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Friday the 13th vs Tuesday the 13th

Friday, August 13th, 2010

Are you Superstitious?

It depends on where you are and what your cultural background is apparently. I forgot what day it was until I checked facebook,  oh trusty facebook, and saw all the status updates talking about Friday the 13th. Basically, I associate Friday the 13th with the motion picture industry and Freddy!

However my curiosity was sparked because here in Argentina, Friday the 13th does not portend bad luck, it is actually Tuesday the 13th when you are not to get married or embark on a boat…ok.

However after a bit of research it is actually really interesting the significance of the number 13 and what days are considered bad luck.

US/Northern European/ Anglo Saxon Countries- Friday the 13th

Spain/Greece/ Latin American countries- Tuesday the 13th

Italy- Friday the 17th (hmm)

Why Tuesday?

This day dates back to the middle ages when on Tuesday May 29, 1453 the city of Constantinople fell, which was a huge blow to potential Christians and since then Tuesday came to symbolize the war with the pagan gods and as such, bad luck. Also Marte, is the god of war and reflects destruction, blood and violence and that one legend states that Tuesday the 13th caused the confusion
of the different languages when constructing the Tower of Babel, thus eradicating the option to have a unified humanity. Serious stuff and if you haven’t caught up recently on your mythology check Wikipedia here.

Trezidavomartiofobia vs triskaidekaphobia?

According to an super informational article in Indy Posted: The fear of Friday the 13th goes back to ancient times. Friday the 13 superstitions are rooted in two separate fears. The fear of the 6th day of the week, and the fear of the number 13. When these two things are combined, you have one seriously unlucky day.

According to National Geographic, Friday the 13th is rooted in a Norse myth. 12 Gods sat down for dinner, when a 13th uninvited guest, Loki arrived. Loki, the god of mischief, convinced Holder, the blind god of darkness, to shoot Balder, the beautiful god of joy and gladness.

Some people also trace Friday the 13th back to the last supper. Again, 13 people sit down to dinner, and one eventually dies. Judas, the apostle who betrayed Christ, is said to be the 13th person to the table.

So basically, don’t have dinner with 13 people tonight.

Another theory about Friday the 13th superstitions, is that 13 is unlucky because it follows 12. 12 is considered by many to be a complete number. 12 months in a year, 12 zodiac signs, 12 gods of Olympus, 12 tribes of Israel, 12 apostles of Jesus.

Friday the 13th Superstitions

If you have dinner with 13 people, one of those people will die within a year.

If you cut your hair on Friday the 13th, someone you love will die within a year.

A child born on Friday the 13th will be unlucky for life.

If a funeral procession passes you on Friday the 13th, you will be the next to die.

According to the Huffington Post, many Friday the 13th Superstitions still exist. Hospitals and hotels don’t usually have 13th floors. Airplanes don’t usually have a 13th gate or a 13th aisle. Some cities will skip over 13th avenues. And if you have 13 letters in your name, like Charles Manson, you’re bound to have the devil’s luck.

Good luck today in the Northern Hemispheres- here in Argentina we have a year, until September 2011 when we will experience the same phenomenon.

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EVENTOS SEMANALES | WEEKLY EVENTS

Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010

The Vines of Mendoza | Eventos Semanales

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Decantados 50% Off en copas

Todos los miércoles y sábados | 7 a 9pm

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Degustación de Vinos y Tapas

Jueves 5  de Agosto | 8 a 10 pm | $45

Maridaje con vinos de Bodega RUCA MALEN .Incluye dos copas de vino acompañadas de variedad de tapas.
Descuentos especiales en los productos de esta bodega.

Reservas: events@vinesofmendoza.com Tel. +54 (0261) 438 1031

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Feliz día del amigo! Happy friends day!

Tuesday, July 20th, 2010

Because we are so friendly!!!!!!!

Día del Amigo (Spanish for Friend’s Day) is a celebration of friendship, held annually on July 20, mainly in Argentina and Uruguay, but also in some other countries.

Though Friend’s Day has always been respected, in recent years it has turned into a very popular mass phenomenon (yes, yes we are kinda crazy people).

In 2005, too many well-wishing friends led to a temporary breakdown of the mobile phone network, comparable to the one experienced in 2004 on Christmas and New Year’s Day. The newspaper reported that seats in most restaurants, bars and other establishments were already booked out completely a week before the celebration, so if you are ever in Argentina at Friend’s Day, make sure you have a reservation for dinner made in advanced, and if you have not, please be patient and have a bottle of wine while waiting in line for a decent table :) . We can make some recommendations…. as always…

For such a special date I would start with a lovely Gimenez Riili Perpetuum Espumante 2008 and as I’m sure you will be waiting for a WHILE, here you are other lovely options! Ha! Carmelo Patti Espumante 2004, lovingly handmade, it bursts in the mouth or Norberto B. Richiardi Sparkling Wine, a special sparkler for this occasion!

