We are officially in Mendoza, and I would say that we have properly been inducted into their wine-fixated culture. But let me start on yesterday, our last day in Salta.
Before we left on our 18-hour bus ride, we decided that we should get acquainted with the city we had been living in for the past three days. Because while we had experienced the culture and lifestyles of the surrounding towns, we had barely spent any time in Salta. So for our last day, Christian took us on a half-day tour around the city. We visited a market, where we loaded up on fresh fruits and local specialties for the bus ride, and we walked around the square. We saw a church that has the tallest steeple in Argentina (which technically, is a lie because they are factoring in the high altitude of the city. Put any building at 1,300 meters, and of course it’s going to be the tallest), and the home of the first president of Argentina. We drove to the top of the hill that overlooks the city and boasts the best views of Salta.
Unfortunately, we had to skip a museum that I was really hoping to visit. Centuries ago, three children’s bodies were found in the mountains. They were covered in silver and gold, and the cold climate had mummified them. They are on display at this museum, and they have the reputation of being the best-preserved mummies in the world. Not to sound morbid, but I would like to see the display sometime in my lifetime.
To finish off, Christian took us to his favorite place in Salta – a wine, ham, and cheese shop. We bought bottles of wine in the hopes of it knocking us out on the bus (I found a late harvest white wine like the one I had in Cafayate) and some cheese to accompany it. I had this vision of me on the luxurious bus, watching a movie (on my private screen), drinking wine, and eating cheese and grapes that I bought at the market. I was wrong.
As soon as we stepped on the bus, one line from Sex and the City 2 came to my head – “Oh, how the mighty have fallen.” Although the seats were leather, they did not recline fully. Instead, they reclined just enough to be lying on the person’s lap behind you. We had communal televisions. You couldn’t flush toilet paper in the bathroom. Instead of my classy night with wine and cheese, I found myself drinking my Torrontés straight from the bottle and brushing my teeth in a Styrofoam cup. But the funniest part is despite the change in style, I slept like a baby.
Arriving in Mendoza was like a dream. Looking through the fogged-up windows of the bus, we were greeted with the snow-covered Andes Mountains. We went straight from the bus station to our first bodega visit – Catalena Zapata winery, one of the largest bodegas in Argentina. We turned down a bumpy road and saw acres upon acres of vineyards. And then, we saw the bodega. Modeled after a Mayan pyramid, the building was absolutely incredible. Just when we thought we couldn’t be any more impressed, we turned around, and behind the vineyards were the snowy Andes Mountains. The top story of the four-story bodega was a viewing porch that offered the most impressive views that I’ve seen since I’ve been here. I can’t even describe how incredibly gorgeous it was.
After we got over the scenery, we took a tour and learned about the winery. It’s the oldest winery in Argentina, founded more than a century ago by Italian immigrants. They were the first in the country to begin exporting their wine, and they have grown into a wine powerhouse. After the tour, we began the wine tastings, drinking a chardonnay, cabernet, and Malbec.
From there we went to bodega #2 – Lagarde. We started off with a lunch that taught us about wine pairings. We had a white wine with our (delicious) appetizer of salmon layered with potatoes, then a Malbec with our (to-die-for) entrée of steak and potatoes, and then a sparking white wine paired with our (unbelievable) dessert of pancakes, bananas, dulce de leche, and ice cream. After lunch, we toured the bodega and vineyard. We learned how sparkling wines and champagnes go through two fermentations processes, the second one where they add in the sugar and yeast. We then met with the marketing director and, over yet another glass of wine, learned about his job.
When we left, we finally arrived at our hotel. After an hour or two of down time, we decided to venture out into the square and explore. Vendors were littered throughout the large park, and a huge fountain sits in the middle of it. The park is so charming that we have already made plans to return tomorrow. But before we can do that, we have two more bodega visits and an enormous lunch (think the meat we ate on our first night here) that we have already been warned about. Thank goodness we had a light dinner of capresse salad tonight!
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