theft Machine Tourists got hot under the collar this summer and it was not because of the heat. Ridiculous ATM limits frustrated people, prompting remarks that it was a form of highway robbery. But who is exactly to blame?

Katie Taylor investigates.

At around midday on any given day, Citibank on San Martin and the Peatonal is awash with people waiting in line to use the ATM facility, among which the occasional foreign language can be heard – possibly questioning the reason behind having to make consecutive transactions to let them draw out more than 300 pesos at a time.

At face value, this would just seem a minor annoyance, but when you’re presented with a charge of US$3, or up to €3.50 in Europe, for every transaction and your traveling budget is effectively being eaten into in banking alone, you would be forgiven for feeling slightly aggrieved.

To add insult to injury, an extraction limit of US$500 per day has been imposed on foreign visitors, and only from 10 designated telling machines in Mendoza city centre, half of which are owned by Link and Banelco who work with Cirrus and Visa Plus, the networks who enforce these limits.

“It is to the discretion of the bank as to how much they charge” Thomas Freeman is from the UK where he maintains his finances and is living in Argentina where he is being hit hard by the charges. He says: “I have to go to the bank three times per days over two days just to pay my rent, and with them charging around

“Tourists deemed as sitting ducks.”

A source at Citibank in Mendoza’s city centre claims that the Argentine banks work with Cirrus and Visa Plus and “together we enforce the law to increase the security of the foreign visitor”. Street crime has been on the increase in Argentina in recent years, with tourists deemed as sitting ducks when visiting cash machines and the cap for each withdrawal is there to limit the damage. Be that as it may, this argument seems quite weak given that with repeated withdrawals you are able to access substantial amounts of cash. What is more, the more withdrawals you make the longer you stay at an ATM, thus drawing more attention to yourself.

“Limits can be raised”, the source goes on to say, “but authorization must be gained first.”

This being said, authorization to raise your withdrawal limit abroad to access your own cash does not take away from the fact you are paying through the nose to do it. Yet there are banks who charge nothing for this, rendering the number of withdrawals you make merely academic.

Nationwide Building Society in the UK, for example, offers a checking account where no international transaction fees are levied, further suggesting that ATM companies and clearing houses such as Cirrus and Visa Plus are not to blame for fees incurred while traveling in Argentina. If your bank charges you, it does so because it can.

There seems to be two parts this problem; unreasonable limits to what you can withdraw here in Argentina, and excessive charges by the banks back home. Limits here you can live with as long as you can make multiple withdrawals. It is the high cost of taking out money that is causing uproar, therefore the blame apparently lies with the bank where your account is held.

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Mil Piedras One in a Million

Yet to try a good Sangiovese from Mendoza? Get down to Valle de Uco where Katie Taylor visits Benvenuto de la Serna It’s no coincidence the name ‘de la Serna’ should be so familiar. International icon “El Che”, Argentina’s own Ernesto Guervara, carried it himself as his full family name. And indeed, so did winemaker Silvio Benvenuto de la Serna’s wife, the grand-daughter of Che’s cousin.

As a family of grand connections and comfortable wealth, in the 1920s the Benvenutos ran a lucrative food shipping company operating between Genoa, Italy, and Argentina exporting fine premium produce such as Chianti wine, lemons and canned tomatoes. This was right up until Italian dictator, Benito Mussolini, seized their vessels in the name of the war effort without compensating the family and leaving them with little of their former livelihood.

Unperturbed by the blow to their business, one of Silvio’s grandfathers remained in Genoa to begin an enterprise again using the tools left to him and the commodities available, this time canning fish. The second left for Uruguay and then later on to Argentina where he established the household brand, Campagnola canned foods, the nation’s answer and rival to Campbell.

“Uco Valley is set to explode” Through grit and determination, and perhaps through force of misfortune, the family has grown as one thirsting for challenge, constantly looking for the next project. So after buying his vineyard in 1998 and employing what he describes as a young and enthusiastic crack team in world renowned wine consultant Michel Roland and Angel Mendoza, formerly of Trapiche, he created his Mil Piedras line ready for 2003.

“We’re very proud of what we have done”, Silvio says as we tip-toe across the thousand pebbles bubbling in the driveway with the Andean breeze brushing our faces. The mustard and crimson leaves dance on his vines echoing an end to harvest.

“Uco Valley is set to explode”, he says, speaking of tourism and visitors to the province where Maipú and Lujan de Cuyo have largely dominated Mendoza’s wine country. “We want to show off our venture when the explosion happens, and we are already seeing a jump in quality in our wines which is very encouraging.”

A passion for Argentina, yet fixed on preserving his Italian parentage, Silvio explains it was important to him that the Mil Piedras Sangiovese stands as a key member of the collection. “We’re a family orientated winery,” he says as we walk past the neo-classical figurines lining the walls leading up to a rose pink building, the hub of Benvenuto de la Serna’s wine production, “and we’re making more noise now, competing with our neighbours, Salentien and O.Fournier. But what is important to us is that we stay family orientated and hold on to our roots in Genoa”.

“The Sangiovese and Malbec are also gold medal winners.”

Tucked away behind a robust farm gate, the ranch-style family residence lies at the far reaches of the extensive garden, at the other end of which stands a

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thick-cut wooden table on which a crisp cotton tablecloth showcases a host of stemware.

“Valle de Uco is special because the warm days and cool evenings here mean we can create high sugar and firm tannins in our wines,” Silvio enthuses as we sit and he pours me a cassis-coloured 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon, a gold medal winner at the fourth International Wine Competition.

And clearly his passion for the full fruit and body in his wines is shared too by the international consumer, with his Sangiovese, Malbec (also gold medal winners at the fourth International Wine Competition), Viognier, Tempranillo and the Cabernet being exported to Germany, Canada, the US and UK. Yet to enjoy a bottle of Silvio’s wine is to appreciate and share his love of what he does.

