Camino del Vino Mendoza (Uco Valley)

Today we had one of, if not the, best day of the trip so far. We set out from our hostel at 8:15 AM, with the guidance of Stephán, a 3-star Michelin-rated sommelier originally from Lyon (France), and Norma, our driver, who hails from Argentina with Chilean parentage. We visited three very different, very distinct vineyards:

The first was an all-organic/biodynamic winery, with all-natural fertilization processes, irrigation, fermentation, etc. The grapes are hand-trimmed by the family (four brothers, their spouses and children), mashed by hand, and either bottled or barrel-aged, also using only hand tools and casks they made themselves. Gabriél, one of the four brothers, gave us a personal tour and guided tasting, and we were so delighted we decided to buy a bottle of his finest malbec (Nick's favorite wine). It was superb.

It certainly didn't hurt that we were the only two people on the tour, which assured personal treatment and a very exclusive feeling to everything.

We then proceeded to the Casa de Uco, which we later learned was one of Conde Nast's top 15 hotels IN THE ENTIRE COT DAMN WORLD. Casa de Uco is both a hotel and a winemaking complex, where aspiring oenologists can purchase tracts of land and grow their own grapes, under the watchful eye of Juan Pablo Nieva, the master vintner and an experienced hand at growing the finest vines in both France and Argentina (in addition to having regular rooms, suites, villas, etc.). There, we dined on a six-course lunch, complete with wine pairings and a special bread pudding for dessert, prepared specially for us as our guide is a good friend of the hotel's chef. It was, to say the utterly, very least, incredible. Rachel dined on sweet potato gnocchi and Nick opted for the filet (rare, of course), and they each also had delicious, fresh-baked bread, carpaccio con pesto, beef enchiladas, ensalada con queso, and a fried potato with ahi tuna marmelade. The best meal we have had, without a doubt.

After some tea and a brief siesta, we moved on to Monteviejo, producers of the famed La Violeta Malbec ($180 USD/bottle) and the LindaFlor line of specialty wines (malbec, chardonnay, syrah blends, etc. that Nick is certain he has seen his mom buy), where we tasted four additional wines and received a tour of the grounds. Much, much larger than the other two vineyards, this was considered a medium-sized property and the actual grounds were quite beautiful. We sampled four additional wines here, before hopping back into our truck and returning to Mendoza city. As Nick writes this, Rachel is fast asleep next to him in the back of the truck, happy and relaxed from a full day of wine and food. We could not be happier.

In addition, today it's crucially important for us to recognize Rachel's dad, Josh, and his wife Diane, without whom this incredible day would not have been possible. Josh and Diane, as a Christmas gift, provided us with the funds necessary to add this incredible, amazing excursion to our trip, and we could not be happier. Today was truly incredible, a day that neither of us shall soon forget. Dad and Diane, we owe it all to you. Thank you! :)Read more