A few months back I moved to Mendoza to join The Vines team – and have since acquired the reputation of being the new hire who brought the most luggage. Four bags weighing in at about 70 lbs each. Love you too LAN Airlines!
So, when I had the great fortune to recently attend The Vines’ adventure to the Galapagos Islands for outdoor adventure and wildlife exploration (you will read more about this here very soon) it came as a great surprise when I showed up with only a medium sized handbag and backpack. And at the end of the trip I realized I brought too much.
So, I’d like to share my recently acquired mastery packing skills, and share my tips on coming to Mendoza with the least amount of luggage possible for those of you headed down during the harvest season.
Here goes:
1) Flip flops or your other favorite flat shoes – It’s a very casual town and you will be doing a lot of walking to see all the plazas and do empanada tasting. So, when in Rome …
2) Sundress – Fits in with the relaxed but not quite hippy-ish vibe of most hangouts in the city. You can wear it to an upscale restaurant or to a dive bar. You will get cat calls at either location. Embrace it. It’s a regional past-time.
3) Polo Shirt / Khakis – If you’re a man, a polo shirt and khakis will suit you in the fanciest location here. At an asado, you’ll be the most dressed up without looking pretentious. But hey, why not impress.
4) Jeans – You will likely get on a horse at some point, and you probably don’t want chafing. And/or, you will likely be punching down grapes at some point and would like to avoid a purple skin hue. Either way, enough said.
5) Hoodie/Fleece – What keeps our grapes so perfect is that the weather cools at night. Prepare yourself accordingly so you’re not too chilly for Pollo Al Disco outside underneath the stars.
6) T-shirt – You could wear a sundress with the jeans, but you might want something more comfortable.
7) Undergarments –You’re an adult. We’ll leave you to make these decisions on your own.
8) Camera – There are countless locations to take phenomenal photos, whether your camera is a point and shoot, or the fanciest model (and either way you should be sure to get tips from Michael).
9) Sunscreen and other toiletries – It’s sunny over 300 days a year, so this is a must to protect your skin. Keep in mind for this and other crèmes and cosmetics, it may be difficult to find what you’re used to using at home, so be sure to pack at least a few small bottles.
10) Marshmallows and peanut butter – To bribe the expats to carry your luggage.
We hope to see you in Mendoza soon, with a tiny backpack or even four. Vamos!

Sharon Nieuwenhuis is The Vines’ new pr pro and believes the right pair of shoes can solve most, if not all, of life’s problems.