Or… you can invite your friends over, prepare a really cool dinner, what about Lasagna? (it’s freezing here, believe me!) paired with Mairena Bonarda 2006 (Italian grape + Italian pasta, BUONISSIMO!). And as my grand mother says ‘Mangia la pasta che ti fa benne! ‘, which means, ‘Eat pasta. It’s good for you!’, in Italian. So…go get your friends and celebrate!!

Ciao, Ciao! Arrivederci!

Ps: There’s also lots of really fun and creative advertisement campaigns, like this one called ARMA UNA BOMBA (‘Let’s set a bomb,’ in Spanish). So if your friends don’t really now you,  they get a bomb specially made for them! http://www.quilmesdiadelamigo.com/

Another funny ad about Friend’s Day  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-cimkb-Ojc&feature=related

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The Vines Weekly Wine Series | Wines for the Weekend

Friday, July 16th, 2010

So to send you all into the weekend we would like to bestow you with some Argentine wine suggestions. Alejandrina, Mariana and I want to share a couple of our favorites. Try them out and let us know what you think! And while we may have expensive taste, these wines are well worth the splurge.

Mariana – 2007 Monteagrelo Syrah $30

Emily – 2006 Monteviejo blend $45

Alejandrina- 2007 Gran Lorca Poetico Petit Verdot $42

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The Vines in Vanity Fair- oh la la!!

Friday, July 16th, 2010

It has been a very busy week here at The Vines! First our wine naming competition, then more snow than I have seen in Mendoza in the 4 years (check out the pictures on our facebook page) that I have been here and now the cherry on top- The Vines is in Vanity Fair, a staff favorite magazine whenever we can get contraband copies from the US!

So run to the store, its summer and good for you, and pick up a copy to peruse poolside with a lovely glass of Torrontes over the weekend!

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Wine pairings with Bodega Navarro Correas

Wednesday, July 14th, 2010

Wine Pairings with Navarro Correas

One of the advantages of being in the wine business is occasionally you have to be the guinea pig- trying new and interesting wines or unique wine pairings. One of my good friends, Marcela Lledo, is creating new wine pairings and tasting experiences for Bodega Navarro Correas. Located just outside of Mendoza city in Godoy Cruz, it offers an easy way to do a fast tasting of not only their sparkling wines but also their line of still wines. We obtained different gourmet products from Recetas de Entonces/Cristo de los Cerro and then went to work- what paired well with what, what nuances were overwhelmed, what pairings were plain god-awful- we noted our likes, dislikes and came up with the following combinations.

Sparkling Wine Pairings Navarro Correas and Recetas de Entonces

•    Navarro Correa Extra Brut (Pinot/Chardonnay blend), Method Charmat. Suggested Pairing: Asparagas points or Eggplant a la siciliana
•    Navarro Correa Brut Rose Malbec, Method Charmat. Suggested Pairing: Eggplant with mint and semi-sweet peppers
•    Navarro Correa Grand Cuvee (Pinot/Chardonnay), method Champenoise. Suggested Pairing: Eggplant a la siciliana y sundried tomatoes. Opiconal: Mediterranean Tapenade.
Navarro Correas Wine Pairings and Recetas de Entonces
•    Coleccion Privada Sauvignon Blanc. Suggested Pairing: Eggplants with mint, artichoke hearts in water or asparagus points
•    Coleccion Privada Chardonnay. Suggested Pairing: Asparagus points and Eggplant with mint.
•    Coleccion Privada Merlot. Suggested Pairing: Crackers with creme fraiche with a dab of roasted red pepper juice and asparagus points
•    Alegoría Malbec. Suggested Pairing:sundried tomatoes- kick it up with crackers topped with creme fraiche, sundried tomatoes and mediterranean tapenade
•    Alegoria Cabernet Sauvignon. Suggested Pairing: Mediterranean tapenade with sundried tomatoes.
•    Tardio Alegoria, Late Harvest Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc. Suggested Pairing: Roasted red peppers

Visit Navarro Correas

If you would like to try out these delectable pairings for yourself, make sure to schedule a visit to their tasting room on your next trip to Mendoza. They usually hold tours and winery visits Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 10am, 12pm, and 3pm. Be sure to make a reservation- they pride themselves on their personalized service. Call  Leo at 261-432-5521 or 261-15-507-1684.


Posted in Life in Mendoza | 1 Comment »


Argentina’s Independence Day

Monday, July 12th, 2010

Both the US and Argentina were reveling in Independence festivities last week. Here in Argentina we had a long weekend with our Independence Day on Friday July 9th, 2010.

Coutesy of Wikipedia here is a bit of history on Argentina’s Independence day as well as some wines from The Vines to celebrate!