“We want to export and sell our wines to special people who understand the family ethos; who understand Benvenuto de la Serna,” he says, taking a long pull on his pièce de la resistance, the 2005 Malbec and Merlot Benvenuto de la Serna blend. “This is why we would only welcome small groups into our family garden to sample what we have to offer - we’re not a big commercial enterprise with a production line of tourists. What we have started to do is more intimate and we pride in quality over quantity.”

While pausing and marveling at all around him, he muses: “Let me say this. I am happy with what I have created, but the dream is to be always creating something new”. www.benvenutodelaserna.com

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WINE TOUR ROOKIE Self-confessed wine virgin Michael Kivisto hangs out with the hardcore and does a premium wine tour.

I’m hungover, it’s 9:30 in the morning, and I have four glasses of wine in front of me. The gorgeous guide serving the wine mentions that she doesn’t like wine tasting in the morning because the acidity of the wine is so high. Yeah, me too, the acidity. Why aren´t we touring a gatorade factory instead.

But there I was at a small family-run vineyard in a low, white building with a beautiful red tile roof, drinking wine with a bunch of wine-snobs. Well, I actually didn’t know if they were snobs yet, I just assumed so because of the vocabulary they threw around: “Great nose on this one... lots of jammy fruit... juicy but not complex... I like mine more crisp.”

Aware of my ignorance, I stuck close to Don, a middle-aged American man with white hair, clear spectacles, and a red nose which backs up his claim that he is drinking his way around the world. Don boarded the minibus that morning wearing his purple “world of wine” shirt, and carrying a notebook for tasting-comments. He had a stack of internet print-outs to guide him towards the best wines of the day.

This guy was serious.

“But mostly I just like drinking it,” he said to me. “...and a red nose which backs up his claim that he is drinking his way around the world.”

We were to visit four wineries that day, out amongst the lush vineyards of Lujan de Cuyo. Each time we passed through a security gate and then followed a beautiful English-speaking Argentine woman around the facilities. We saw giant steel vats of wine, basements loaded with wine barrels, cryptic machines pumping wine from one tank to another, and walls full of switches controlling temperatures. We heard about the evil hail that threatens the vines, We listened to complaints about the hot wind that blew the day before, and we learned the difference between American oak and French oak. All the while my fellow tourists snapped loads of pictures and asked tons of ridiculous questions: “Do the olive trees in the area affect the soil? Do you age with wood chips rather than barrels? Do you acidify?”

Oh man! How I wished I could find a couch. The questions were killing me, and all the photo-taking prolonged my misery. Don got into the act by correcting the guides or teaching them about machines they didn’t know. The guy knew everything.

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He really knew how to taste a wine too. He could pick out the most subtle flavors which he would discuss excitedly with his wife. They really weren’t snobs at all: they were just really into wine. I wondered why they were so fascinated with knowing everything about a beverage. What did I like that much? Steak? Yet you would never find me touring a slaughterhouse.

As we shuffled through another vineyard my stomach growled ferociously. I noticed another panel of switches and temperatures and I had to stop myself from maliciously clicking a dial or two and ruining entire vats of wine.

“Yet you would never find me touring a slaughterhouse.”

The meal at Ruca Malen was amazing. I ate a succulent steak and gazed across the rows of vines that ran to the foothills of the snow-capped mountains. They served us five wines with our five course meal, each paired with each dish. The truth is I was beginning to acquire some tasting skills. Earlier, on the balcony, I swished my Chardonnay around in my giant glass before I tasted it. I didn’t know why I was doing it but it looked cool. My fellow tourists discussed distributors, importers and their cellars back home. Don answered 90% of the questions and he did so with a smile in a non-patronizing way, being especially gentle when answering my occasional idiotic question.

It was then that I realized that I was the snob of the group.

I came out with prejudice towards these people and I spent the day resisting their help, choosing instead to remain happily ignorant, ensuring that I was different from them. I really would like to know more, I thought. I’d like to be able to distinguish the seemingly impossible plethora of flavors found in the juice of this incredible fruit.

“It was then that I realized that I was the snob of the group.”

Thankfully, the last winery was a mansion with big comfortable white couches in the tasting room. I made a wobbly dash for one, careful not to spill my wine.

Later, I am telling this story to my friends at the hostel. I tell them that I actually really enjoyed my tour: Great people,

amazing places, incredible wine and the best food I’d had in six months.

“The only problem is that there is so much to learn I feel I really didn’t learn anything.”

“This wine is okay,” a friend digresses, referring to a bottle we were drinking.

“Yes,” I reply enthusiastically.” This one has a great nose doesn’t it? It’s really crisp with great fruit. The red raspberries and plums are distinctive with some subtle vegetal notes.

And it has a long, long, long finish......”

Trout & Wine organise fun, casual and premium tours of Mendoza’s best wineries.

You can contact them at their office on the pedestrian street Sarmiento 133. Tel. 4255613; ask@troutandwine.com

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All Mixed Up Mendocinos have been happily adding soda water to their wine for generations, and anything else they can find. Meredith Pilcher asks: “Why stop now?”

“Please, please don’t put that Tang in your wine,” I wished against my otherwise endearing Sunday lunch host. His weathered hand got closer and closer to the artificially colored pitcher, and it was evident that this glass of wine was about to see its last bit of quintessence. There was no semblance of indecency, no intention of letting grapes and oranges mingle exclusively in fruit salads. None of that. As I watched in suspense, my wine elitism (for which I have no erudition to support) gave way to embracing the ensuing liquid recklessness. Suddenly, the bi-racial marriage seemed like a good idea. “Please! Please do mix orange juice with your Merlot,” I silently encouraged. Translucent orange liquid slid effortlessly from the pitcher into the ruby well of moderately priced wine, crafting a charming new bouquet of childhood memories and adult conversations.

