10 Days in Argentina - Buenos Aires and Mendoza (Long)

Been back a couple of weeks now, but I thought others might be interested.

First off I really want to thank Uncorking Argentina http://www.uncorkingargentina.com/ for pulling together a fantastic trip. Normally I coordinate and piece together each component of these kinds of trips myself, but took a chance on letting someone else do it this time, and am so glad I did. I booked my flights and hotels, they took care of everything else in-between, allowing for sufficient unplanned days & evenings to be adventurous. My wife and I tried more than 70 different wines over the course of the 10 days, and fortunately have pictures to remember the rest!

Wineries – We visited the following
Mendel
Matervini
Lagarde
Carmelo Patti
RJ Vinedos
Finca Agostino
Clos de Chacras

The wine at Lagarde may have been my favorite, really fell for their Bordeaux Blend (Henry Gran Guarda No 1).

Based on recommendations from this board, we stopped by Carmelo Patti’s operation, which was definitely worth it. He’s quite the character, so definitely stop by if you’re in the area. He’ll even sign any bottles you buy from him, just for asking.

Finca Agostino was probably our favorite winery, which was helped by their remote location, uninterrupted views of the mountains, and an outdoor cooking class with just the two of us where we prepared a multi-course meal outside under the guidance of their executive chef. Definitely a memorable meal in an unbeatable setting.

Dining
Thanks to this board, I familiarized myself with the ‘Puerta Cerrada’ (Closed Door) restaurant concept before leaving. Tried 3 very different ones over the course of the trip

  • iLatina in BsAs - a pan-Latin tasting menu in an old home
  • Casa Coupage in BsAs – a restaurant in back of a restaurant, but run by Somms
  • Ituzaingo in Mendoza – a pop-up restaurant in the home of an entrepreneur (now likely closed as he’s moving to another location)

Ituzaingo was probably our favorite, as the home-y nature of it and sitting with a very friendly Brazilian couple made you feel like you were being invited to a dinner party. Casa Coupage was a close second, helped by their strongly encouraged ‘unlimited’ servings of the 7 different wines on their tasting menu (seriously, these guys would not stop pouring!)

Another nice surprise was Anastasio del Pollo in Chacras de Coria … basically a neighborhood Parilla, who had enough on their menu (and in their cellar) that we ate there 3 different times. Never a meal over $80 for 2 including a bottle. Very much within walking distance from our hotel.

Non-Wine Activities
While in BsAs we had two days of walking/food sampling and a half-day of bike riding, both very informative and a good way to get a feel for the city
In Mendoza, Whitewater rafting and Zip Lining across the Mendoza river with Argentina Rafting Argentina Rafting – Turismo Aventura & Rafting – Mendoza – Argentina was a blast, but definitely felt that the day spent with the folks at La Quebrada del Condor http://laquebradadelcondor.com/ was probably the overall highlight of our trip. Horseback riding at 10,000+ feet in the Andes with my wife, our guide and no one else for miles, with amazing views everywhere you turned. We finished it off with a mountain-side Asado which was a fun introduction to Gaucho barbecue.

Hotel
Really enjoyed our 7 night stay at Finca Adalgisa in Chacras de Coria, which is a suburb of Mendoza, quite close to the wineries in Lujan de Cuyo. Was going to use points at the Sheraton Mendoza, and am thankful we chose to stay in this amazing boutique hotel, which sits in the middle of their vineyards/winery. You literally bump into the vines as you exit your room. They offer a complimentary glass of wine and bruschetta each evening, and both were quite good.

Bringing Wine Home
Successfully brought back 8 bottles in one suitcase, no questions asked. Had one suitcase packed with a 6-bottle shipper stacked upright with a 2-bottle shipper stacked on top of it.

Thanks for taking the time to read through the summary, and hope it helps with someone else’s plans someday…

Thanks for the detailed write up Derek. It has given some additional information to consider. We are planning our second trip to Mendoza for this coming February. We have already visited Mendel and Carmelo Patti (wouldn’t have missed him for the world - certainly not a traditional visit).

You provided some information about las puertas cerradas that I have been seeking. It is great to hear from someone with recent experience. Casa Coupage was unknown to me. A great lead. Our experience with puertas cerradas has been mixed but we keep trying them.

The last time we were there, we returned with a case of wine from Mendoza and another case from Uruguay where we had visited the week before.

We found the boarding process at AEP to be somewhat confusing the first time but we survived it just fine.

Keep those reports coming. We love to learn from the experiences of fellow travelers.

Thanks, Derek! Hit B.A., Iguazu, Salta and Cafayette on our last trip but do want to get to Mendoza.

Iguazu is a can’t miss but you must visit the Brazilian side which requires a Brazilian visa. If I had the time and was willing to spend the money, I would stay at the Belmond Hotle das Cataratas Hotel das Cataratas, A Belmond Hotel | Hotel Beside Iguazu Falls Beautiful property. Absolutely best location possible for visiting the falls on the Brazilian side.

Agreed. Next time we will try the Belmond. We stayed at the Sheraton in the national park on the Argentinian side which was gorgeous and did a day trip to the Brazilian side. If you’re not familiar with the falls, Obtain a copy of the 1986 film starring Robert De Niro entitled “The Mission”. Many of the most dramatic water scenes were filmed there.

On thing we did on my trip to Mendoza is to hire a driver. It is dirt cheap and then you can select your own wineries to visit more easily.

Mendel. flirtysmile

We had a delightful visit there. A small intimate winery that offer semi-private tastings. I still have a '10 Unus left. I paid $44 in 2012. We also purchased olive oil.

Thanks for the memory.