Bodegas Zuccardi, Lagarde, Nieto Senetier, Fichman, Clandon, Septima, Tapiz, Hacienda del Plata and Catena Zapata are some of the most outstanding examples of the near on 1,000 wineries to be found throughout the Argentinean province of Mendoza, the heartland of Latin American wine.
This is a region where colonial and native cultures have welcomed and adopted the wine legacy of the immigrants from Mediterranean Europe. The Malbec grape variety, undisputed star of Mendoza wines, as well as Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Tempranillo and other varieties adopted in recent years, have all benefited from this union.
The area’s special natural and climatic conditions, along with the special care with which wines are made, have contributed to the high quality of Mendoza wines, whose growing international prestige has put the region on the wine-growing map.
One of the Latin America areas identified with the magical world of wine making, Mendoza has a large variety of wineries, from family-run establishments to boutique wineries and those with over 100 years of history. Quite a large number of these wineries have decided to open to the public, offering visitors wine tourism activities such as leisurely tours of vineyards, tasting outstanding vintages while learning about their origins, bringing out the sommelier within, or savouring delicious cuisine in a vineyard or cellar venue, to name but a few.
These wineries are to be found chiefly in the departments of Maipu and Lujan de Cuyo, in the central western part of the province, and include Bodegas Santa Ana, with its unique late 19th century architecture, Escorihuela, which has one of the most important cooperages in the world, and Bodegas Lopez, founded in 1898 by a family of Andalusian origin and with more than 70 years of experience in exporting wines worldwide and hence one of the country’s wineries with the longest tradition.
Visitors to the area should find time to explore the beautiful tree-lined streets and squares of the city of Mendoza, where contemplating the former colonial neighbourhood built in the Spanish style, the ruins of San Francisco, former residence of the Company of Jesus and declared a National Heritage Site, or the Church of Our Lady of Loreto, Mendoza’s Cathedral, is an undeniable pleasure.
Scattered throughout the region, on the banks of the Rivers Diamante and Atuel, there are wineries such as Balbi, Lavaqui and Jean Rivier still run by the families that founded them, as well as more recent and modern wineries like Valentin Bianchi and Familia Zuccardi.
Travellers wending their way to the Uco Valley, where vines are grown at the highest altitudes – between 900 and 1,200m above sea level – will discover gems like the small family winery Estancia Ancon, Frapes or Bodega Salentein, under the shadow of the volcano Tupungato.
In fact, by following the Mendoza downriver from the environs of the capital to the spectacular mountain range marking the frontier with Chile, the landscape offers outdoor and adventure enthusiasts a myriad of opportunities. Valleys, streams, meadows, hills and the highest peaks of the Andes are the ideal setting for hiking, rafting, paragliding, water sports, skiing or simply taking some of the most beautiful snapshots of the Southern Cone.