With a faux pas the civilized wine world would consider inexcusable, my innovative lunch guest returned to being endearing. Why? Because he had no idea that adding reconstituted powdered drinks, or dare I even say peaches and cream, which I’ve also witnessed, into wine is atypical if not ruinous. And therein lies the appeal of Mendoza’s wine scene.

“Mendoza operates as a wine democracy” If this were any other wine-producing region, the sight of this culturally accepted mixology might be enough for any sommelier, wine snob, or wino to cut off the offender’s rights to the elegant bottle. But here, any unusual practice involving wine is only considered curious by untrained foreigners. And though there are those here who sip fine wine in accordance with the fancy rules of wine drinking, they do not drink with the smug aplomb of a wine snob.

A wine snob anywhere else can’t let a glass go by without mentioning some aristocratic descriptors about mouthfeel and faint underlayer aromas. A Mendocino on the other hand, might sound like a wine snob if they can explain the difference between red and white wine. The wine culture here doesn’t value how many flavors you can identify or how many winemakers you know on a first name basis.

Mendoza operates as a wine democracy where the wine enthusiast can evaluate and enjoy wine in whatever fashion they choose. Have it in a water glass, put ice cubes in a fine Malbec, claim the nose has hints of shower curtain plastic.

Wine drinkers here don’t judge anyone’s analysis, methods, or preferences - a relief, really, because who among us hasn’t aerated wine onto a dry-clean-only blouse?

What the typical Mendocino doesn’t know is that a world 20

over, sommeliers are leaving their fancy pride in their tasting cups and melting over the merits of Argentine wine.

Swanky wine drinkers are swirling, swishing, and sniffing Mendocino wines in power lunch places that locals here enjoy as commodities. The wine world is exploding with excitement for Argentine wines, and the general population has only a slight inkling of how their vines are creating euphoria in the international market.

“The locals are still rebelling against the rules of proper wine decorum” With so much attention, it will become increasingly difficult to stave off the encroaching snobbery. You can’t escape it be it in the wine world or teenage cliques. It manifests itself in Top 100 Lists and shiny gold lapel pins from prestigious guilds, among many other subtle signs of wine fluency.

It may be a culturally insensitive capitalist who sneaks these ideas into Mendoza, or the shameful task may be undertaken by one of the local enterprising winemakers, who unfortunately, don’t always share the community’s humble wine attitude.

But this type is few in number in an otherwise organic group of wine professionals. The emblematic wine professional in Mendoza still finds wine a joy for the taste buds and not a ticket into high society. And the locals, God bless them, are still rebelling against the rules of proper wine decorum; mostly because they don’t know they exist, but I must speculate, also because they don’t want to see their gem of a culture fade into the snobberies of the longestablished wine world.

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Charity Starts Abroad What did the Romans ever do for us? Italian mass immigration has long since died down, but Mendoza is still welcoming ex-pats coming to live off the fat of the land. Katie Taylor investigates if they sow a little of what they reap.

In 2006, US hotel entrepreneurs, Jim Peters and Mark McKnightley, set up shop in Bluefields, Nicaragua. But while their business flourished their neighbours remained not so prosperous and the pair wanted to offer something back to the community that provided the platform for their success. So after winning a bidding war on eBay, they donated a fire engine to the town: the first and only one it has to date. A year later a fire broke out at a gasoline storage facility that would have destroyed a large section of the town, including Jim and Mike’s hotel, were it not for its newly acquired engine.

Whether you are a believer in Karma or not, this is an example of an ethos that is all too rare in business abroad: putting back what you get out in vast quantities, and while Argentina is recovering at a rapid rate of knots from its economic crisis in 2002, causes are crying out for similar life lines.

when they are so desperately needed.

Tourism is booming in Argentina and foreign settlers have flocked in their droves to benefit from Argentina’s tremendous potential. But while the foreign businessman prospers, could he be doing more to give back to the country that has allowed it to enjoy his success?

Trawling through Google for an example of industrial good will in Argentina, to say news of any company dipping its hands in its pockets is thin on the ground would be an overstatement. But according to David English of property management company, English Associates, and president of the ex-pats’ club in Mendoza, the concept of putting back what is taken out of Argentina is very much alive.

30% of this country’s people live below the poverty line.

For the past three years Mendoza’s Ex-pat Club, has organised a gala dinner at the Park Hyatt hotel, Mendoza, to raise money for Grameen foundation, a money lending charity saying “yes” to the small business man where other lenders say “no”.

Originally a one man show in Bangladesh, but now internationally renowned and its founder Muhammad Yunus having won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006, it has a busy office in Mendoza giving Mendocinos who are struggling financially the opportunity to start a trade and buy the raw materials to start their new enterprise.

Accumulating AR$25,000 at last year’s shin-dig, 200 guests partake in a silent auction of art and sculpture and a live auction bidding on anything from all-inclusive vacations to cases of wine donated by the ex-pats themselves.

“It is probably the only example of an organised event that gives back to the community of Mendoza”, English says, adding, “It is something we do and want to do as a more high profile way of showing support”.

Donations such as this go a long way to help individuals, such as Marcella Rodriguez of Las Heras who approached Grameen after banks and local government turned her

With Nicaragua being the third poorest country in the world, it doesn’t take the most observant of visitor to recognize it needs all the help it can get, but in Argentina with its rich and bountiful food and wine, immaculately dressed people, vibrant cities and seemingly high quality of life, it is more difficult for us to imagine any citizen experiencing the same level of poverty.

On the outskirts of Mendoza city centre lies prestigious gated housing developments, where the wealthy enjoy not only the kudos of owning a property within it, but manicured lawns, unblemished tarmac streets and, above all, security.