The Independence of Argentina was declared on July 9, 1816 by the Congress of Tucumán. Actually, Argentina was not a country yet; the congressmen joined in Tucuman declared the independence of the United Provinces of South America (still today one of the legal names of the Argentine Republic). The three Litoral provinces (Santa Fé, Entre Ríos and Corrientes) were expelled from the Congress, along with Banda Oriental, present-day Uruguay. At the same time, several provinces from the Alto Perú were represented that would later become part of present-day Bolivia.

The May Revolution of 1810 followed the deposition of the Spanish king Fernando VII by Napoleon. The revolution terminated the authority of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata and replaced it with the Primera Junta.
When the king returned in 1814, Spain was determined to recover control over its colonies in the Americas. The royalists were victorious at the battles of Sipe-Sipe, Huaqui, Vilcapugio and Ayohuma, in what had been the Viceroyalty of Peru. From there they planned to attack the bases of José de San Martín, and to make their way to Buenos Aires.
On April 15, 1815, a revolution ended the mandate of Carlos María de Alvear and demanded that a General Congress be summoned. Delegate deputies, each representing 15,000 inhabitants, were sent from all the provinces to the sessions, which started on March 24, 1816. However, several territories that had until then belonged to the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata did not send delegates: the Banda Oriental (“Eastern Bank”, today Uruguay), which was faithful to José Gervasio Artigas; Paraguay, which had already proclaimed its independence; and the Gran Chaco, still fighting against Native resistance.

The Congress was inaugurated in the city of Tucumán, with 33 deputies. The presidency of the Congress would be rotated monthly. Because the Congress had the freedom to choose topics to debate, endless discussions ensued.
The voting finally ended on July 9 with a declaration of independence. The Declaration pointed to the circumstances in Europe of the past six years—the removal of the King of Spain by the Napoleon and the subsequent refusal of Ferdinand VII to accept constitutional rule both in the Peninsula and overseas. The Document claimed that Spanish America recovered its sovereignty from the Crown of Castile in 1808, when Ferdinand VII had been deposed, and therefore, any union between the overseas dominions of Spain and the Peninsula had been dissolved. This was a legal concept that was also invoked by the other Spanish American declarations of independence, such as Venezuela’s (1811) and Mexico’s (1813), which were responding to the same events. The president of the Congress at the time was Francisco Narciso de Laprida, delegate from San Juan Province. Subsequent discussions centered on what form of government the emerging state should adopt.
The congress continued its work in Buenos Aires in 1817, but it dissolved in 1820 after the Battle of Cepeda, which deepened the differences between the Unitarian Party, who favored a strong central government, and the Federales Argentina, who favored a weak central government.

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Vamos Argentina- World Cup Mania

Thursday, June 17th, 2010

Obviously the worlds eyes are pointed towards South Africa at periodic times during the day, as they will be over the next month in light of the epic battle of “futbol” mania, i.e. World Cup! Here in Argentina you can feel the enthusiasm, the pride and the obssesion that marks this sport as the national pastime. Everywhere there are Argentine flags and jerseys proudly displayed, with murmurs of Messi and Maradona uttered periodically in conversations.

This morning I was walking down the street, a bit late, heading to watch the game of Argentina vs. South Korea and it was a veritable ghost town. At 9 am the streets are usually a nightmare of commuters and pedestrians hurrying to the office, but today, it was as if there was a holiday. No one was on the street and as I passed several cafes, they were packed with all eyes glued to the television screens, in hopes for victory while watching Messi dominate the ball on the playing field. Every “kiosco,” a corner convenience store, from large to small also seemingly has a television as well. Everywhere all eyes were plastered with resounding cheers of GOOOOOAAAAALLLLLLLL every time an Argentine player hit the mark.

So with Maradona at the helm, which is a sight unto itself, Argentina’s prospects are shining brightly! Two games down with victory sweetly resounding. Next up Greece on June 22! Vamos Argentina!!!

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It’s Friday Night! What To Do this weekend? Woohoo!

Friday, June 4th, 2010

Life is what you make it of… here are a few tips that might help you program exciting and fun moments! And remember: just let your imagination fly!!!


Pillow Fight! that’s and interesting option too….

1- Call some friends and have them over for a game night. What kind of games? That’s up to you! It can go from Tic-Tac-Toe to Balderdash, Taboo, Charades, Cards, and even Play Station!  Extra fun tip: get a couple of bottles of our amazing Malbec at 25% off in our online store right now!

2- Going to the  movies. Ladies….what about doing it “Sex and the City” style- bright dresses and a lots of sparkling bubbles! Wow! be sure you try our Carmelo Patti Extra Brut, this is one Italian guy that will take your anywhere you wanna go!

