Mendoza. Wine Country

The hostel is on the right in the back and my bike is parked at the end of the walkway right near the front door!

Hidden basically from the street and the front desk guy, Martin was great to watch over my bike!!

Signed up for a Premium wine tour…. So I was sitting waiting for my bus to pick me up. Everyone was out sweeping the sidewalks and organizing the restaurants for business.

Was picked up with a mini van ….. This tour is a small group going to 4 wineries.

The Mendoza region produces lots of great wines that are exported all over the world. Since the late 90’s outside investors were able to come to Mendoza and increase the wine exporting.

The first stop at a winery with the Andes in the background!! Beautiful Day!

We jump right in with a full tour in English, and then to the fancy tasting room.

Like most wineries they have cool buildings.

This is our first winery.

We learn more about the process of the Vinyard, the picking, crushing, fermenting and the aging of the various wines and the “characteristic” of the wines.

The owners private collection.

The one on the right was my Favorite!

Some nice roses around the vineyard. There is a reason for this…..

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Then onto the next winery. A new and modern one. only 6 years old. Argentinian and US owned.

Their wines on display.

Comparing color and smells of the different wines…..

This one was really good.

As we went to the 3rd Winery. It was also lunch time. Here is the happy winetasting group. We had a great time together.
Let me introduce to you the group. Simon and Claudia from Stuttgart Germany in the front. Radioman in the middle left, Andrea our fantastic guide from (Trout and Wine tours), and in the last seats Steven and Helen from Switzerland (but Holland and UK before!)

An excellent 4 course meal, and more wine tasting

Started with an apple soup and then salad

Then an amazing cut of grilled Steak

Dessert…. OOOPs ate it before I remembered to take a photo!

This was their Premium wine. Yummy!

Then off to the last winery of the day. It is a family run winery….

Their wine ages in sections of the old cement tanks as the climate is just right.

Many of the old buildings are made of Adobe bricks like so many building through out SA. They have framed a section so you can see it, but then retrofitted all the building due to earthquake possibilities here in Mendoza

Oh yea, taking time to smell the flowers!!

and check out the wines.

Lots of wine aging….

And their Award winner!

Once again a group shot!! Really had a great time meeting this group of people!! with them Safe travels!!

Andrea our guide was great and we had a lot of fun together for the whole day. Was worth spending a bit more for a small group and the Gourmet Lunch!! Wine and Trout is the tour name….