Starting this week are a string of cultural events in the evening in Parque San Martin which often turn out to be some of the best kept secrets of the Harvest Festival agenda:

Cinema in the Park – Bring your Spanish dictionary for this one, because next to the rose garden there will be showings on a big screen of different Mendocinean and Argentine films for a few evenings at the end of January and beginning of February. The closest you can get to a drive-in here and no doubt there will be plenty of young Mendocinos trying John Travolta’s old ‘yawning into a hug’ trick. Chuck a pillow and some mate (Argentine herbal tea) in your bag and watch the films starting at 9.30pm on 24, 25 and 31 of January as well as the 1, 2, 7, 8 and 9 of February.

Dancing in the Park – It might sound like a misspelt Bruce Springsteen song, but there is no mistake in this Vendimia event. Three nights of different traditional dances and music including folk, Arabic belly dancing, flamenco and, of course, tango. For me there is no night quite so quintessentially Argentine then to sit with lots of families crowded around mini picnic tables sharing picadas and malbec, watching smoky-eyed dancers seducing each other through tango, or latin heartthrobs rapping their feet against the boards in fast moving flamenco to the cries of ‘ole’ from the audience. It kicks off at 9.30pm on 26, 27 and 28^th Jan.

Jazz by the Lake – In front of Parque San Martin’s picturesque floating island in the middle of the lake, a make shift stage frames some of Mendoza’s best jazz musicians for three nights of open air concerts. Not just jazz, but always a fusion with tango, bossa nova and big band – each night a handful of different performers and groups play to the crowd for a couple hours of gorgeous live music and star gazing. Starting at 8pm on 10, 11 and 12^th Feb.

Amanda Barnes is a British journalist living in Mendoza who still very much believes in old fashioned romance.

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We are often asked what some of our favorite wines or wineries are here in Mendoza and one of the wineries that always tops my list is Pulenta Estate. They offer wines across the board that please everyone from wine connoisseur to the novice that was just introduced to Malbec. They  consistently provide amazing value and every vintage is true to their winemaking philosophy.

We cannot wait to share the Pulenta Estate Gran Pinor Noir with you — it will hopefully be in the market soon. Pulenta numbers their great wines with simple roman numerals and you should now watch out for number XV!

This wine comes from a single vineyard in the Uco Valley, cuartel 23 in their Finca Los Alamos and was made to express the terroir. The grapes were handled very carefully to capture the delicate flavors and aromas that are emblematic to the very finicky Pinot Noir grape. They were treated with a two day cold maceration and then fermented in small open top stainless steel tanks with a manual punchdown. They were then transferred to French oak barrels where the wine aged for 9 months.

To make a splash for the release of this wine, we were treated to a lovely inauguration party at the winery, where the owners and winemakers were able to show and explain the new Gran Pinot Noir for their portfolio. They also showed the new vintage for their Malbec and capped off the evening with a succulent asado. The Pinot went perfectly with some of the best pork loin I have ever had!

To say the least, this is another great achievement for this very special winery. If you are coming to Mendoza, it is one of our top favorites to visit!

2010 Tasting Notes:

Delicate and aromatic with notes of strawberries lightly dusted with chocolate and caramel. The mouth is expressive with deep stone fruit, hints of earth and toast with lively acidity and structure. The finish is simply lovely with fruit lasting in your mouth like a good lollypop- you just want to keep drinking! This is a young wine and is sure to mature and develop even more layers and intricate flavors.

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It’s springtime here in Mendoza, which means our vines at our Private Vineyard Estates in the Uco Valley are coming out of hibernation and enjoying the mountain sunshine! We are also busy in the vineyard planting new vineyards as well as maintaining our owner’s established vineyards.

After pruning all of the vineyards during winter, the vines are now properly positioned to concentrate their energies on the spurs that remain. Overall throughout the year, we want to make sure that we optimize sunshine and right now, shoot thinning is important to create proper air- circulation amongst the vines as well as remove any shoots that will not bear fruit. These “just beginning to flower” vines can then concentrate all of their efforts on fewer shoots which will then achieve greater sugar and flavor concentration for the future grapes.

It is an exciting time of year for us at The Vines of Mendoza, as the vineyards start to develop their full canopy and transform the dramatic landscape into beautifully manicured vineyards.