Yet juxtaposed not 100 meters away is a local rubbish tip with shanty huts nestled around it where residents live in squalid conditions, indicating that not all that glitters here is gold. The fact is 30% of this country’s people live below the poverty line.

A country keeping up appearances following the 2002 crisis, maybe, but a lack of awareness or even acknowledgement that poverty of this level exists means that life lines thrown in countries such as Nicaragua are not being cast in Argentina

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“Grameen foundation lends money to entrepeneurs who have no access to credit.”

down for a loan to start her own sewing business. Now her enterprise is flourishing with a range of larger clothing for larger people, as well as children’s clothes, so much so that within eight months she had to employ an extra person to cope with demand.

Members of the ex-pats’ club came from anywhere between the US and the far reaches of Australia to set up businesses in Mendoza, ranging from tour organisations, restaurants and vineyards, and everyone wants to get involved, but David points out conversely: “To me the most important way for the ex-pats to be supporting the community is providing jobs and employment to local people through our businesses.

“It is a less visible way of giving back, but it is more direct and certainly more sustainable”.

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the TOP 20

WINERIES to visit Borrowing an idea from an obscure wine magazine, we have awarded scores to the best places in Mendoza conducting wine tours. A winery received 50 points for just existing. Then we factored in 10 attributes; hospitality, food, architecture, accommodation, wine quality, guides, history, hygiene, tastings and flexibilty, each scoring 0 to 4. Finally we added a 1 to 10 score on overall experience.

Tapiz 94 points The complete wine experience with wine lodge Club Tapiz the most desired place to stay and the restaurant Terruño one of the best in the province. Most instructive wine tour with tank and barrel tastings.

Ruta Provincial 15, Km 32, Agrelo, Luján de Cuyo.

Tel (0261) 490 0202. www.tapiz.com

Ruca Malen 93 points The emphasis is on excellent food, great guiding and first class wines. The chef Lucas Bustos does special wine and food pairings. Ample tastings of all the range.

Ruta Nacional 7, Km 1059, Agrelo, Lujan de Cuyo.

Tel. (0261) 410 6214. www.bodegarucamalen.com

Carlos Pulenta 93 points Architecturally stunning, it has a tasting room where one entire wall is a subterranean cross section of the actual vineyard clay. French restaurant La Bourgogne voted the best winery restaurant in the world.

Roque Saenz Peña 3135, Vistalba, Luján de Cuyo.

Tel. (0261) 498 9400. www.carlospulentawines.com O. Fournier 93 points Architecturally innovative. Excellent lunches in the modernist visitor center and producing world class wines.

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Los Indios s/n, La Consulta, San Carlos.

Tel. (02622) 451 088. www.ofournier.com

Andeluna 90 points A brand, spanking new installation, the tasting room has an inviting, old world feel. Spectacular lunches are available with reservations (minimum six people).

Ruta Provincial 89, Km 11, Gualtallary, Tupungato.

Tel (0261) 429 9299 ext 113. www.andeluna.com Familia Zuccardi 89 points A professional, far sighted operation and one of the most visited wineries in Mendoza. Guides enthusiastic and knowledgable. Attractive restaurant with asado-style lunches.

Ruta Provincial 33, Km 7.5, Maipu.

Tel (0261) 441 0000. www.familiazuccardi.com Achaval Ferrer 88 points Barrel tasting includes a unique sampling of each varietal that makes up their top scoring Altamira.

Calle Cobos 2601; Perdriel, Luján de Cuyo.

Tel. (0261) 488 1131. www.achaval-ferrer.com Carinae 88 points A small, charming winery situated in Maipu.

Highly rated for its up close and personal tour and well-honed wines.

Videla Arande 2899, Cruz de Piedra, Maipú.

Tel. (0261) 499 0470. www.carinaevinos.com

Flichman 87 points Steeped in history and tradition. The building itself is a charming, pink hued colonial style bodega, set in the leafy vineyards of southern Maipu.

Munives 800, Barrancas, Maipú.

Tel. (0261) 497 2039. www.flichman.com

Pulenta Estate 87 points A new, ultra modern facility with stylish underground tasting room overlooking barrel room. Sit amidst the slick steel and concrete architecture whilst trying one of the finest Sauvignon Blancs in Mendoza.

Ruta 86, Alto Agrelo. Tel. (0261) 420 0800.

Alta Vista 87 points A masterful mix of modernity and tradition. The 100-year old winery is set in beautiful gardens and vineyards 20 minutes south of the city. Álzaga 3972, Chacras de Coria, Luján de Cuyo. Tel (0261) 496 4684. www.altavistawines.com

Tempus Alba 87 points An immaculate family run facility making very good wines. Do a varietal tasting on their sunny roof terrace whilst ovelooking the vines.

Perito Moreno 572, Maipu.

Tel.(0261) 481 3501. www.tempusalba.com

Finca La Celia 87 points Valle de Uco may be famous for its new wineries but this one goes way back and is one of the oldest in Mendoza. Its traditional style winery is revamped and geared towards producing excellent quality wines.

Av. de Circunvalación s/n, Eugenio Bustos, San Carlos. Tel 413 4400 Lagarde 86 points Has the oldest white wine in South America a 1942 Semillon and a hand crafted sparkling wine operation. The surrounding vines are over 100 years old. Now serves lunches.

Ave. San Martin 1745, Luján de Cuyo.

Tel. (0261) 498 0011 ext. 27 Sottano 83 points Three generations of winemakers put all their knowledge and expertise into an excellent new boutique winery. Enjoy lush concentrated Cabernet Sauvignon whilst standing on a glass

floor over looking a barrel room.

Ruta 7, Luján de Cuyo. www.sottano.com.

Decero 83 points A stunning new winery and architecturally impressive with an ample tasting room. The guides give an excellent tour and sit down tasting.

