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La Rural: Mendoza’s Most Historical Bodega

Friday, August 19th, 2011

 

August is a month full of history for Mendoza. First of all, August 17 is el dia de San Martin, or the day that Argentina commemorates the death of the most important leader in Argentina’s emancipation from Spain. You can’t find a town in Argentina that doesn’t have a San Martin street. In actuality, he’s not only a national hero in Argentine, but in Chile and Peru as well. General San Martin holds particular importance in Mendoza and the Cuyo region where he was governor, trained his famous “Army of the Andes,” and planned a devisive disinformation campaign to confuse the Spaniards by sending messages on what passageway his army would take through the Andes, allowing the message to fall into enemy hands and then going the opposite way as the message indicated. Not only does Mendoza have several streets named after him (including one of the most important), there’s also Parque de General San Martin (General San Martin Park) and Cerro de la Gloria (Glory Hill dedicated to his army).

Additionally, last weekend marked the beginning of elections and August 16 is University Day for UNCuyo, celebrating its 72nd anniversary. In light of these many historic events and celebrations, I’d like to spotlight one of Mendoza’s most historic wineries: La Rural.

This 100-year-old colonial style bodega is located in Coquimbito, one of Argentina’s oldest viticultural zones. In addition to producing great Argentine wines, La Rural also houses a museum of antique tools and other objects that were used to make wine in Argentina during the nineteenth century. As a result, the winery’s tour is like taking a trip back in time where you can appreciate the labor and sacrifice that went into wine production a century ago.

Today, the winery has a stainless steel tank capacity of ten million liters and uses modern equipment to ferment and preserve its fine red and white wines. Using grapes from its four Mendoza vineyards, La Rural is much more than an old-fashioned curiosity – this thriving bodega exports wines throughout the world and has helped promote increasing demand for Argentine wine among international consumers.

 Address: Montecaseros 2625 – Coquimbito
Phone: (261) 497-2013
Email: museo(at)bodegalarural.com.ar
Website: www.larural.com
Hours: Monday to Saturday from 9am to 1pm and 2pm to 5pm every 30 mins. / Sunday from 10am to 1pm every 1 hour
Reservations Required: Only for groups over 20

Brands: Rutini, San Felipe, Trumpeter, Pequeña Vasija
Recommended Wines: Rutini label varietals, especially the Rutini Malbec.

Carolyn is a newcomer to Mendoza and the wine industry and will be sharing her experiences as she learns more about both. A recent college graduate from UNC-Chapel Hill, she also teaches English at a local university.

 

 

Posted in Behind the bottle, Experiences, Life in Mendoza, Mendoza Bodegas, Photos, Uncategorized, Vines Events | No Comments »


Pulenta Estate: Best Tour Guide

Tuesday, August 16th, 2011

 ”Hacer un gran vino es un acto de generosidad, de pensar siempre en el otro que lo degustará. Nuestra misión es producir series limitadas de grandes vinos, elaborados con orgullosamente hechos en Argentina.” (To make a great wine is an act of generosity, to be thinking always in how the wine will taste to another. Our mission is to proudly produce a series of limited fine wines here in Argentina.)

It’s always such a treat whenever anyone comes to visit because it means it’s time to visit the wineries. This time around was no exception and visiting the wineries at this time of the year is especially nice because they’re not very busy and you get most individualized attention. Do wear a coat for the chilly cement cellars.

Anyhow, after visiting Pulenta Estate today, I had to write something up because of the very thorough explanations we received from our tour guide, Soledad. Sometimes when visiting wineries, the tour guides assume you already know as much as they do and only tell a few unique characteristics about their own winery. However, even after arriving a bit late (Argentinean time, right?), we got a rundown start to finish on how wine is made in general and the special characteristics of Mendoza’s wine region.  

