Olive Oil Tasting in Mendoza

 

It wasn’t just some great reds tasted in Mendoza, Argentina this month, olive oil is also under going a rebirth. Quality oil that is. At the borgada Familia Zuccardi their new processing center is ready for operation. Color, aroma and taste matters much like wine itself. While taking a sip it is important to suck in some air also, that is the way to test the varietals, which range from sweet to spicy. The Familia uses three varietals, Manzanilla, Arauco and Frantoio, all different and all wonderful.

A Night Out In Mendoza, Argentina

 

The skies over Mendoza are cobalt and clear a perfect match for the blinding white of the Andes. With only five days of rain a year it is extraordinary that it is also the location of some of world’s best wine vineyards. It is the melting snow of the Andes channeled by irrigation canals that makes the dessert below bloom. In appropriate pairing with fine wine, Argentine beef is plentiful and fantastic.

Perhaps I will best remember dinning in Mendoza as much as its physical beauty! A dinner for two at one of the city’s best restaurants was a mere $45. Off of the huge menu we had a shared platter of antipasti, two filets and two bottles of fine Malbec wine. The service exceptional and the restaurant filled with happy and satisfied clientele. The walk back to the great Sheraton in the cool night air added to the gratification. I would be hard pressed to remember many places where an night out was such a delight.

Seeing Red, Mendoza Red

 

Except for a few recent trips to Brazil I haven’t been to other South American destinations in couple of years. Part of this upcoming trip is a few days in Mendoza, Argentina, a place I have never been. With the Andes as a back drop I plan on seeing red, lots of red, there are over 1290 bodegas (Wine Producers) scattered around the area and the wines have improved remarkably over the last few years. Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir all fit in my future.

That’s not the only red I’ll be seeing, Argentine beef is plentiful and some of the best in the world. Platters of bife de chorizo and cuts of filet should keep me fortified. After I plan on sitting in Plaza Espana with its Andalusian style and people watch. I like all things red!