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Aerial View- The Vines Resort & Spa

The Vines Resort & Spa Construction site

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Monica Blanco, Rudolfo Menissi, Gabriel Blanco, Ricardo Menissi

The Vines of Mendoza hosts Winemaker’s Night every Wednesday from 7-9 p.m. so wine aficionados can learn more about the history, techniques and vision of local wineries. Hosted in the outdoor patio tasting room, Argentinians and passing tourists alike can enjoy tasting some of the best local wines with the winemakers themselves. This past Wednesday, Gabriel and Mónica Blanco, who own and produce Mairena wines were our special guests, along with oenologists Rudolfo and Ricardo Menissi.

The Mairena Story: The Blanco Family is a full-fledged family winery. Of Spanish descent, the Blanco family wine production involves three generations, including Gabriel and Mónica and their five sons and daughters. In fact, the winery’s label Mairena comes straight from the family. Mónica Blanco wanted to name her fifth child Mairena, which is actually the name of a small pueblo in Southern Spain near the Sierra Nevadas. However, unlike other countries in which you can name your child whatever you like, Argentina only allows parents to name their child if the name is listed in a “permitted names book.” Unfortunately for the Blancos, Mairena had to be discarded. However, when they were considering the name for the wine label, they decided on Mairena because “they would take care of the wine like a child.”

Although the winery took up the family grape-growing tradition in the 1980s, it wasn’t until 2005 that the family was able to realize their dream of bottling their own wines. Starting with Malbec and Bonarda in 2005, Sauvignon Blanc in 2007, Torrontes in 2009, the family uses all of their own grapes except for the white Torrontes grapes they buy from Cafayate.

Winemaking Process: The family is in the process of constructing their own winery expected to be completed by 2012. All of the fields are located in Ugarteche, Lujan de Cuyo, which borders Valle de Uco, separated only by a hill between Lujan and Tupungato. This proximity gives the Mairena wines similar qualities to wines from Valle de Uco.

Ugarteche has an average height of 970 m, above sea level. The soil is sandy loam and its uneven nature favors isolation, which makes the land and excellent place for planting grapes. Additionally, the micro climate has a wide temperature, reaching 30 degrees Celsius during the day and dropping to 15 degrees Celsius at night. The winery uses a drip irrigation system and anti-hail nets.

Wine Tasting:

Mairena Torrontes 2011: It’s been just two years since the family began producing Torrontes from white wine grapes from Cafayate, Salta. This wine is expressive, explosive and fruity with a pale green and silver color. $38 pesos/$12 US dollars

Mairena Sauvignon Blanc 2011: A lemon-green color,  this Sauvignon is fresh and agreeable in the mouth and has fresh aroma notes of pineapple, grass, and citric fruits. It was noted during the tasting that is has a hint of ruda, which is commonly recognized in Sauvignon Blancs. Ruda is an Argentinean plant with a strong odor. In fact, the family says that it only ripens its Sauvignon Blanc grapes 80% so the wine will not lose its citric notes to this strong scent. With a short finish, this light and lively wine would pair well with sushi, ceviche, cheeses or enjoyed as an aperitif. $38 pesos/$12 US dollars

Mairena Malbec 2010:  A beautiful violet color, this Malbec maintains red fruit and plum primary colors as its complimented with secondary aromas of chocolate, coffee and cinnamon. Very delicate with smooth tannins that fill the mouth. Oak staves are inserted into the wine to create this elegant and feminine Malbec.~$45 pesos/$15 US dollars

Mairena Bonarda 2010: A deep violet characteristic of the Bonarda varietal, this wine has aroma hints of red fruits and blackberries as well as coffee and tobacco. As a single varietal, this Bonarda has lots of potential. $19 US dollars

Mairena Blend Reserve (30% Bonarda, 70% Malbec): When the family began making their own wine in 2005, Gabriel wanted to differentiate his family’s winery by focusing on Bonarda. The Menissi brothers insisted on taking advantage of Argentina’s powerhouse Malbec grape. So they decided to do both. This blend captures the family’s two opening stars with cherry and plum notes from the Malbec and raspberries from the Bonarda. Complex, balanced and pleasant with a slight sweet flavor and mild tannins. $90 pesos/ $39 U.S. dollars

Interesting Fact: Adding to the family bodega concept, Mairena’s two oenologists, Rudolfo and Ricardo Menissi, are brothers.

Winemaker Quotation: “You have to make what the market demands. But you also have to provide high quality,” said Gabriel Blanco.

Winemaker Night at The Vines of Mendoza Tasting Room | 7-9pm every Wednesday | $40 pesos  

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“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.