Pulenta is a medium-sized bodega located in Alta Agrelo in Lujan de Cuyo. The winery is dedicated to only producing a limited amount of fine wines so they only select a portion of their grapes for their wines and sell the rest to other wineries (for example, they sell some of their grapes to Chandon for their sparkling wine). The Pulenta family has been involved in wineries for three generations and used to own Trapiche winery before they sold it within the last decade and then opened Pulenta in 2002. Antonio Pulenta is 93 years old and credits his longevity to lifelong wine drinking. If you’d like to try their wines beforehand, their lines are (from lowest to highest): La Flor, Pulenta Estate  and Pulenta Gran Corte.  The visit ranges from 30-60 pesos, depending on how many wines you’d like to taste.

http://www.pulentaestate.com

 

Posted in Behind the bottle, Experiences, Life in Mendoza, Mendoza Bodegas, Photos, Private Vineyard Estates, Tasting Notes, Uncategorized | No Comments »


Listen to the Conference Call: “Argentine Wines in the EuropeanMarket”

Friday, August 12th, 2011

 


“Argentine Wine Sales and Trends in the European Market“ conference call was hosted on August 10th, 2011 by Michael Evans and Pablo Giménez Riili from The Vines of Mendoza, along with Eduardo Pulenta of renowned Bodega Pulenta Estate, Mauricio Llaver of Revista Punto a Punto and Andrew Maidment, PR manager for Wines of Argentina in Europe.

From left to right: (bottom) Mauricio Llaver, Eduardo Pulenta | (top) Michael Evans, Pablo Gimenez Riili

Mauricio Llaver is a Mendoza-based journalist specialized in Economics and Wine Industry. He has a 20-years career and has been Fellow of the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) and the American Society of Newspaper Editors (ASNE). He is bussines-magazine Punto a Punto’s publisher and has radio columns and programs mainly devoted to wine. He also runs his web site
www.mauriciollaver.com and has covered Vinexpo’s last two editions (2009/11).

Eduardo Pulenta is the export manager for Bodega Pulenta Estate. With a winemaking history dating back to 1914,  Eduardo and Hugo Pulenta decided to carry on the family tradition with a focus on high quality wines with passion and dedication and in 2001 founded Pulenta Estate.  They now export around the world and have one of the best reputation and highest quality wines found in Mendoza.

Andrew Maidment runs the European division of Wines of Argentina – the trade body that manages the promotion of Argentine wines in the exports markets. His primary role is to develop marketing strategies for ‘Brand Argentina’ tailored specifically to each country, with the aim of raising the awareness of Argentina’s wines amongst both wine trade professionals and the end consumer.

Activities include: developing large scale ‘on’ and ‘off-trade’ promotions, wine tasting events (trade and consumer), obtaining positive and sustained press presence, advertising, product placement and the organization and planning of trips to Argentina for key individuals or businesses.

Wines of Argentina currently has approximately 250 member wineries.

 







Posted in Experiences, Mendoza Bodegas, Podcasts, Vines Events | No Comments »


Vinos y Tapas Night at the Park Hyatt

Tuesday, August 2nd, 2011

To be honest, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect about the Vinos y Tapas at The Vines Bar and Vinoteca at the Park Hyatt. It can be  intimidating enough mingling at social events without factoring in the language barrier.

HOWEVER, last Thursday night was quite a pleasant surprise. My boyfriend and I walked in fashionably late at 8:15 (yes, very early by Argentine standards) and grabbed a table strategically situated equidistant between the kitchen and the bar. If I had arrived slightly earlier, I would’ve tried to snag the couch (I love how Argentina has incorporated the sofa into the bar atmosphere) and if it were slightly warmer, the beautifully lit outside patio.

To dispel any misconceptions you might have, let me give you my take on the event.

1. The event is classy, but no cocktail attire required. I know that especially when I’m traveling, clothing choices are limited, but don’t miss the event just because you didn’t bring your heels. Jeans and a nice top will suffice.

2. There’s a mix of people from all different countries and all different backgrounds–everyone from expats who’ve lived in Mendoza for years to backpackers just passing through so no need to feel self-conscious if you don’t speak much Spanish. 3. The atmosphere is very relaxed. If you feel like mingling with other people, there are plenty of people around at the bar or outside ready to swap stories. If you’ve had a long day and just feel like relaxing with your glass of wine and tapas, that’s fine too.  4. And finally, tapas can mean many things. In the case of the Park Hyatt, it means a variety of delicious and hearty tapas being served by waiters without end. Be sure not to make dinner plans for afterwards as you will definitely be full. Waiters will serve you to your heart’s content.

To give you an idea of the menu:

-2 glasses of wine from Bodega Catena Zapata

-Mushroom and chicken quesadillas

-Lentil soup

-Veal brochette

-Cheese and apricot on toasted bread

-Parmesan cheese biscuits

I left at 10 p.m. since I was leaving for Peru the next day, but the waiters were still circulating and guests were still happily chatting, eating and drinking at their leisure. A great idea and value (only 55 pesos) for your Thursday night!

