FROM MAJESTIC MOUNTAIN-DOTTED VISTAS TO MICHELIN-HERALDED FEASTS, THERE’S FAR MORE THAN MALBEC TO DEVOUR IN ARGENTINA’S MOST CELEBRATED WINE REGION

BY AMBER GIBSON

Wood, wine, and nature are the top reasons to visit Argentina’s fourth largest city, a desert landscape at the foothills of the Andes Mountains. Mendoza has grown tremendously in the last 25 years, and only recently has it emerged as an international wine destination. Winemakers are local celebrities here and you’ll eat and drink like royalty. Michelin published its first Argentina guide last year and Mendoza has more starred restaurants than the capital, Buenos Aires. Despite its lack of rainfall, the high-altitude city has an elaborate Pre-Columbian canal system along with modern irrigation to distribute pristine snow melt from the mountains to the vineyards, orchards, and farms.

Mendoza makes some of the best value wines in the world, and it’s not only Malbec. Fresh and aromatic Torrontés, a native grape to Argentina, is spectacular on its own and easy to pair with food. Outstanding examples of Rhone varietals, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and even brut nature champagne-method sparkling wine are all produced here too. Make sure you venture out of the city to the Uco Valley to immerse yourself in the vineyards and wineries.

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

Mendoza is the largest wine-growing region in Latin America and the heart of Argentina’s wine industry. The first Malbec vines were planted here in the 19th century by Catholic priests, who brought cuttings over from France. Since Argentina is in the Southern Hemisphere, October through April is considered the best and most beautiful time of year to visit.

From New York, you’ll fly to Buenos Aires to connect to Mendoza, and Delta offers overnight 11-hour flights in super private Delta One suites with full-height sliding doors and privacy dividers. You can whet your appetite with a glass of Argentinian wine enroute, including Susana Balbo’s signature Malbec. Mendoza is the largest producer of Malbec wines in the world, so there’s plenty to go around.

Argentina is currently experiencing high inflation and the Argentine peso is very volatile so pay by credit card and bring U.S. dollars in cash. Businesses might even give you a discount if you pay in U.S. dollars.

ATTRACTIONS

SUSANA BALBO WINES

Argentina’s first female winemaker has also become one of the country’s most award-winning. “We want to push the white wine revolution in Argentina,” she said. “We are more focused on innovation than tradition.”

Although Argentina is best known for bold red wines, more than a third of Balbo’s production is white and rosé wine. Her Torrontés is stellar and her signature white blend was the first white wine from Argentina to be recognized on Wine Spectator’s top 100 wines in the world. Although most of Balbo’s wine is exported, at the winery you can taste a few limited edition and small batch wines available exclusively in Argentina, and indulge in an elegant multi-course lunch at Osadía de Crear overlooking the vines. Cochabamba 7801, M5509, susanabalbowines.com.ar

GENERAL SAN MARTIN PARK

Mendoza’s General San Martin Park is larger than Central Park in New York, located in the middle of the city and a must-visit to view the more than 30 sculptures decorating the roads, including a magnificent monument celebrating Argentine independence. Visit the zoo and national science museum, take a stroll and people watch, or even go hang-gliding. Bring a bottle of wine and some local cheese and charcuterie for a picnic. You can easily spend an entire day wandering around. Avenue Emilio Civit 701, mendoza.gov.ar/elparque

WHERE TO STAY

SB WINEMAKERS HOUSE & SPA SUITES

Mother-daughter duo Susana Balbo and Ana Lovaglio Balbo open up their home with Argentina’s most exclusive adults only boutique hotel. The family’s wine making history is on full display with wine pairing and winemaking activities, along with custom artwork by regional artists, including an intricate paper collage tree of life welcoming guests in the main house. All seven spa suites include a curated wine fridge, spacious terrace with outdoor fire pit, steam room, mas sage table, and sensory shower (four rooms have saunas, too), so lavish three hour spa rituals are conducted in the privacy of your suite. The antioxidants of wine are harnessed not just in the glass but in restorative spa therapies, including grape seed exfoliation and mud wraps with red wine must. Wine and wellness have never been so seamlessly intertwined. Viamonte 5022, Chacras de Coria, susanabalbohotels.com

