Mendoza, Argentina Vineyards
The Best Vineyards in the Argentine Wine Capital
Argentine wine is hot right now and Mendoza is the country's wine capital. Here are the best vineyards in the region.
There are 632 vineyards in Mendoza, Argentina. Maybe more by the time you finish reading this. That’s how fast Mendoza’s wine scene is growing. Prices begin at a mere $5,000 an acre, compared to hundreds of thousands in Napa, so all the big names have made or are making significant investments here. Kendall Jackson has a facility, so does Moet et Chandon. Many other big names have invested here as well and boutique hotels and restaurants and cafes serving the best in Argentine food and wine are popping up all the time.
Here are some of the best Vineyards in Mendoza:
Trapiche (Nueva Mayorga FN, Maipú, Mendoza; 54-261/497-2388). Trapiche is the world’s most renowned wine producer. This is where French superstar wine maker Michel Rolland has been producing stunning wines in collaboration with Trapiche's vintner, Angel Mendoza. This is the third largest winery in the world. They have recently spent US$2 million to enlarge their facilities so they are able to produce three million liters annually. They own seven vineyards at varying altitudes in and around Mendoza.
Catena Zapata – By the forefather of Mendoza’s modern resurrection and one of the most exciting vineyards around. If Mendoza had a Royal Family it would be the Catena Zapata dynasty and Nicolás Catena would be king. The research on the microclimates of Mendoza, which began in 1983, was what really turned the wine industry here around. They discovered as the altitude increased, the average temperature decreased and the scope between day and night temperatures increases. Since 2002, they have five different single vineyard Malbecs, set to emphasize the differences in Mendoza’s altitudes and its effects on the grapes. Catena has done more for Malbec than any other winery in the world. They release an impressive Chardonnay each year as well, that is always very highly rated. Itis grown at 4,830 feet in the Adrianna Vineyard and touted as the best site for growing Chardonnay in Mendoza. The family is known to push the limits in the area. For their high tech winery, they hired designer Pablo Sánchez Elía to build a bodega in the shape of a Mayan pyramid, which has become one of Mendoza’s symbols of combining old world craftsmanship and new world innovation.
Escorihuela winery - (1188 Belgrano, Mendoza; 54-261/424-2282). Set in the Godoy Cruz district, the more than a century old winery is home to a 63,000-liter barrel—the world's largest. It’s adjoined to the famed 1884 restaurant mentioned earlier in the heart of the city. Escorihuela produces the Don Miguel Gascón line of wines, which are readily available in the US and run a modest US$10-15.
For lodging in Mendoza, try the Cavas Wine Lodge.