Posted in Experiences, Life in Mendoza, Mendoza Bodegas, Photos, Vines Events | No Comments »


Winemaker’s Night: Chacra from Rio Negro, Patagonia!

Tuesday, July 19th, 2011

Learning the history about Bodega Chacra is like following the royal wedding. It’s historical, exclusive, but most of all, classy.

To start, the owner, Piero Incisa della Rocchetta, hails from one of the most esteemed winemaking families in Italy.  The family winery produces the stunning Sassacaia wines, a European wine that broke the mold of what world class wine is made of and the traditions that surround it. Click here to learn more about how Piero’s grandfather, Mario Incisa della Rocchetta, went from making excellent wine for just his family to owning the only single winery DOC in Italy.

Secondly, Chacra only makes four different wines, three Pinot Noirs and one Merlot: Barda, a blend of their Pinot Noirs; Chacra Treinta y Dos and Chacra Cincuenta y Cinco, both Pinot Noirs; and finally, Mainque, the sole Merlot. Each of these bottles carries a price tag between 160 pesos (Barda) to more than 400 pesos. These high-end wines are so in-demand that Chacra lovers must pre-order to ensure the wines aren’t sold out.

Finally, although we did not meet Piero last night, you can tell by hearing how he runs his bodega and his philosophy about the wine, that he’s a classy guy. Read this excerpt from Laura Catena’s interview with Piero in An Insider’s Guide to the Wines and Wine Country of Argentina:

“Today at our winery in Chacra, we have a traditional artisanal approach to winemaking. We do pretty much everything by hand–we prune, harvest and de-stem by hand; we vinify without machinery or steel; and most of the time we decant by gravity. Chacra is not a conventional business; it’s a passion, a personal folly…Our goal is to keep producing single-vineyard biodynamic wines that are of consequence, as we believe that our terroir is capable of yielding wines that are unique in character.”

As an added bonus, next-door neighbor Bodega Noemia, which Chacra considers its “cousin” winery (which produces Malbec) is owned by the renowned Dutch winemaker Hans Vinding-Diers and Italian Countess Noemi Marone Cinzano.

We tasted a 2009 Barda and then compared a 2009 Chacra Cincuenta y Cinco to a 2010 Chacra Cincuenta y Cinco. Read Vines of Mendoza blogger Emily Camblin’s recent blog review on these wines and her visit to Bodega Chacra.

Carolyn is a newcomer to Mendoza and the wine industry and will be sharing her experiences as she learns more about both, as well as giving updates about local events.  A recent college graduate from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, she also teaches English at a local university.

Posted in Photos, Tasting Notes, Uncategorized, Vines Events | No Comments »


The New Architectural Wine Tour in Mendoza

Monday, July 11th, 2011

 

 

BORMIDA AND YANZON

Bormida and Yanzon are the premier architects in Mendoza, creating iconic modern wineries, each with a distinctive personality and a work of art in its own right. They are also The Vines favored architect, having designed not only our Tasting Room, Vinoteca & Winebar in the Park Hyatt, The Vines Bodega, but also The Vines Resort & Spa which is scheduled to be open in 2012!!

The guide consists of 14 wineries you are able to tour the different wine regions of Maipu, Lujan de Cuyo and the Uco Valley in Mendoza, tasting the best the region has to offer.  As art and architecture often go hand in hand with wine, you are now able to satisfy all of our senses with beauty, food and wine, as most of these world class wineries offer in-house restaurants.

Click here to download the new Wine Architechture Guide from Bormida y Yanzon

So off you go, print your map, hire a car and hit the wine roads for a fun day of art, architecture and wine!

The bodegas included are:

1. Navarro Correas -This modern winery is located only 10 kilometers from downtown Mendoza and offers both warmth and the best of modern technology. The architecture is such that it is meant to accentuate the landscape and the foothills of the Andes that are close in proximity. Descend into their subterranean cellar that houses 5,500 barrels with impressive tasting rooms and reception.

2. Nieto Senetiner – Founded in 1888 when Italian immigrants established the first vineyards in Lujan de Cuyo. The winery was developed by different families that built it with the architecture that can be seen today. In 1969, the Nieto Senetiner family acquired the winery and implemented modern technology and improvements for making high end wines. They now produce still witness that include Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Syrah as well as sparkling wines.