3- It’s Summer time, its always nice to just chill in, relax in your deck, night, stars, and an awesome barbecue which would pair delightfully with some Punto Final Clásico Malbec 2009. Sweet and delectable from the start, with its red cherries and light spiciness… yum!

4- If you’re into music, what about taking your special one to a karaoke bar and sing the night away! (please do not forget your camera) priceless… bribing material = Bressia Lagrima Canela 2006 white blend, impossible to resist!

5- People… don’t knock it if you haven’t tried it- a bubble bath is a wonderful way to spend a weekend night. Put some soft music on, pour a glass of wine (Laborum Tannat 2005, Chalky tannins, intense and dark) and submerge into the silky bubbles. Very relaxing!

6- On the other hand, if you are the kind that can’t stay put… LET’S GO DANCING!  You don’t have to crash the trendiest disco, you can just invite a few of your funnest friends over, move the loveseat out and crank up your favorite i-tunes playlist!  If the neighbors complain, invite them over!! They’ll never be able to reject an invitation for some wine. Offer them a lovely rose, Foster Pink Rosé 2009: ebullient and festive with orange blossoms. Delicious!

7- Live anywhere close to the beach?! Have you tried camping, or swimming at night?  Fun stuff! But… this time I will recommend no drinking! :) or drink some but stay away from those crazy waves!

8- Do you really like adventure? What a about a quick trip to London?! Make sure you bring a couple of bottles of  Enrique Foster Limited Edition Malbec 2005, impossible to find in London believe me!

9- Instead of finishing the 99 bottles of beer song, what a bout 99 bottles of wine??!

10- OK…. I’ll leave this one for you! What is you favorite plan for a weekend night?! Surprise me!

CHEERS! and have an amazing weekend! Life is short, enjoy it! and something very wise that I read lately….”No point stressing out. One day you’ll be dead and none of this sh!#$!# will matter!… Thanks D!”

Posted in Experiences, Life in Mendoza | 1 Comment »


Cigars and Wine- a perfect pairing?

Friday, May 7th, 2010

We are always interested by new and interesting wine pairings and when a local sommelier invited several of The Vines team to attend a Cigar (puros in spanish) and sweet wine tasting we couldn’t resist. Given that I am not a smoker, not recreationally, not even the  “just-when-I-am slightly-inebriated” kind of smoker, I was a bit fearful – but it seemed safe since my cohorts told me we were not to inhale.

We started off with an interesting lecture about the history, the “must- have” accessories, as well as what the proper techniques are for smoking a cigar. After trying, ineptly, to handle the cigar cutters, we all had the perfect flat edge for which to light our cigars. (No, no one EVER bites off the end and spits it out apparently) For purists you should light a cedar stick, which will not impart synthetic aromas into the cigar. Then the idea, some of us were more successful than others, was to evenly light the cigar in a circle, creating an even ring of ash. If you were unsuccessful, you could cheat and use one of the lighters you see in romantic 30′s films, where Humphrey Bogart effortlessly with a flick of his wrist lights a cigarette with a debonair flair. Ok I digress.

We learned that if a cigar from Cuba has a plastic wrapping, it is machine made rather than hand rolled and that first and most important decision for choosing a cigar is how long you have to smoke it. There are also many correlations that can be made between cigars and fine wines. Just like wines there are several fermentation processes and there is a rating system that is applied to denote the quality with 4 fermentations being the ultimate or ultra premium. The cigars and leaves also need to be carefully handled, always maintaining the proper humidity to ensure the essential oils of the tobacco leaves are preserved.

Wikipedia states: Once rolled, the cigars are stored in wooden forms as they dry, in which their uncapped ends are cut to a uniform size. From this stage, the cigar is a complete product that can be “laid down” and aged for decades if kept as close to 21°C (70°F), and 70% relative humidity, as the environment will allow. Once cigars have been purchased, proper storage is usually accomplished by keeping the cigars in a specialized wooden box, or humidor, where conditions can be carefully controlled for long periods of time.

There are many different shapes, grades, and manufacturers of cigars and each, like wine, imparts different flavors and aromas. The cigars that we smoked were from the Dominican Republic, rolled by hand and were spicy at the beginning but mild and a bit seductive in the mouth. We paired it with a port style wine “Oportuno” made by Bodega Domaine St. Diego and longtime winemaker Angel Mendoza. The pairing was perfect accenting the delicate layers of tobacco and leather in the wine, highlighting the black fruit and smoothing the acidity so that it coated the mouth evenly and softly. To be honest, we were all a bit surprised by the lovely integration of aromas and flavors that took place. We then tried another late harvest wine, unlabeled, brought by the winery, which was not as complementary as the Oportuno, so there is an art to creating the perfect pairing just like with food.

So now when you look at all the beauties lying in your perfect cigar humidor, think about what the wine pairing should be as well, it will add a new dimension to your smoking pleasure.

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