Gaucho100K

I would kill Andeluna on Monday, and Catena on Tuesday. I think Salentein is the better visit in the Valle de Uco over Andeluna, and Catena is a very standard cookie-cutter tour that is really nothing special. Dont get me wrong, both the wines of Andeluna and Catena are very good, but the visits are nothing special plus you can get almost all their portfolio of wines overseas so I think they are the best choices to drop from the list.

As far as I understand, both restaurants LB and Mallmann are open on Sundays, Mondays Im not so sure, especially LB. Mallmann may be open 7 days a week. I suggest you have the Vines of Mendoza folks reconfirm this for you.

Cheers,
Alex

USAFAN

Thanks Gaucho100K ... I'll go to Mallmann!

thesilb

And thanks from me as well! ^

Gaucho100K

My pleasure... Im here to help!!

damon88

Hi All-

I'm a regular FT member with a request from my son who is living in BA (attending a B-School term abroad)

I'm forwarding his email and would appreciate any response:

this is the thread I want to post on- all things mendoza
> >
> >the guy who started the thread Gaucho100K seems like he knows his
> >stuff
> >
> >my question:
> >
> >"Hi there gang. Great thread! I am a grad student in BsAs and just
> >booked a 3-day trip to Mendoza while my girlfriend is visiting from
> >New York. Unfortunately most the best hotels were already booked, but
> >I found a room at Robles de Besares Posada in Chacras de Coria. Does
> >anybody know much about the place?
> >
> >I also wanted advice on a day of memorable wine tasting. It seems
> >like 3 vineyards is the magic number for a full day. Do we want to
> >stay around the Chacras de Coria region? I would love to visit three
> >spots that offer more personalized (ie less generic) tours and
> >tastings. My trip is in a little over 2 weeks so I want to book soon!
> >
> >Also a friend told me he ate lunch in Mendoza last year at an amazing
> >restaurant that was in a cave? Ring any bells for anyone??? He can't
> >remember the name.
> >
> >Thanks!"



Appreciate your help--

Gaucho100K

Im afraid I dont know the Posada mentioned.... I suggest you check out Trip Advisor for reviews on them. Chacras de Coria is a good place to stay... you are out of the noise of downtown and still within good striking distance (10-15 minute cab ride).

3 Bodegas in one day is doable.... but do book transportation with a driver and make sure to have your appointments confirmed beforehand. If you dont want cookie cutter tours, its best to stick to bodegas that are either small or have a tradition of more elaborate tours... but, make sure you state what it is you expect when making your reservations. Some name I suggest you look into before you make your choices:

Achval Ferrer
Bodega La Azul
O. Fournier
Salentein
Terrazas de los Andes

Cheers,
Alex (Gaucho100K)

USAFAN

I went to Mallmann. Very nice ambiance, very good service ... reservation is needed, we have been there on a Wednesday and it was packed.
The food was OK, but not great.
The lunch at Ruca Malen was much better, even their top vino tinto.
We stayed at a new hotel. Executive Suites, San Lorenzo 660 (they have 3 hotels, this is the newest one). We booked through Expedia and got a great suite, breakfast, valet parking for less than $100. The whole 14th floor was "decorated" with Familia Zuccardi. Other floors had decoration from other wineries. The service was excellent - very friendly and professional.
http://www.parksuites.com.ar/executive.html

Gaucho100K

USAFAN-- thanks very much for posting the mini-report on your experience with this new hotel. Ive heard a lot about these properties (from folks related to the venture), but this is the first customer experience I hear first hand. I guess I will add this to my list of recommended places to stay.

USAFAN

Yes, it's a really nice hotel. But there was a problem with A/C. The A/C handler is located at the bedroom and very noisy. To should the A/C off was no solution ... the room got too hot when I was there in November 2007.
Still, I would go back. The hotel is very stylish and the staff was extremely friendly and professional. I wonder who got the guts to build such a hotel in Mendoza?! Are they expecting more business, tourists?

Gaucho100K

Mendoza has a strong shortage of hotel beds..... and tourism is growing very strongly. Many bodegas are looking to provide lodging.... and the rumor mill is saying that apparently Hilton and/or Sheraton are working with local investors to build properties in MDZ. Stay tuned for details...

mgelber

OK- now for something completely different!

Is there a "best" grocery store in Mendoza? We will be spending a few weeks in Las Lenas in August, and want to stock up on provisions in Mendoza before we shuttle down to the resort. Last year, we found it impossible to find a bunch of the things that we wanted, items that aren't part of the traditional Argentine diet.

I wasn't surprised that I couldn't find coconut milk, lemongrass, or tuong ot... but I was surprised that I couldn't find shallots, portabello mushrooms, or, as I recall, red onions - they just had the yellow onions, or was it the other way 'round?

Are there any specialty food stores that sell "exotic" groceries like these? Don't get me wrong, I love chorizo and grease cookies! I'm just looking to spice things things up a bit.

Oh- I'd like to buy a whole jamon serrano, too... but maybe that's asking too much?

Gaucho100K

I suggest you head to Jumbo.... please see the link below:

http://www.jumbo.com.ar/jumbo/site/J...les/index.html

Once you open the link... look below the map and you can see additional links to the locations that Jumbo has in the different provinces.... Mendoza appears first in the list, click and you will have another window open that includes detailed address information and how to get there.

BTW, smart move to stock up in Mendoza as prices at the small markets that you have in Las Leñas will kill just about any budget...

SoFlyOn

I agree with Alex that Jumbo is probably your best bet (BTW, it's pronounced "Zhumbo" in Argentina).

I've not been to the Jumbo in Mendoza, but the other stores have many of the items you're looking for. The trick is to find where abouts in the store they might be. Often imported items are in places you wouldn't think to look, and they tend to be stocked in different places at different times. Sometimes imported Asian products (often from a single manufacturer) will be grouped in a display around a pillar). These items will be labeled in English. Coconut milk always seems to be stocked.

The portabello mushrooms will be prepackaged in a produce section cooler. Shallots I've seen are prepackaged in mesh bags hanging from pillar with other prepackaged items, like peppers (and nowhere near the loose onions). I've seen fresh lemongrass at times, grouped with other fresh herbs, and sometimes at the central weigh station (NB - loose produce is weighed and bar-coded at these stations, so make sure you have that done before you go to check-out).

There will most probably be an "imported" food isle, which is the best place to look first. Many of employees you see in the store are outside vendor shelf stockers, so they might not know where many of the items may be.

Your best bet is to just walk around the supermarket and see what they have. Even some more mundane items will be grouped in different places than you are accustomed to in the US.

John

mgelber

Thank you Alex and John, that's great info - I even found a picture of the Jumbo on Google Earth (panoramio.com).

Panam Clipper

I agree that Jumbo will likely be the most practical place to gather your supplies but suggest you also consider visiting the Mercado Central in the center of the city at Av. Las Heras and Patricias Mendocinas. A beautiful display of fruits, meats, cheese etc. Make sure you take your camera.