3. Vistalba – A descendant of one of Argentina’s most prominent winemaking families, Carlos Pulenta made his name as the president of the Salentein winery. In 2003, Pulenta ventured out on his own to create a cutting-edge winery that uses every technological advancement available to produce wines of exceptional quality.

4. La Bourgogne – One of the premier restaurants in Mendoza, La Bourgogne with famed chef Jean-Paul Bondoux, he creates menus utilizing fresh local ingredients for regionally authentic dishes in a laid back yet sophisticated atmosphere.

5. Dante Robino – Dante Robino was born in 1885 in Canelli, a small town in northwest Italy’s Piemonte Region. He immigrated to Argentina and in 1920 established the Dante Robino winery in Lujan de Cuyo. Now the Squassini family owns and operates this winery since 1982, combining technology and modern winemaking techniques with sustainable farming methods.

6. Norton – One of Argentina’s leading and most historic wineries, it was founded in 1895 by English engineer Edmund James Palmer Norton, who was building the railroad between Mendoza and Chile. In 1991 Michael Halstrick revamped the winery for modern growth and development and was awarded Best Wine Producer of the Year in 2004 by La Nación and in 2006 Wine Spectator named it as one of the top 20 wineries in the world.

7. Septima – In addition to an impressive view of the Andes, the Séptima winery’s original architecture — which showcases the Huarpe Indian “pirca” stone-laying technique — makes this Mendoza bodega a noteworthy stop.

8. Dolium – The word “dolium” is Latin for amphora, the distinctive bottles that the classical Greeks and Romans used to store wine. Like the Romans, who kept wines underground at a constant temperature throughout the year, Dolium is the first underground winery in Argentina to combine such ancient traditions with modern technology. Under the direction of Mario Giadorou, a mechanical engineer with a distinguished background in private industry before turning his attention to the production of fine wine in 1997, this high tech and state of art winery was established.

9. Pulenta Estate – Brother to Carlos Pulenta, Eduardo Pulenta has up’ed the anty with his cutting edge winery that eminates both casual elegance and high technology. The beautiful concrete construction can be seen on the informative tour and is followed by an impressive tasting. This is one of our favorite Mendoza producers- we’ve never met a Pulenta Estate wine that we didn’t like.

10. Atamisque – The Bodega Atamisque was founded by a french couple John and Chantal de Monceau on a historic farming estancia, building a winery on the property in honor of Chantals’ grandfather, who was a winemaker in Burgundy, France. TAking all of the elements of nature as seen in the architecture of the winery as well as in the wines, you can visit this elegant and high tech winery situated amongst natures most beautiful elements.

11. Salentein – Situated in the middle of 455 hectares of vineyards below the eastern slopes of the Andes, Salentein is a massive, concrete and steel harbinger of the future of Argentine wine. With annual production exceeding 1 million bottles, the winery is known for classical varietals, old vine preservation, and European production methods that yield world-class wines.

12. Killka – Killka was designed as a cultural space where the visitor can experience everything that is related to viticulture as well as enjoy an extensive collection of modern art from Argentina and Holland. This space unites wine and art in an architectural space uniquely created for this very experience.

13. Diamandes – In 2005, the Bonnie, proprietors of Château Malartic-Lagravière (Grand Cru Classé de Graves) and Château Gazin Rocquencourt (Pessac- Léognan) decided to broaden their horizons and now have 130 hectáreas with their first harvest in 2007.
The winery was designed by prestigious local architects Bormida and Yanzon and recently won best winery architecture for the contest “Best of Wine Tourism in 2011″ organized by Great Wine Capitals.

14. O’Fournier – Spanish company O Fournier built this temple to gravity-only winemaking in homage to its resident winemaker. It is worth the trip to Valle de Uco to see this marvel of architecture and technology and to taste award-winning Tempranillo blends.
The winery has a capacity of 600,000 litres in stainless steel, oak and cement housed some of the most unique architecture in the Mendoza province.

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What to write about wine…

Friday, June 24th, 2011

I have actually, been thinking about writing my own blog for months, but I never sit down and do it. Bloody procrastination. A few months ago I took a final in English Phonetics and the assistant professor, who is a psychologist, told me after the exam was over that I answered better when I was put under pressure.

Anyway, I love wine, and food is my passion. But what to write about that hasn’t been written or said before? And that at the same time is fun and entertaining for the reader?