Agrelo, Luján de Cuyo.

Tel. (0261) 524 4747

Nieto Senetiner 81 points One of the prettiest wineries in Mendoza. Wines to try include their brass labelled Bonarda.

Guardia Vieja no number, Vistalba, Luján de

Cuyo. Tel. (0261) 498 0315. www.nietosenetiner.com.ar

Fabre Montmayou 80 points Another French owned winery making impressive wines. The building is new with a traditional design and the tasting room a wooden gallery overlooking the barrel room.

Roque Sanz Peña no number, Vistalba, Luján de Cuyo.

Tel. (0261) 498 2330. www.domainevistalba.com Clos de Chacras 80 points A quaint, pretty winery with atmospheric cellar and fascinating family history. Thier wines are

lush examples of what is possible in Mendoza.

The winery is conveniently 15 minutes by taxi from the city center.

Monte Libano S/N, Chacras de Coria, Luján de Cuyo.

Tel. (0261) 496 1285

Rutini La Rural 79 points Fascinating well-stocked museum with invaluable pieces of winemaking history such as cow hide wine presses and leather buckets.

Montecaseros 2625 Coquimbito, Maipu.

Tel. (0261) 497 2013 ext.125. www.bodegalarural.com.ar

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Getting Rid of Dead Wood

The harvest may be done but the real work is far from over. Charles Pestridge talks about pruning The harvest is in and finished and many wines are still fermenting in the tanks, whilst others are going into the barrels already. The vines themselves have been deliberately left alone since the end of the harvest so that the canes can harden before the pruning begins, but also to allow them to store carbohydrates (sugar) in their trunks, which will nourish the new shoots and flowers during the spring.

That is why you will still see the vines being irrigated, even though there is no fruit on them and the leaves are dying and falling off.

“A winemaker who doesn´t have mud on his boots is not a winemaker” A well managed vine will live way over one hundred years.

We have many very old vines here in Mendoza, producing good grapes, but the key is good “vine management”. It was not so long ago that many a winemaker would have you believe that the quality of his wine was determined solely in the winery itself, so all he really wanted was a good summer. The younger and better trained winemaker will tell you that the fundamental key to great wine is the effort put into managing the plant. There is more than a grain of truth in the maxim “a winemaker who doesn´t have mud on his boots is not a winemaker”. Many of the younger, very talented winemakers have trained as agronomists prior to training as oenologists.

The first step in the annual work cycle of vine care is the pruning. Here in Mendoza that will usually start within the first ten days of June and involves cutting out most of the canes that supported and nourished this year´s grapes. It is the longest single task in a vineyard and every body will try to finish it before the second week of September, as weather permitting, we hope to see the new buds opening by then. It is very hard work pulling the cut canes off the supporting wires, as the very tough, resilient tendrils have wrapped themselves around the wires to support the weight of the canopy canes, leaves and fruit.

The objective is to carefully select either canes, or spurs that will produce healthy, vigorous shoots in the coming

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season. In some instances you will see quite thick lateral arms (cordons) running along the fruiting wire to the left and right from the top of the trunk and here the winemaker and agronomist may elect to cut selected canes, but two inches above the cordon, creating a “spur” with at least two nodes (new buds) on each spur. Alternatively they may elect to saw off the thick cordon and retain the two best, healthiest canes, bending one left and one right and then tying them to the fruiting wire to create new cordons. The length of the two canes and indeed how many spurs will depend on how many bunches of grapes they want each vine to produce.

It is important here to understand that wine retailing at US$10 will come from vines that produce 7lbs each, whilst wine retailing at US$20 will have come from vines that produce only 4lbs each. The pricier a bottle, the less fruit per vine. If a grape vine is left to its own devices (unmanaged) each individual shoot will grow up to 30ft in length and the plant may produce up to 30lbs of fruit, but very poor quality, weak and watery.

“Women do this much faster than men” Pruning is not rocket science, but it does mean that only the vineyards best and most experienced workers can actually make the selection of which canes to cut and which to retain.

These workers have the title of Cuaterlos. The remainder of the workforce will be engaged in pulling all the cut canes out to the end of the rows for subsequent haulage and burning, or pulling them into the centre between the rows for subsequent shredding. Additionally some workers will be retightening the wires which have become slack from the weight of the canopy and the rigours of pruning, whilst others will be tying down the new cordon canes. Women do this much faster than men!!

The pruning is a massive team undertaking and is just one important facet of good plant management--frequently done when frost is on the ground, with consequent icecold feet and hands. Think about this as you swirl, smell and taste. Good drinking and “cheers”.

DINING OUT La Encantada

Enjoy some of the region’s best dishes in a beautiful 19th century country house surrounded by vineyards and olive groves. La Encantada is very much as its name implies – an “enchanted place” that was officially declared a historical site in 2005. A beautiful adobe building with wood-posted gallery surrounds a lawn courtyard with 120-year old sycamore trees. The cuisine is strictly Mendocino with a modern flair. The speciality is “chivo al disco”, kid goat cooked on a traditional grill that is in reality an improvised plough. Also on the carnivorous menu are rabbit, pork and beef with a healthy dash of fresh salads. The owners Federico and Romina are constantly on hand to make sure everything flows. Speaking of which, on the wine list is a very decent wine called Vinalia which just happens to be made next door. La Encantada is a 15-minute taxi ride south of Mendoza city center and makes for a sunny rustic lunch or balmy, romantic dinner. Average cost without wine $70 AR. Reservations required.

