Mendoza, Argentina Recommendations
Mendoza - wine tasting with the snow capped Andes in the background with wine just as good as Napa, but significantly cheaper. What else can you ask for? I loved my three nights there - here are my favorites of the trip:
Hotels:
Park Hyatt Mendoza - I didn't stay here (I was a little lighter in the pocketbook when I went), but did a wonderful high tea on their deck and the hotel looked amazing. Definitely staying here when I go back
Hotel Villaggio - I stayed here and it was a great location, clean, and perfectly nice. Good value
Sheraton Mendoza - for the SPG diehards, the Sheraton is pretty new and you'll get points
Food:
1884 by Francis Mallman - one of Argentina's best chefs, the food here was delectable and in a gorgeous setting; amazing grilled shrimp and bacon appetizer and serrano ham with burrata dish
Azafran - really quirky, local feel, awesome food – has its own wine cellar that you can eat in if you have a large enough group; select wine from their cellar before your meal; we tried some exotic cuisine here (blood sausage and sweetbread empanadas)
Lo de Fer - this was a special experience. It's dinner in a chef's home with tons of traditional courses and special surprises (like homemade kumkwat liquor) in an intimate setting. Fernando (the chef) and his wife Gladys are so personable and you can practice your Spanish with Gladys. This dinner lasted into the wee hours of the morning and was one of our favorite experiences in Mendoza; message them on Facebook for reservations
Mercado Central - the main market is great to see locals shop and to grab a quick bite if you are out and about early. We had some yummy empanadas here and I definitely had to dig deep for some Spanish
Wine Tasting:
This is what you came for, right?
Clos de Chacras Bodega – awesome family owned winery with total local charm, amazing bottle cellar, great history on the tour; wine tasting can be done outside on their deck overlooking the pond and included cheese & crackers
Caelum – family owned newer and smaller vineyard – nice tasting room, tasting includes pistachios the owner (an agronomist) grows on pistachio trees on the property
Belasco de Baquando - do lunch here - there's a beautiful view of the Andes from the restaurant; lunch was a wonderful wine pairing with multiple courses while taking in the once in a lifetime view
I used an online travel agent to help me arrange part of this trip (Enchanting Travels) and they hooked me up with Landscape & Wine for a full day wine tour
Bring an empty duffel bag so you have room for wine on the way back. Carry on some clothes in the duffel and pad your wine with your dark clothes. Even the top level wines here were not nearly as expensive as somewhere like Napa, so we stocked up as much as we could
Something to do other than wine - outside of wine, which is the number one priority here, we did a horseback ride in the Andes with a real gaucho. Enchanting Travels arranged this for me, and I'm so glad because I never would have thought to do this on my own and it was one of our favorite experiences. It was incredibly peaceful and surreal to be in the middle of the Andes. The gaucho prepared us a traditional Argentine gaucho steak meal with a bottle of Malbec after our ride
