Some of the mark ups earlier this year were ForEx related... but now, the the Euro down from its all time highs.... plus the financial meltdown and the recession... prices will have no floor.... its going to be very good for buyers that have the cash to buy the good stuff.

Ive never been to Catamarca.... so Im not much help for that destination. Mendoza will be less expensive than Bariloche, that may be a good option for something out of town.... else, a day or two at an Estancia somewhere in the Provincia de Buenos Aires would also be an option.

Trip to Mendoza in May
 

This is a wonderful thread so I'd like to say thanks to everyone who has contributed to it (took a long time to just read the last 8-9 pages). My wife and I are thinking about a trip to Argentina for our anniversary in May. I have a few questions regarding it though.

1. Is a trip to Mendoza still worthwhile while it getting that close to winter?
2. Although we are wine fanatics, 6 days might be a bit much. What would those who have been there recommend doing on non touring days (keeping in mind it's almost winter at the end of May)
3. Does LAN have stopovers and if so would someone know the cost? Part of me thinks I can't go there without spending at least a couple days in Buenos Aires if I'm paying that much money to go there in the first place.
4. Is it possible to ship large quantities of wine home? Given the extra baggage fees on the US airlines it seems like we would have some issues getting a couple cases home.

I'll have to read back through the thread if we indeed decide to go but I would appreciate any thoughts some of you have, especially to the first two questions.

For the serious wine fanatic, Winter is a good time to visit Mendoza because its reasonably past harvest time... this means that the wineries are more relaxed and you have a better chance at getting some quality time with more relevant people at each producer. If however you are worried about the views and the weather... then thats another story. It all depends on what your true interests are.

I think you would be ill-served not to spend a few days in Buenos Aires. Having said that, if you are wine fanatics, considering the distances that need to be covered in Mendoza, 6 full days will get you a nice introduction of the sub-regions and the different producers... but it will by no means mean you have an in-depth understanding of all Mendoza.

Shipping wine to the USA is possible, but it is by no means inexpensive. Please note that wine is a perishable product, so professional grade logistics is a must. When done properly, wine logistics is never inexpensive. As for the extra baggage fees as an option... its actually a good option (and cost effective), given what shipping of wines will cost you.

Feel free to PM me if you want more details on the wine shipment situation.

I was more worried about not being to get the "experience" of the area, but it sounds like the timing would be better in that regard. We were in Italy a few years ago and are pretty familiar with expensive shipping options so we'd probably just pack accordingly.

Thanks for the post and all the great information in this thread. I've got a lot of reading to do through the early part of this thread, but I'll probably post again with a few follow-up questions if we decide to come down there.

As far as weather, Mendoza in May is comfortable and not a bad time at all to visit. You will definitely need jackets and sweaters, but May is too early for snow, even in the high mountain passes between Chile and Argentina. I visited the city in May of 2007 and went from sweater in the morning to t-shirt in the afternoon. It does tend to rain more often during this time of year, though.

As far as shipping wine back to the USA, you could always just bring it back yourself (assuming you were not planning on buying a very large amount). A lot of wineries will pack the bottles specially for air travel. You have to buy at minimum a case, though. But you can get some good deals and there are some great labels there that are not exported for sale to the USA.

I attended a Malbec/Malbec blend tasting on Saturday, so I thought that I'd relay some of my opinions:

Pascual Toso 2007 Malbec: A fine bargain for near term drinking at $9 US a bottle

Kaiken Malbec 2007: Too heavily oaked for my taste - oak splinters in the mouth. at $9 a bottle

Kaiken Ultra Malbec 2006: Also too heavily oaked for my taste, but more concentrated. $16 a bottle

Clos de los Siete 2007: Not showing well, very tight and closed, nowhere near as nice right now as their superb 2006: Worth trying again later $16

Melipal Estate Malbec 2006: Also tight and not showing anywhere near as well as their fine 2005. But just seems to have less stuffing $16

Cobos Felino Malbec 2007: Superb fruit and smooth for near term drinking,
Not an ager, but who cares - fine value $17

Achaval Ferrer Malbec 2007: Intense fruit, very soft tannins, excellent concentration, but slightly one dimensional. Good near term value $18

Cobos Bramare Malbec 2006: Densely concentrated fruit, complex, clearly built to age, but I picked up a whiff of volatile acidity. Risky at $35 a bottle, I certainly preferred the Felino for current drinking.

