Dedicated to educating Bernard

Bernard is my father in law. I've known him for over 20 years now, and he is really the perfect guy in all ways but one, namely his taste in wine. He is also getting on and will be 90 this year, and so my chances of changing his opinion are slim. I don't get why he likes old French vino, and he doesn't get why I much prefer fairly young Italian and Argentinean wines. But since that is our only major difference, I consider myself very lucky.

Now Bernard met up with us in Japan, and the subject of wine didn't really come up since beer fits much better with Japanese food. I fully understand that he didn't come all the way to the Andes just for a wine tasting. Indeed, it would have been him on his own, as I had to drive and couldn't indulge. (Flo is not indulging as her balance on crutches is already fragile).

Anyway, let's just say we went yesterday to the Uca Valley. It was not as pretty as it sometimes is, since the mountains were in the clouds, on what was an otherwise sunny day, but it was still a pleasant drive through the vineyards that never seemed to end. We were headed for the Salentein vineyard , which is the oldest of the new vineyards. Most people go for a tour, tasting and dinner. We stuck with just the 1st part, since amongst other things the menu price was way out of our budget and as I already said, I was driving. (Argentine beef is just as good in a modestly priced restaurant).

The wine production and storage is all super modern and have a certain aesthetic, with all the gleaming stainless steel and wood casks. The architects who designed the place in the late 90s went on to design nearly all the other places that followed, and I can see why. They hold concerts in the building, and one of the guys in our tour group played "Let it be" on the grand piano. Some people even get married here. But Flo and I agreed that was a bit weird, since although it's great for what it is, it's not necessarily a romantic wedding location. The kids had lots of questions, but at least one stumped the guide. How much of the production goes bad? He had no idea :).Lue lisää