LA MORADA

The well-appointed tiny homes at La Morada look out over the snow-kissed Andes Moutains and all come equipped with a hot tub and wine fridge more luxe than you might expect. One, two, and three-bedroom homes are available for hotel stays and for sale, and families are welcome, with a playground on property and kids menus. Hornero Restaurante offers sumptuous family style wood-fired meals, excellent empanadas, and tantalizing tiramisu. They’ll even arrange an outdoor barbecue with a slow-roasted whole goat upon request. The cellar has an excellent selection of Argentine wine, and there are more than a dozen wineries open to the public within ten minutes, too. Avenue Colón 430, M5500, lamoradalodge.com

CAVAS WINE LODGE

When Cavas Wine Lodge opened in 2005, it pioneered a new standard of luxury in Mendoza’s nascent wine tourism landscape. Husband-and-wife team Martín Rigal and Cecilia Diaz Chuit have built a rustic retreat, nestled amongst vineyards at the foot of the Andes with Moorish-inspired architecture in natural earth tones. All 18 rooms and suites include a wood-burning fire place and private upstairs terrace with a plunge pool and outdoor shower. Bathe in Bonarda grape extracts from the sur rounding vineyards before enjoying a full body massage at the spa. There are complimentary wine tastings in the cellar each evening, and you can visit nearby vineyards by horse or by bike. C. Costa Flores s/n, M5507 Luján de Cuyo, cavaswinelodge.com

DAY TRIPS AND TOURS

HORSEBACK RIDING

A horseback ride with local gauchos is a scenic way to appreciate the dramatic mountain landscape and spot wildlife like condors, eagles, foxes, and wild horses. Top hotels like La Morada and SB Winemaker’s House & Spa Suites can arrange for private rides with authentic gauchos on private property with the best views. La Morada will even bring a bruschetta and cheese picnic and have bottles of sparkling wine chilling in the river for when your ride concludes. Small group tours like Cabalgatas La Crucecita are another option, with daily rides featuring guitar-playing guides and a bonfire asado. horsebackridingmendoza.com

WINE TOUR

With so many wineries spread out across Mendoza and the Uco Valley, you’ll want to hire a private guide and driver for the most comfortable experience. Every tour is tailored to your wine preferences and include pick up at your hotel and a gourmet lunch along the way. You can stick to all wineries or throw in other agritourism activities too, like visiting an olive grove and tasting fresh pressed olive oils or learning how to thinly slice a leg of salumi and see how it’s dry-aged at Carnicería Frigorífico Los Camilos. Catena Zapata is requisite on any itinerary, a fourth-generation family-owned winery that revolutionized Argentine wine by embracing the cool climate, high altitude growing conditions with scientific research. hontravel.tur.ar

DINE AND DRINK

LA VIDA

This intimate restaurant located in SB Winemaker’s House is also open to the public, serving seven- and 14-course tasting menus inspired by the tree of life. Chef Flavia Amad Di Leo sources more than 90% of her ingredients from Mendoza and tells a culinary story about her hometown with refined molecular gastronomy techniques and creative reinterpretations of traditional dishes like tomaticán stew. Each course, from thinly shaved lamb tongue with sweet carrot sauce to the chef’s tiramisu inspired dessert of chocolate barley ice cream, mascarpone anglaise, and crunchy carob cake, comes with a keepsake note card description with beautiful artwork on the back. Viamonte 5022, M5505 Chacras de Coria, instagram.com/ restaurant.lavida

CASA VIGIL

Walking past the bountiful gardens and orchards showcases ingredients you’ll soon see on your plate at Casa Vigil, which originally opened in 2015 with just ten tables. Winemaker Alejandro Vigil wanted to open his home to friends to share his wine, but with popular demand, the restaurant grew and they’ve recently opened a second location in Miami. Vigil still lives in the original Mendoza location, where guests savor al fresco meals and live music, choosing from a three-course prix fixe menu at lunch or a ten-course tasting for dinner. Garlicky gazpacho, veal ribs and ribeye with blue cheese, and brie ice cream are just a few highlights, all paired with Vigil’s lineup of El Enemigo wines. Videla Aranda 7008, M5519 Maipú, universovigil.com

AZAFRÁN

Chef Sebastian Weigandt earned a Michelin star last year for elevating this local favorite restaurant with a new tasting menu format to showcase regional ingredients and Argentine culinary identity. From the first bite of goat cheese and goat jerky macaron to a trio of small dishes celebrating the humble tomato, Weigandt’s food is playful and delicious. Vegetarian substitutes are equally tasty, like a hearty mushroom empanada rather than goat. The extensive wine list focuses on small producers in Mendoza and throughout Argentina, so let the sommelier guide the way for an eye-opening education on Argentine wines. Avenue Sarmiento 765, M5500, azafranresto.com