Carril Gomez 3602, Coquimbito, Maipu, Tel. 155 241 666/ 155 241 667; www.mendozatierradentro.com

Señor Buque

Sarmiento street west of Plaza Independecia is where most of Mendoza´s high-end parrilla style restaurants are located, many of varying style and quality. Señor Buque is undoubtedly one of the best, with attentive service and English speaking waiters. The menu is definitely for the carnivorous with giant 700 gram tibon steak as well as kid goat specialities. There is a mixed grill offering beef, chicken and pork. A salad bar offers 20 varieties of greens for those who like their veg. Also on the menu is a variety of fresh pasta, seafood casseroles and paella, all washed down with a decent wine list of 40 labels.

Average price for meal $45 AR without wine.

Sarmiento 777. Tel.: 4253667. Open from 10 am to 2am.

tions. Average price for a meal without wine per person: 50-60 pesos.

Ruta 60 s/n 5517 Maipú, Mendoza, (15 minutes by taxi). Tel. 496-0131. Open for Lunch 12:00-15:00 every day, Dinner Sun-Thu 20:00-23:00, Fri & Sat until midnight.

Kalamun ANNA BISTRO

Anna Bistro

This attractive, roomy restaurant exudes modernity and style with the emphasis on space and relaxation. There`s none of the elbow knocking, ear splitting claustrophobia that is common in many Argentine restaurants. Here you`ll find armchairs and sofas spread across wooden platforms, overlooking a generous garden with a bamboo covered patio. Its one of the few places in town that does a credible ceviche. The salmon al limon is succulent and light while their empanadas de trucha give a nod to the fisherman inside all of us. With a bar in front and WIFI facilities it´s also a place for a casual stopover to refill on beer and coffee. If afternoon tea is not your scene try afternoon tequila or better still mojitos. Average price for a meal without wine $30 -$40 AR.

Argentina is well known for its steak and pasta and little else. Most visitors are surprised when they see Middle Eastern restaurants amidst the parrillas and Italian eateries on many Argentine high streets. Because of a Syrian and Lebanese wave of immigration in the 20th century there is a strong tradition of Arabian food all over the country, many of varying quality. One genuine Arabian restaurant in Mendoza is Kalamun. This is as authentic as you can get and the many delicious dishes come with a plentiful side order of arak–anis liquor. The decor is pure Cairo and after midnight a belly dancer works the tables to help your digestion. Average price for meal without wine $50 AR. Godoy Cruz 670 (City Center). Tel 423 5657.

Open Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 9pm.

Av. Juan B. Justo 161, Tel. 425 1818. Open everyday for lunch (available all day) and dinner.

Club Tapiz Resort´s Terruño

Tucked away among the sprawling vineyards of Maipu lies Club Tapiz Resort and its lovely restaurant Terruño. This handsome eatery boasts an elegant interior, excellent service and a wine list that is sure to please even the most finicky oenophile. Celebrity Argentine chef Max Casa has drawn up a tantalising menu that includes top-notch lomo steaks, a rotating range of salads and a savory ginger/honey chicken dish that is second to none. Call ahead for dinner reserva-

LA SAL

La Sal

If you like ambience with a laidback atmosphere, try La Sal. The chefs at this classy restaurant change the menu every three months so they can always use the freshest local ingredients

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DINING OUT of the season for their cocina cultural, an international cuisine with a mediterranean touch, composed by the chef himself. The wine list isextensive, maybe the best in Mendoza, and the bottles stored in a specially constructed cellar.

Specialities include Bramare Marchiori Malbec (rated 93 points by Wine Spectator) and there is something for every palate and wallet. Live background music Wed-Sat: bandoneón, violin or flamenco guitar. Average cost without wine 50-60 pesos per person.

Belgrano 1069. Tel. 4204322, open Mon-Sat from 9pm. Reservation recommended Fri+Sat.

Leyenda

The Alameda is a beautiful stretch of sycamore trees and grass on the northern end of Ave. San Martin. It has long been tipped as the new nightlife area in the city. The opening of Leyenda bar and restaurant is part of this renaissance. Styled along the lines of a traditional British pub, the new nightspot will offer a varied menu of seafood and grillhouse fare. There is beer on draught and a fine variety of wines. Average price per meal $30 AR. The bar is due to open on the 15th of June.

Leyenda, San Martin 1823.

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Casa de Campo

Conveniently located in the heart of the east Maipú wine district, Casa de Campo is the perfect place to take on a little ballast before or after a long afternoon of wine tasting, as well as being a great lunch destination in its own right.

Casa de Campo insists they don’t serve ‘gourmet’ food. But what they do serve is generous helpings of deliciously flavoursome typical rural Argentine food – with not a morcilla or choripan in sight. Instead, juicy rabbit, suckling pig complete with crackling, roast vegetables, and other tasty treats are all cooked the traditional way in a mud-brick oven from locally grown produce.

Recipes handed down through generations include the special “Grandma’s menu”. The excellent wine selection caters to every preference and wallet. Average price for a 3-course meal without wine $30-40 AR. Urquiza 1516, Coquimbito, Maipu. Tel. 481 1605.

Open everyday 12pm to 6pm.

La Tasca

This small and intimate restaurant specialises in Mediterranean and Spanish food. Scarlet walls are adorned with Mendocino art and the inviting atmosphere seduces you into passing the whole night there over excellent wine and tapas. The clientele is a healthy mix of locals and tourists and the service is always spot on. The

menu is a rich collection of delicious fare such as cubed codfish and prawns coated with mustard and honey, or oysters and mussels baked with gourmet cheese. It also includes more traditional dishes such as goat or pork tossed with honey and mustard sauce. The dried spinach is crunchilicious. Average cost without wine 30-40 pesos.

Montevideo 117, Tel. 4200603. Open Tue-Sat from 9 pm, sometimes opens for lunch.

Sofia

Newly-opened Sofia is a crazy mix of brick arches, bookcases, red walls and strobe lights.

