WINE TOURS: Argentina - Mendoza

Below is a list of some of the Mendoza wineries and Mendoza vineyards you may visit with Fly Fishing Patagonia.

Lagarde Winery
Constructed entirely of adobe with a traditional mud and reed roof, Lagarde Winery is one of the most charming and classy bodegas in the Lujan de Cuyo region.  Exceptional sparkling wines are produced here as well as the Henry line of fine reds which match up well with the best efforts of competitors.  The full range of their wines, along with fine olive oils, is available for sale in the wine shop.  Largarde has a wonderful outdoor dinning area for summer lunch and tasting.  On a tour, you may taste their top wines such as Henry Lagarde Guarda 2001, Henry Lagarde Guarda 2001 and Malbec DOC.

Bodega Trapiche
Located in the Maipù Province of Mendoza, Trapiche Winery made a series of significant investments with the purpose of reaching a 3-million litter capacity in their high-quality wine line production.

The winery’s design is harmonic, sober with plenty of natural lighting and an architectural style that resembles the romantic and mystical Chateaus of Bordeaux.  Following the French style, the vineyards of Trapiche were planted surrounding the winery.

Vistalba Winery
Located in the center of Vistalba or Lujan de Cuyo, this family farm was converted to a winery by Carlos Pulenta who started Vistalba in 2002.  Being at the foot of the magnificent Cordon del Plata, the soil characteristics are rough which lends itself perfectly to growing Malbec.  On the 58 hectares lie the vineyards, the winery, La Posada Inn, the Lounge and La Bourgogne Restaurant. Everything about this Mendoza bodega is 5-star.

Benegas Winery
Tiburcio Benegas, Silvestre Ochagavía  and Agoston Harszthy are considered the first three pioneers in the wine industry in America and the Benegas family is deeply rooted in wine history. Convinced that it was imperative to achieve excellence in their products, Tiburcio Benegas brought the first French grapevines ever introduced in Argentina, along with the most advanced technology available at the time.   Mendoza’s prior Governor, Agustín Alvarez,  completed the construction of this winery in 1901.  It is one of the few relics that remain from the XIXth century Mendoza.  Benegas is made of adobe with a underground stone cave to stow casks and bottles.  All Benegas wines are made exclusively with grapes from their own vineyards.

Catena Zapata
World renowned wine critic, Robert Parker said “the wines from Nicolas Catena and his daughter are the finest in wine making art from South America.”

Nicola Catena was born in Italy where he worked in the vineyards as a young man.  His enthusiasm and drive brought him to Mendoza where he planted his first vineyard in 1902.  Together with his son, the Catenas wine business grew into one of the largest producers in Argentina.  In 1962 his grandson Nicolas took over the business and by 1976 they were selling 20 million bottles a year world wide.  The tradition continues as Nicolas’s brother and daughter are now helping with Catena Zapata’s innovative techniques and worldwide marketing efforts.

In 2001, Nicolas opened a new state of the art bodega modeled after a Mayan temple. This was to represent the uniqueness of the Mendoza region and give emphasis to the ever constant sun that helps produce high quality grapes.

Bodega Salentein
Salentein lies in the Valle de Uco at 1,200 meters above sea level surrounded by their fincas or farms and shadowed by the towering Andes Mountains.  Although the winery is relatively new, one of the fincas on the property dates back to the Jesuits of the XVII century who were also involved in viticulture.  All of their Mendoza vineyards are at least 30 years old and possess valuable characteristics such as calcareous stony-soils and high elevation.  Many of Salentein’s vineyards are grown in microclimates which ultimately give any particular variety a unique signature.

The bodega itself is quiet unique in structure and methods.  The four-story building is constructed in a cross with each wing being a separate winery.  The upper level holds the large fermentation tanks while the lower level holds oak barrels.  The winery uses gravity to transfer the wine from the tanks to the oak casks where they mature.  The wine storage vaults and tasting room are among the most magnificent in Mendoza.  The main tasting room has a 25′ long, 12″ thick solid marble table that can seat forty people. This 107,600 sq ft winery has over 4,000 French oak barrels and produces 3.5 million liters of wine annually.  While the impressive building is only enjoyed on site, the wines produced from within are honored around the world.

Dolium
In 1997, the beloved Mario Giadorou followed in his Italian ancestor’s traditions of wine making by established Dolium Winery in the Lujan de Cuyo Valley.  Mario’s mechanical engineering background helped him design Mendoza’s first modern winery where all the fermentation tanks were located underground where temperatures are controlled naturally.  This ancient technique is also represented in the word “dolium”, which is Latin for amphora or small urn.  These are the distinctive containers that the Romans and Greeks used to store wine.  Mario was the first wine maker in Mendoza, Argentina to combine these ancient wine making traditions with modern technology.  (We were lucky to get a private tour from Mario before he passed away in 2005).

Today, visitors are greeted and given a private tour and tasting by the new owners just as Mario used to do.  The Gran Reserve Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon lines are among the best wines produced in South America.  A rooftop terrace overlooking the vineyards of Agrelo and the glacier-capped Andes is a favorite spot for private lunches or an evening tasting with tapas.

La Rural Winery
La Rural is one of the first local wineries of Mendoza and was founded by Italian immigrant Felipe Rutini in 1895.  The Bodega cultivates Malbec, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Riesling, Chardonnay and Chenin.  It also is the only producer of the rare Gewurztraminer variety.  A tour of La Rural is a favorite among wine enthusiasts because of its distinguished wine museum, containing an extensive collection of artifacts from it’s founding days.  La Rural makes well-known wines such as Felipe Rutini and San Felipe.

Terrazas Winery
In 1959, the famous French Champagne house, Moet & Chandon sent their wine analyst, Renaud Poirier, to South America for reconnaissance.  After several years in various countries, he claimed the Lujan de Cuyo Valley in Mendoza Argentina was the best place to start a production of varietal wines.  Poirier produced his first experimental vintages in 1957-1959.  Three decades later a branch of Moet Chandon, called Terrazas de los Andes was born.

Familia Zuccardi
The Zuccardi family has been living in Mendoza since the late 19th century.  They are the largest family owned and run winery in Argentina and the only Mendoza winery founded without foreign investment.  The creator of Zuccardi was Don Alberto, who started an irrigation business and began to plant small vineyards in the 1950’s to demonstrate his innovative techniques.  His son Jose Alberto now is the director of Familia Zuccardi and has a permanent staff of 350 people.

Since 1998, the winery has set a goal to convert all their vineyards to organic and most, if not all of their vineyards are certified organic by the Argentine government.  The Zuccardis believe that by working with nature, higher quality wines can be produced.  They are able to ensure their wine quality in all markets by producing wines from only their family’s vineyards.

Don Alberto is currently working on three different irrigation techniques.  Two are computer controlled drip systems that give a rain like affect while the other is a micro-spray system.

Zuccardi is located about 25 minutes from Mendoza and is a wonderful place to have lunch.