Mendoza, Argentina, 30 January - 2 Febuary 2008
Having experienced almost every level of bus transportation (from "farmyard animal class" to "Can I top up your glass of champagne class") in South America we decided it was time to tick that final box: Cama Suite. Our travel was from Buenos Aires to Mendoza (19 hours overnight). We had travelled on comfy buses before but this was the top of the line. Seats that fully reclined to form a flat bed with pillow & blanket, 3 course meal with a couple of glasses of vino to wash it down (served by our on-board waiter), English speaking blockbuster movies, & Dave even enjoyed a very fine whisky before retiring for the night. Ah, the things we do for research.
Our accommodation in Mendoza was a bit of a disappointment though. We had booked a self catering apartment in the hope that it would be on a par with La Posta in Ushuaia or El Viajero in Cartagena...it was not. Dark and dingy are probably the best adjectives to describe it. The self catering aspect was not put to use..
Mendoza, for us, was a slow burner. We were not immediately impressed by the wide streets and various plaza´s. It was not until we went to "The Vines of Mendoza" (recommended by Hannah & Ben) that the city´s appeal started to reveal itself. We planned to visit the Tasting Room and sample the boutique wines on offer however we were lucky to arrive on an evening hosted by a local winemaker (from Bodega Monteviejo). He described their latest wines & having paid 4 euro entrance fee we found ourselves sampling from bottles of wine that retail at over $50. From then on we realised that Mendoza is not about the bricks and mortar, but rather it is about the food and wine. We ate in the best of restaurants and drank the finest of wines and couldn´t believe how cheap it all was. Now we understand why Mendoza is considered a wine lovers Mecca. Needless to say we paid the Vines of Mendoza a return visit two nights later to enjoy a tasting of Espumante (Sparkling Wine)..
A few places we dined at included: La Marchigiana (an Italian Kitchen), El Palenque (A restaurant where the young Mendocinos go to nibble, sip, see & be seen eating traditional fair with a modern twist) and Azafran (where the sommelier helped us select an appropriate malbec)!
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On our final day we rented bikes and cycled around the 420-hectare Parque San Martin. It was fun but cycling there and back was quite hair raising. Motorists don´t give you an inch. It was at the end of this day also that we finally came a cropper. After almost 7 and a half months in South America we became the victims of petty crime. Our camera was stolen. We didn´t do anything silly. The thief must simply have been very good and very determined. However, Dave and I have been very good at applying a philosophical outlook, so hey, we´ll just put it down as part of the South American adventure. But don´t get us wrong, we would be lying if we said it did not leave a bad taste in our mouths.
Malbec: The Star of Argentina
Malbec is a grape grown in small amounts in California, Chile and Australia, but it found a home in Argentina. Introduced by a Frenchman named Michel Pouget in the mid-19th century, the grape thrives in the Mendoza region, which benefits from more than 300 days of sunlight per year. Today, 75 percent of Argentina's wine comes from Mendoza, where Malbec is the most popular varietal.
Wine sommelier (or wine steward), is a trained and knowledgeable wine professional, commonly working in fine restaurantss, who specializes in all facets of wine service. The role is more specialized and informed than that of a wine waiter)!! Their principal work is in the area of wine procurement, storage, and wine cellar rotation. They are also responsible for the development of wine lists and are responsible overall for the delivery of wine service and training for the other restaurant staff. Working along with the culinary team, they pair and suggest wines that will best complement each particular food menu item. It could be argued that the role of a sommelier in fine dining today is strategically on par with that of the executive chef or chef de cuisine. A professional sommelier also works on the floor of the restaurant and is in direct contact with restaurant patrons. The sommelier has a responsibility to work within the taste preference and budget parameters of the patron.
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