Vendimia has descended on Mendoza- full of color, festivities, food and of course ubiquitous Argentine wine! It is an amazing time of year with festivals in the plazas, music, dancing and everyone in good spirits. This also marks the first year that a train has run from Buenos Aires to Mendoza in 16 years! 400 passengers loaded up to make the run and enjoy the Vendimia festivities!
From the perspective of a North American, I am always giddy with delight by the cultural differences and how much I love Vendimia. For example:
In the parades, each float, hence each queen, represents a different fruit/vegetable/wine which they throw into the crowds during the Via Blanca and Carusel parades through the streets of Mendoza. Imagine flying melons!
The queens seeming obsession with blue makeup, and possibly 80’s metal band hairstyles
You should definitely not miss the billboards of each of the regions queens- classic Olan Mills pin up girls
The plaza festivals- full of music, food, and fun
The Vendimia festival- a perfect excuse for 3 days of fireworks, not to mention the Vendimia show itself.
This year they have already crowned the queen from the Santa Rosa Province, the lovely reina, or queen, below. It is a bit like the Miss America pagent for those familiar with the roles and selection process. For more information check out this article in Spanish from Diario Los Andes.
Now comes the hard part- the real grape harvest!
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