Add to this the occasional Buddha, wine bottle, water bubble display and terracotta Chinese soldier and you´re still only halfway to describing the place. Yet it all comes magically together in a lovely ambience and seductive vibe. The menu is Argentine with an Eastern slant - lots of stir fries, a little curry and duck. The wine list is limited but very democratic, including everybody´s favourite - Callia. Within the menu card there is a charming story of how the owner acquired his book collection. Highly recommended. Average price for meal $40 AR without wine.

Aristides Villanueva 650, Mendoza City. Tel. 4299836.

Open Mon - Sat 8pm to 1am.

Apapacho

APAPACHO

It is hard to keep up with the flurry of new restaurants and eateries popping up in Mendoza.

Many of them are appearing in the leafier suburbs to the south and Apapacho is located in upscale neighbourhood Vistalba, 20 minutes from the city center. It is worth the drive. This spacious, rustic style restaurant has lots of style and is an attractive arrangement of fountains, courtyards and shady verandahs with an outside mud oven producing homemade bread. Fine art paintings adorn the walls and even the tables.

The menu is seasonal with the focus on gourmet regional. There is meat, pasta and fish, all prepared with skill by an ex-chef from the Hyatt.

The 170 label wine list is comprehensive to say the least, with prices starting at 31 pesos to 570 pesos. All are stored in a temperature controlled wine cellar that also doubles as a private dining salon. “Apapacho” by the way means “embrace” in Mexico. Average price for a meal without wine $60 – $70 AR. Guardia Vieja 2569, Vistalba. Open Wed-Thur from 9pm. Acepts credit cards.

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DINING OUT Karma

The most exotic restaurant in Mendoza, Karma is a Tibetan oasis of dark mahogany, sequined cushions and bamboo roofing. The owner Karma Apo Tsang was an actor on the Brad Pitt epic Seven Years in Tibet (filmed in Uspallata) when he met a Mendocina woman and decided to put down his wok in Chacras (familiar story). Tibetan food might conjure images of yak and curry and though there`s plenty of such spice on the menu, there`s not a beast of burden in sight. Starters include momo: delicious steamed dumplings with chopped meat and spring onion. If you`re looking for something more Argentine try the incredible Hong Kong ribs that come in a giant portion the

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size of an ex-British colony. Make sure you try the very reasonable Karma Malbec from the wine list.

Every Wednesday there`s a Men’s club that gather for wine, food and fernet. Pure Dalai Lama. Average price for meal without wine; 30 pesos.

Italia 6055, Chacras de Coria (15 min in taxi), Tel. 496 1731/156001841, open Tue – Sat from 9pm.

Suiza Miniatur – Pica Piedras

Imagine a typical Swiss chalet surrounded by forests in the foothills of the Andes. Pica Piedras is the most Alpine dining experience in Argentina north of Bariloche. Its Swiss owners display their European sensibilities by conversing in Spanish, German, Italian and English. The restaurant

name refers to the fondue speciality, served on a slab of granite with a variety of sauces. This is as authentic as you can get and the countryside surroundings 30 minutes south of the City only add to the experience. Other dishes include roasted potato tortillas and rolls stuffed with smoked ham and pork. Average price for meal without wine $50 – $60 AR. Ruta Panamericana, on the way to Cacheuta hot springs, Colonia Suiza. Open everyday except Mondays. midday to midnight. Tel. 154700827 /156541050. 4962267. Open Tuesday to Sunday from 8pm. Lunches served Saturday and Sunday.

BARS Aristides Villanueva

This is the Beer Street of Mendoza and should be treated like one long bar. A continuation of Ave. Colon, Areeeesteedez (as its known to the locals) runs all the way up to the park and is crammed with pubs, bars, restaurants. In the summer months it is alive with alfresco drinkers and has a great atmosphere. Some bars are hip and trendy whilst others are just shops with seats outside. Go late.

BELIEVE Irish Pub

One of the few real bars in Mendoza with nice island counter and high stools to prop yourself up on and sample their great collection of draught beers. Popular with travelers, it also has a great choice of bottled beers (including liter bottles of Warsteiner) and decent pub grub. TV screens display music videos and often there´s a DJ in attendance. Monday night is International night and draws a crowd. Wednesdays is “After Office” with a DJ throwing out 80s and 90s tunes. Great place for any big sporting games.

Colon and España 241. Tel. 429 5567

The Vines of Mendoza

As the first and only tasting room in South America, The Vines of Mendoza offers the broadest selection of premium boutique wines in Argentina. Enjoy a tasting tour through Argentine wine country by choosing one of their specially selected wine flights, or relax on

the terrace with a glass from their list of over 40 limited production wines. An exclusive wine club is also available to allow guests to enjoy these impossible to find wines back in the United States and Europe.

Espejo 567, Tel. 0261 438-1031

Bar Azar

Here you can get in touch with your inner gambler. Bar Azar is part of the phenomenally popular with locals Mendoza Casino. The chrome seating matches the chrome staircase that leads to a glass fronted façade overlooking Plazoleta Barraquero. Slot machines bling in the distance and there is a small stage with occasional live music. Bar Azar is perfect for those nightowls who do not know when it is time to go home.

San Martin and Brasil

Blue Bar

One of Aristides Villanuevas more slicker establishments, the Blue Bar has designer seating and designer drinks. The décor is stylish and inviting with black and white leather seating giving a sense of exclusivity from the maddening crowd. Here you can admire the passing traffic whilst enjoying a selection of beer and cocktails. Inside, scarlet walls lead to a back bar with small dance floor and stage. The Blue Bar stage regular live music and DJ nights.

Soppelsa

You might wonder what’s an ice cream parlour doing in the bars section. Yet judging by the crowds that flock to this establishment until all hours of the morning it is as good as anwhere to meet up and socialise. Soppelsa is the royal family of ice cream in Mendoza with branches all over the city. Flavours vary from the usual (dulce de leche) to the unusual such as tremendous pineapple with viognier. Other wine-flavored favourites are vanilla with malbec and peach with syrah.