Colome Estate Malbec 2006: Intense, structured, packed with fruit, racy structure, a beautiful wine. High altitude grapes and it shows. My pick for best value of the tasting at $22

Achaval Ferrer Quimera 2006: Solid, packed, complex, concentrated wine, structured, but soft tannins, certainly ageworthy - Top wine tasted $30 Not quite as showy as the spectacular 2005, but still quite fine.


For me, the clear standouts were the Colome and the A-F Quimera for the long haul (the Bramare could have been an off bottle, but ????), and the Achaval Ferrer Malbec and and Cobos Felino for near term drinking. And at under $10, the Pascual Toso was also a fine bargain, but upstaged by the best of the wines in this tasting.

It's worth noting that, alone among the wines tasted, the Colome came from the Salta region, not Mendoza. But it was certainly reminiscent of the high altitude wines I've tasted from the Valle de Uco.

Thanks for sharing your notes... ^

Any other comments about the Sheraton? I'm trying to decide between there and the Hyatt. Plat at both, using points at either (have both booked right now).

Also, the driver I've been corresponding with has recommended the following three areas. We have two full days; recommendations on which two to hit?
- LUJAN DE CUYO
- MAIPU
- VALLE DE UCO (“O’FOURNIER or CLOS DE LOS 7” are a slight surcharge, are they further away?)

We leave in about 6 weeks. Can't wait!

The Valle de Uco is drop dead gorgeous. So if scenery is important to you, that might be a consideration. Gaucho can tell you whether one valley produces "better" wine than another.

The Sheraton is a very posh, brand new hotel. Did you try to get Cash & Points? The C&P deal is extraordinary value (call SPG, because sometimes the SPG website is wrong about availability). BTW, I understand that this hotel is moving up to Cat. 4 in a few days, so get your reservations in now.

The Valle de Uco is well worth a visit.... wines there can be very good. As to which region makes better wines, that is a complicated matter. There are good, bad, and excellent wines make in every wine making region, the devil is in the details - producer, winemaker, source of grapes, style, etc. etc. etc. I will say that there are various producers in the Valle de Uco which I have great respect for... and it is out of the way so a surcharge will apply when hiring a car & driver to take you there.

Gaucho, I value your opinion. The driver is suggesting 3 from the following:
* SALENTEIN (tour and testing)
* ALTUS (tour, testing and lunch)
* ANDELUNA (tour and testing)
More wineries recommended: O’FOURNIER – CLOS DE LOS 7 – J&F LURTON – LA AZUL

Which would you suggest, or would you replace some of these with others?

I would not miss La Azul... a small garagiste producer but a good one. I would rather visit La Azul and skip Salentein. Andeluna is well represented in the USA.... but they do have a great lunch so if you can eat there I would do that. Altus, its a good producer but not my favorite.... I would do OFournier over Altus.

I wouldn't skip Salentein, simply for the absolutely spectacular physical plant, which might be the most impressive winery complex on earth - at least from the perspective of what type of ego is required to build such a place in a remote location. As far as the wines go, It's middle of the road.

I'd pass on Andeluna, and Altus and replace them with 2 from La Azul, Clos de la Siete, or O.Fournier, which are much more impressive as far as the serious dedication to top notch wines.

Hi everyone - This thread has been extremely informative! I am heading to Mendoza on March 11 for two days with four friends, and am really excited. Can anybody recommend a couple of budget hotels (~$100 per night) close to the Park Plaza (which is where I hear the "action" is)? Since we're five people, we would probably have to get two / three rooms.