So? Wine? Food? Wine + Food Pairing? Favorite Wine? Terroir? Here it goes!

While working for several years in the wine+tourism+hospitality industry there is nothing better than knowing about wine, or at least pretending to know about wine. Why? First of all, because every single person you meet thinks you are interesting, especially if you are from Mendoza.

1. Mendoza is currently enjoying being the rock star of the wine world which is reason enough to make a big fuss.

2. Secondly, there’s nothing better than going for dinner with your friends and being in charge of choosing the wine that you want to drink.

3. Third, every time you meet with clients or tourists (that usually pick up for the bill) you are also in charge of choosing the wine. Though, here I must say I don’t take full advantage of that situation. I just can’t.

So, when choosing a wine you have a lot of options and while some like to try new and different things. I know what I like so I choose wine by the phrase: “The devil you know is better than the one you don’t”. The best part of all is that in Argentina there’s a wide list of great values.

Here are my top 5 favorites “mid-priced” wines you can always trust:

1- Serrera Malbec Gran Guarda 2007.

2- Pulenta Estate Pinot Noir 2008.

3- Vistalba Corte B 2007.

4- Catalpa Merlot 2007.

5- Monteviejo Blend 2006.

Here is to enjoying wine with friends and family, and being able to choose your favorite wines. Salud!! (Many of these wines are available in the US for you to try your own pairings, just click on the links above)

Julia Elvira Bermejo Hilger.-Was born and raised in Mendoza and now works for The Vines of Mendoza while going to school. She is a chef as well and is getting a degree in English translation. Her passion for food and wine is a legacy of her mothers kitchen, with extensive travels and experiences. She also believes everything tastes better if shared with friends and family.

Posted in Life in Mendoza | 1 Comment »


The Vines 2011 Harvest

Monday, May 2nd, 2011

We finished our last harvest on Friday at The Vines Private Vineyard Estate with all of the staff on hand to bring in the last of the grapes. It has been a very busy season with owners, guests and of course the grapes and wine that we have made over the last few months. We started on March 1 and finished on April 29th. The cellar crew at the winery has had their hands extremely full but we are extremely pleased with the grape quality and the wines!

Here is the rundown for our harvest.

COSECHA 2011
The grapes were harvested from 280 acres or 113 hectares

240,000 Kg (265 tons) of grapes were processed at the winery
18,160 bins of grapes went through the hand selection process at the sorting table
160,000 Kg were of Malbec (2/3 of the total)
7%  were of white varietals
1% was of our own Torrontes
16 different varieties in total

10,500 bins of grapes were sold to 6 premium wineries including: Monteviejo, Achaval Ferrer, La Rural.

The harvest lasted 59 days in total, 39 days of harvest

9,500 Kg (20,943 lb) was the average amount harvested per day
19,000 Kg (41,887 lb) was the most we harvested in one day
Over 60 people worked in the harvest

But the work is not over as we have over 160 different microfermentations in the winery!

Posted in Harvest Diary, Private Vineyard Estates | 1 Comment »


How to Choose your Malbec by the Label

Monday, April 18th, 2011

Yesterday we celebrated World Malbec day and not only that but it is Malbec season here at The Vines, where we are in full swing with our Malbec harvest at our Private Vineyard Estates. With so much activity and focus on Malbec, it is often difficult to decide what to by, what it all means and what will actually be in the bottle!

For some help on how to traverse these mazes of wine labels, one of our Private Vineyard Estate owners, Barry Chaiken, proprietor of Chaiken Vineyards has a great blog that discusses what information really is on the back label.

Also you should sign up for his newsletters to get an insider’s perspective on Argentine wine and his experiences as a vineyard owner making wine in Argentina. www.chaikenvineyards.com

Here is one of his great blog posts:

Oh so many wines to choose from in most wine shops, it is difficult to know which of the wines available you will enjoy. Market research shows that attractive wine packaging, just like for other consumer goods, can help boost sales. For many years “critter” wine labels – those with the cute animals on the label – were successful in attracting buyers to inexpensive wines from Australia.

For those of us who are more interested in choosing a wine that will be attractive to our taste buds rather than our eyes, reviewing some basic information on the label can help intelligently guide our choices. Although some wine labels may appear to provide rather limited information about the wine, there is almost always enough information available to guide us.

