In Vino Veritas; Mendoza, Argentina

Wine and civilization have gone hand in hand since the begining of recorded history. From those first vine tenders on the banks of the Euphrates River all the way down to the recent explosion in wine popularity (thanks in no small part to Paul Giamatti and company in the movie Sideways) mankind has always had a deep love of all things grape. Indeed, the seeds of western philosophy sprang up along side the tender green shoots in the vinyards of ancient Greece. Those pondering such imponderables as the Platonic forms, the idea of the infinite and a quaint new style of government called "democracy" must have gotten quite a bit of help from a bowl or two of sweet Hellenic Cabernet. In wine we find our most sacred religious ceremonies, our happiest celebrations and our most relaxing of idle times and of course... it just tastes so damn good.

With so much of our shared cultural heritage dependent upon wine, Molly and I thought it only right to spend a few days checking out the vineyards in the mecca of south American wines, Mendoza, Argentina. We met up with fellow oenophile Scott Majeska in the Chilean capitol of Santiago and prepared to make the long journey across the Andes.

Brad Pitt filmed "Seven Years In Tibet" just outside of Mendoza. I wonder why the Chinese government wouldn't let him shoot it in their country?

Crossing a border in South America is always a pulse quickening experience. Tales of corrupt police and bribe-hungry border officals abound. Also, anyone who has ever seen the show Locked Up Abroad knows that a South American prison is NOT a fun place to spend time. By the time we got the the border Scott had lost his immigration form that he received when he entered Chile and had no way to prove that he'd entered the country legally (besides of course the stamp in his passport and his entry visa, but these apparently were not sufficient). Fortunately, we played the "confused tourist" card like pros and we were on our way.

Mendoza is a sprawling city of wide tree-lined avenues and fountain-filled plazas. Snow-capped Andean peaks rise high in the distance lending a dramatic backdrop to the otherwise tranquil town. It also has a very European feel to it. Many Mendozans spend their days puffing away on cigarettes and drinking coffee while watching the world go by at one of the hundreds of outdoor cafes that line the city's shady boulevards. With so much lounging about, we often found ourselves asking "Don't these people have jobs?" But I guess we aren't ones to talk.

Photo credit:Scott Majeska

After finding a hostel we decided to switch over from Chilean diet of mostly seafood, to the most Argentine of all foods... grilled meat. People in Argentina eat more beef per capita than anyone else on the planet. Grilled meat restaurants or "parrillas" abound in any town in Argentina. Mendoza is no exception so finding one was quite easy. All you need to do is follow your nose. The meat here is excellent, plentiful and varied in styles. Over the course of a few days we dined on hanger steak, rib eye, sirloin, beef loin, beef ribs, beef tripe, fennel sausage, grilled chicken, pork chops and some excellent blood sausage. Argentina was on the Atkins diet before Dr. Atkins was even a gleam in old Mr. Atkins' eye.

"Sucks to your assmar"

The next day we hopped on some bikes and headed out for the vineyards to taste a sampling of Mendoza's most famous export. We rented bikes at a place called Mr. Hugo's. Before we even sat down Mr. Hugo himself was out filling our glasses with dark red Syrah, not bad for 10 am. We road down the Camino de Vino past seemingly endless fields of grapes stretching off towards the mountains. Huge trees lined the road shielding us from the hot desert sun and the smell of fresh olives perfumed the breeze as we pedaled.

Our first stop was a winery called Carinae. It's story is one that I think many people often dream about for themselves. A middle-aged French couple decided to retire and start a winery. They came to Mendoza in 2002 seaching for a suitable place. After weeks of searching they came upon a winery that had been abandoned since the 1970s. Because of the region's arid climate, bugs and mold are not a problem so the vines were still in excellent shape. This was especially good for the prospective buyers. A vine will produce grapes for about 150 years. The older it is, the fewer the grapes it produces but the higher the quality. It takes about 30 years for a newly planted vine to start producing high quality grapes. In the abandoned vineyard all of the vines were between 40 and 60 years old. Pretty much right in the sweet spot.

Another big factor in their decision to purchase the winery, which was catastrophic for the Argentine people but great for this French couple, was that in 2002 the economy of Argenina had basically collapsed. The country had defaulted on hundreds of billions of peso in forgein debt. Inflation reached a whopping 230% and the country was in despair. This meant that the French couple, spending euros, could snap up the vineyard for a song. It also meant that  exports from Argentina were suddenly very cheap so that their business promptly flourished. They now own another vineyard closer to the mountains and produce malbecs, syrahs, cabernet sauvingon and a wonderful malbec rose, along with some delicious olive oil from the trees that encircle the different plots on the vineyard. Not a bad life.

We spent a long time at Carinae tasting wines and olive oil before retreating to picnic table in the shade of some olive trees to enjoy our purchases. We ate cheese, bread, and sausages while sipping rose. Afterwards we hopped back on the bikes and were off to a few other wineries and even an outdoor beer garden. Riding through winding roads of Mendoza, past row after row of olive trees and grape vines, tipsy off of wine that came from those very vines is an experience I'll not soon forget and one that makes me thankful to be alive on such a beautiful planet.

After all that wine and biking, we really needed to relax and unwind, (no seriously it was tough). Fortunately just outside of Mendoza we found wonderful hotsprings to sooth away the pain from our weary muscles. Geothermal-heated water bubbles up into eight or nine pools of various temperatures on the side of a beautiful canyon. Lower down, cool natural spring water fills pools, waterslides and even a lazy river for children to splash around in. We spent hours moving from one pool to another soaking in the hot water, jumping into icy cold plunges and then crawling back to the steaming bath to start the whole process over again.

Before long it was time to leave Mendoza and head back for the coast of Chile. As we wound our way back through the mountains I found myself thinking about the Latin phrase "In vino veritas", in wine there is truth. This simple sentence has been with mankind for generations and resonates on many levels. The intoxicating effects of wine certainly have the power to loosen the tongue and make you say what you really mean... and sometimes alot more than you mean to say. But furthermore, wine has the power to lower our defenses and make us realize our own deepest desires. It helps us to connect with one another and share what we would otherwise keep covered up deep inside. Finally, while sipping wine among the twisting vines in Mendoza with Molly and Scott, munching on crusty bread and sweet olive oil, the hustle and bustle of the outside world seems to melt away. Here we could see what is truly important in life, good food and good friends and that, at least for me, is the greatest truth of all.