![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ebbsbay.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/P1020132-300x225.jpg\")
The dream of riding through South America may have been inspired by Che Guevara\u2019s Motorcycle Diaries<\/em>, but the book also features feasts of wine and meat. So along with my trusty sidekick and designated driver, Juan (aka John) I\u2019ve set out to discover what makes the wines of Argentina special. I have tried to visit smaller, family owned bodegas and newer boutique wineries, as well as the established ones, some of which are over 100 years old.<\/p>\nThe Spanish brought the first vines to Argentina in the mid 1500s, during their colonization of South America.\u00a0 However, the establishment of commercial wineries did not begin until the mid 1800s. Today, the wine industry is dominated by French and Italian multinational companies, but there are still a few medium and smaller bodegas owned by local families. Surprisingly, Spanish companies are not prominent in this country.<\/p>\n Argentina’s vineyards are also the highest in the world, ranging from around 1,000 meters around Mendoza, up to 2,300 meters north of Salta. The altitude is said to concentrate flavors in the grapes.<\/p>\n The Argentine wine industry rose to world prominence in the 1990\u2019s. New, young wine makers saw the potential here. They brought in new techniques and equipment, improved production standards and revitalized the country\u2019s viticulture.<\/p>\n In 2010, Argentina declared wine to be the national beverage. Wine is certainly at the heart of the Mendoza region.\u00a0 Here, a meal without wine is called breakfast.\u00a0 Thus, Mendoza time is wine o\u2019clock anytime during the day.<\/p>\n I look forward to sharing more stories and raising a glass of wine with many of you, upon my return to Canada. Salud!!<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ebbsbay.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/P1020131-300x225.jpg\")
Visiting a winery in Argentina requires military planning.\u00a0 You cannot just drive through the gate and pop in for a quick tasting, like you can back home. You must have a confirmed reservation, with your name on the clipboard held by the security guard at the grand gates. Sometimes there\u2019s even a passport check, before you are allowed entry.\u00a0 The majority of wineries only allow a full tour followed by a tasting.\u00a0 Each visit lasts approximately 1.5 hours.\u00a0 And yes, I do use the spit bucket during tastings\u2026 sometimes<\/em>.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ebbsbay.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/P1020117-300x224.jpg\")
Argentina is the fifth largest wine producer in the world.\u00a0 It\u2019s a little surprising to see grapes growing in these semi-desert conditions. Water conservation is crucial in this climate and drip irrigation controls water delivery to the vines. While the hot weather favors grapes such Argentina\u2019s signature Malbec, many other grape varietals are grown here, including white wine grapes that I thought would be better suited to a more temperate climate, such as Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and even Riesling.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ebbsbay.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/P1020178-300x225.jpg\")
Malbec is King of the reds here, but Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and fairly decent Pint Noirs are also produced.\u00a0 During my visits I discovered a red grape (Bonarda) that I quite like. Bonarda is second by production volume in Argentina, but is not well known in Canada. The wine it produces is full bodied, but somewhat lighter, a little fruitier and lower in tannins than a Malbec.<\/span><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ebbsbay.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/P1020128-300x225.jpg\")
The volume of production is mindboggling. The cellar of one winery I visited (Salentein) holds over 5000 French oak barrels, patiently aging their contents.\u00a0 Each barrel holds approximately 200 litres of wine. Production for the mega wineries is in the range of tens of millions of litres annually. Bodega Norton boasts over 25 million litres of wine per year.<\/span><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ebbsbay.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/vineyard-netting-300x300.jpg\")
Protection of the crops is vital.\u00a0 I noticed nets over some grapes and assumed this was to prevent damage by birds.\u00a0 But birds are not an issue in Mendoza. It\u2019s protection from hailstorms, which are common in summer here.\u00a0 The nets are very expensive and made of Kevlar (same material used in bullet proof vests).\u00a0 Two weeks ago, one vineyard with unprotected vines, lost 80% of their crop to a powerful 20-minute hailstorm, just before harvest.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ebbsbay.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/P1020116-300x182.jpg\")
There are 3 major wine growing areas around Mendoza: \u00a0Uco Valley, Maipu and Lujan de Cayo. \u00a0These three areas, all within an hour or two of Mendoza, produce over 70% of Argentina\u2019s wine. Maipu and Lujan are now almost suburbs of Mendoza. Some of the original vineyards and century-old wineries still exist, side by side with residential neighborhoods.\u00a0 A wine museum, right in the heart of Mendoza, still has one of the original vineyards.\u00a0 It reminded me of Montmartre, in the centre of Paris, that also has a small patch of vines dating back centuries.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ebbsbay.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/P1020192-300x225.jpg\")
It is in the Uco Valley where the biggest change has occurred. Vineyards did not exist here prior to the 1990s but because of changes in irrigation, quality wines began to be created by French and Italian wine makers. Now, these wines rival those of Napa Valley in terms of quality. Boutique hotels and spas have also sprung up, with prices rivalling Napa – some charging $600+ USD per night and $100 for lunch (wine included).\u00a0 The economic impact of the wine industry is obvious, both in Mendoza and the area\u2019s small, prosperous towns, where jobs are plentiful.\u00a0 Bodega Norton, a 100 year old winery, employs over 150 families.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ebbsbay.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/P1020150-300x225.jpg\")
What is it about wine that creates such fascination?\u00a0 For me it is a feast for the senses – the visual appeal, the bouquet in the glass and the tantalizing taste.\u00a0 The bottle contains history, geography and the human struggle with nature to grow such delicate fruit.\u00a0 \u00a0It brings us together and celebrates our achievements.<\/p>\n