Emilio Civit and Belgrano or Espejo and Patricias Mendocinas.

Por Aca

Noisy and young but always fun. Por Aca is a big old house converted into numerous little beer drinking hideaways with lots of color and funky style. Watch you don’t get usurped by the constant gangs of pizza eating birthday partyers. The music veers from groovy danve to catchy Rock Nacional. Conversation will involve shouting and cupping one ear but this is more than compensated by the good looking clientele. You can always escape to the side walk seats outside.

Aristides Villanueva 557. Tel. 4200364

Aristides Villanueva 257

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USEFUL INFORMATION �

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Mendoza Area code 0261 Airport Tel: 448 0017 Accesso Norte s/n. El Plumerillo Bus Terminal Tel: 431 3001 Avda. de Acceso Este y Costanera. Bus Routes Maipu Number 151 or 160, calle Rioja, Chacras Number 115 or 116, 25 de Mayo and Montevideo. � Gendarmeria Nacional Tel: 423 0120 Info on tunnel and road conditions � Hospitals Hospital Central Tel: 429 7100. Private Hospital Clinica de Cuyo José Vicente Zapata 63 Tel (54)02614059000 email: info@clinicadecuyosa.com.ar � Wine Tour Companies Trout & Wine Sarmiento 133, Galeria San Marcos Local 12, Tel. 4255613; www.troutandwine.com. Ampora Wine Tours Sarmiento 647, Tel.4292931; www.mendozawinetours.com Uncorking Argentina Primitivo de la Reta 992, Suite D. Tel. 155 103 230; www. uncorkingargentina.com Mendoza Holidays San Martin 811 Tel 0054-261-4297730 email: info@mendozaholidays. com � Museums Museo Moyano Lakeside museum shaped like a house-boat with giant condors and mountain mummies. Parque General San Martin, South end of the Lake, Open Tue – Fri from 8:00 AM - 1:00 PM & 2:00 PM - 7:00 PM; Sat, Sun, & holidays 3:00 PM - 7:00 PM Tel: 428.7666. Espacio Contemporáneo de Arte (ECA) Ornate Goliath in the micro-center with simultaneous exhibitions of contemporary art. 9 de Julio and Gutiérrez Streets, Open Mon – Sat from 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM & 4:00 PM - 10:00 PM; Sun 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM; Closed on holidays & first business week of each month. Tel: 429.0117. Museo del Area Fundacional Located in Mendoza´s historical district, has excavation sites of centuries old civilization. Plaza Pedro del Castillo, Alberdi y Videla del Castillo Open Tue – Sat 8:00 AM - 8:00 PM; Sun 3:00 PM - 8:00 PM; Tel: 425.6927. Museo de Pasado Cuyano 1873 house-turned-museum has sixteen separate rooms dedicated to Cuyano history. Montevideo 544 Open February - December; Mon – Fri 9:00 AM - 12:30 PM Tel: 423.6031. Museo Historico San Martin Everything you could ever want to know about General San Martin. Remedios de Escalada de San Martín 1843, La Alameda. Open Mon – Fri 9:30 AM - 5:30 PM; Sat 9:30 AM - 1:30 PM Tel: 428.7947. Museo Popular Callejero ¨Popular Street Museum¨ is a collection of stand-alone boxes preserving Mendoza´s cultural past. Las Heras Street, between 25 de Mayo and Peru, Always Open. � English Hairdresser London Way, Espejo 724, Tel: 423 3991. � Dentist Rodrigo Martinez Emilio Civit 356 Tel 4231200. � Money Currency Exchange Maguitur San Martin 1203 Tel (0261) 4251575. Travellers Cheques Supervielle Av San Martin 1198. � English Conversation Group Karl Schroeter Tu Café, Colon 347 Wednesdays 10pm.

TRAVELER TIPS in mendoza

Shipping Wine You cannot do it by ordinary post. Courier is expensive (at least $12 US a bottle). The only viable

way is to carry it in a special styrofoam wine box that can be checked in with your luggage. Such wine boxes can be bought at most wine stores or at wine tour company Trout & Wine, Sarmiento 133. As for limits entering your country, in most cases you can take as much as you want as long as you declare it and pay a nominal fee.

Exceptions are Iran, Dubai and Salt Lake City.

Crime: Yes it exists but it is not the horrendous barbaric wave extolled by the hysterical media that has every SUV owner living, shivering in a gated community. Mendoza has its fair share of sneaky, opportunist snatch and run thieves. Have nothing valuable in your knapsack or handbag. Sew passport and credit cards into secret knickers pocket and you should be okay. Danger spots: bus terminal and internet cafes. Note; hostel lockers are not safe.

Bike Tours in Maipu: The most economical way to do a wine tour in Mendoza. Take bus (see above) to Urquiza street where you’ll find several bike rental companies. Some are notorious for dodgy bikes. Check and double check you get a good mount as a puncture can cause a mini nightmare. Head south, as north of Maipu is urban and not pretty. Recommended wineries: Rutini, Tempus Alba, Di Tommasso and certainly Carinae. When returning have a late lunch at the excellent Casa de Campo.

Nightclubs: In most nightclubs you have to queue twice for drink which can get slightly exasperating as the night wears on. It is wise to buy several drink tickets at once for easy, unimpeded flow of alcohol. Many nightclubs are situated 200 light years away in Chacras which can cause problems getting home. Recommended nightclubs in city center are La Reserva, Iskra, Geo, Estacion Miro and Apeteco. We don’t list nightclubs here as we have no space and the magazine owner is a strict Christian teetotaller who thinks dancing and drunkenness are an abomination and insult to God. 32

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