When first approaching a wine, look at the alcohol content. Red wines with high alcohol content (14.5-16%+) tend to be big, powerful, flavorful wines that are perfect for drinking alone or with very flavorful foods (e.g., rich, juicy steak). Lower alcohol red wines are more elegant and subtle in their flavors, thereby drinking best only when paired with appropriate foods.

For white wines, a lower alcohol content (e.g., 9-12%) usually indicates a high level of residual sugar seen in sweet wines. Very high alcohol white wines (e.g., 14%+) may indicate a dry wine that is out of balance as white wines generally do not have the strength of flavors, acidity, and tannins to counter the alcohol.

The type of varietal considered with the region the wine comes from gives a sense of what flavors can be expected from the wine. If there is a wine you currently like, then choose a wine made from a similar varietal (e.g., pinot noir) and the same region (e.g., Russian River Valley, CA) made by another producer. Most likely you will like this new wine while also learning from the differences you detect comparing the wines.

Other information such as types of barrels used (e.g., French vs. American oak, new vs. 2nd use), time in barrel, and bottle aging, all give you more information about the wine. As you drink more wine and relate the information you read on the label with the flavors in the wine, you will develop an internal guidebook that can help you choose wine in a liquor store or restaurant.

Although reviews and scores are useful in choosing a fine, the best guide is your own drinking  experience. No one is a better critic of what you may like than you are.

Sincerely,

Barry P. Chaiken, Proprietor

Chaiken Vineyards

info@chaikenvineyards.com

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Bodega Corvus at Winemaker’s Night

Friday, April 15th, 2011

Wednesday nights at Vines equal Winemaker love! This week we were pleased to discover the wines of Bodega Corvus, makers of Ala Negra, the bottle with the beautiful label that you’ve probably been wondering about. Joining us to talk about the wines was Gabriela Celeste, winemaker at Bodega Corvus and a member of Enorolland, Michel Rolland’s consulting team. A special treat this week, the wines were paired with dishes created by Marcos Zabaleta, executive chef at Chandon.

The wing! Long family history explains the lone crow wing gracing the labels of these bottles. Ala Negra means “black wing” in Spanish, and this symbol is a tribute to the family’s ancestors who were instrumental in founding Chile.  The Corvalan family shield displays five crow wings like the one on the label. What’s more, the label was designed by Cris Delhez, a famed Argentine painter and sculptor.

The pairings were a delight! With the 2010 Torrontes, we enjoyed a fresh shrimp tartar over avocado and warm tomato confit. The lively floral and citrus characteristics of the wine (produced with grapes from the Calchaqui Valley in Salta) married well with the acid in the fish and avocado.  A light and summery combination. With the 2009 Malbec Rose, Zabaleta prepared a buttered trout crostini with quince honey. The notes of wild cherry and strawberry in the wine complimented the warm, savory trout mini-sandwich well and the quince honey was a nice contrast for this dry rose. Chorizo and Portobello empanadas brought out lots of black and red pepper spices in the 2008 Malbec. This fruit-forward Malbec provided a lively, juicy counterpoint to the richness of the pastry. Finally, veal confit over almond risotto was a nicely rich and savory accompaniment to the 2008 Reserva Malbec, a full-bodied red full of boysenberry and red flowers with spicy tannins and a chocolately finish.

Gabriela Celeste shared with us her passion for winemaking as she explained vineyard practices and how they affect the finished product. As all of the Malbec grapes come from the same vineyard in Lunlunta, Maipu, some are chosen for the rose, some for the classic line, and only the best go into the reserve line. As she spoke, branches crackled and leaves fell from the atrium  ceiling- a result of the strong “Zonda” winds blowing that day.  Celeste talked about how the Zonda could negatively affect the vines during pollination in the springtime, but are not much threat to the vines at harvest time, as the grapes have already developed and most have reached full maturity.

In all it was another interesting, tasty Wednesday night at the Vines of Mendoza.  Thanks to Bodega Corvus and Gabriela Celeste for presenting their wines and to Marcos Zabaleta for providing the parings. See you next week!

About the author: Cara De Lavallade is a Level II Court of Masters Sommelier from Seattle, Washington. Temporarily relocated to Mendoza, she is smelling and tasting all she can to gain a better understanding of the local juice.  Look for her wine reviews, bodega visits, and other winey musings on The Vines of Mendoza blog this spring.

Posted in Experiences, Mendoza Bodegas, Tasting Notes, Vines Events | 1 Comment »


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