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THE VINES’ VERY OWN WINE – RECUERDO!

Nearly seven years ago we shared a dream about buying some raw land, creating vineyards of the highest quality and making some of Argentina’s best wines. Last week, we achieved another piece of that dream as we labeled Recuerdo, our very first commercial wine. “Recuerdo” means memories and speaks to our experiences turning the rock-strewn desert into a lush vineyard. We have made 3,000 cases of 2010 Recuerdo (2,000 cases of Malbec and 1,000 cases of Torrontes), which will retail for $15 – 20 per bottle. This wine will be placed on a container next week and will reach select retail wine shops and restaurants in the coming months. Our top wine, a Malbec-based blend will remain in the barrel until the end of the year. We want to extend a special thanks to our team, families, Private Vineyard Estate owners and investors who all played a part in creating this Recuerdo.

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VINES CONFERENCE CALL – ARGENTINE WINES IN THE EUROPEAN MARKET

Join Michael and Pablo, 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, to talk about the impact Argentine wines are having in the European and Global Market.

Join us Wednesday August 10th at 3pm EST.   Click here to sign up

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HARVEST MEMORIES FROM OUR NEW WINEMAKERS: PVE OWNERS ABBY & MASON

“Spending two weeks at our vineyard in the Uco Valley this April confirmed that we made a great decision in buying with The Vines!  Working at the vineyard and in the winery was a blast and we certainly upped our wine IQ during our short time as “Cellar Rats.” Pablo, Emi and the crew introduced us to the winemaking process from vine to barrel. We picked and sorted grapes, helped manage the fermentation process, and (our personal favorite) got our hands dirty with countless pisajes (punch-downs of the cap). There are few things more fun than submerging your arms in a tank of fermenting Malbec grapes!  In addition to our “hands on” learning, Mariana’s wine courses taught us to taste wine with a whole new mindset. We probably sampled 30 wines in the process…such a perfect way to learn the type of wine we want to make! Delicious asados and impromptu gatherings introduced us to 30 to 40 new friends within the Vines community. Both the Vines team and other owners welcomed us with open arms, and we’re already excited for our next visit!”

IF YOU WANT TO JOIN ABBY & MASON AS VINEYARD OWNERS…

Our Private Vineyard Estates development is in its final stages. We are adding 20 new vineyard owners to The Vines family in 2011, and 5 vineyards remain available for purchase and planting in September/October. We are welcoming new owners from several countries including the United States, Brazil, Canada, England, and Argentina! If you would like information on how you could own one of these final Private Vineyard Estates, please contact Bryan Driscoll at bryan@vinesofmendoza.com.

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BODEGA ACHAVAL FERRER NAMED TOP 10 FOR ARGENTINE BODEGAS

Private Vineyard Estate Consulting Winemaker, Santiago Achaval, was named one of Argentina’s top 10 wine producers by Decanter Magazine. The cover featured our favorite single vineyard, the Bella Vista.

CLICK HERE to download the article.

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WINTER IS HERE!

We know that while many of you are preparing for weekend visits to the beach, we are enjoying the brilliant white snow covering the Andes and our vineyards. Winter is a very important time for our vineyards as we prune the vines and prepare for next year’s harvest. There is no off-season in the winemaking game!

Saludos!

www.vinesofmendoza.com |Forward this message to a friend

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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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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.

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It is also the time in the vineyards when the vines become dormant and we begin the pruning process in order to get the vines ready for the next growing season. As we have vines that range from 1 year to 5 years old on the property, they are all at different phases of the overall training process. In the first two years it is critical to establish the trunk and the cordons that then become the permanent structure and support the buds and canes that then flower and become grapes. Once they have reached 3 years old the permanent part of the vines, the trunk and the cordons, have been established.

We use a single curtain, vertical shoot positioning system with a bilateral cordon. This system allows us to optimize sunlight and achieve high quality with low yields.

Below is a great video by The Vines agronomist Francisco Evangelista who explains the philosophy behind pruning as well as the techniques used in our own Private Vineyard Estates in the Uco Valley.

Overall Pruning the vines can be defined as “the removal of plant parts to obtain horticultural objectives”.

These objectives include:
- Controlling the size & form of the grapevine.

- Optimize the production potential of the grapevine.

- Maintain a balance between vegetative growth and fruiting.

Training the grapevines on the other hand optimizes the utilization of sunlight and promotes productivity.

- Adapts to the characteristics of the grape cultivar.

- Promotes efficient & sustainable vineyard management practices.

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