Mendoza Wine Region - Day #1
Today we had scheduled a 1/2 day tour of two wineries in the Maipu area of Mendoza. Since our hotel, the Club Tapiz, is located in this area, we were picked up at 10 am. One does not just drive up to a vineyard for a tasting as is done in the United States, but rather you must have an appointment for a tour and tasting. These tours are pricey and for a 1/2 day private tour it is about $179 US /pp and a full day private tour with lunch is about $279 US /pp.
We were transported to our first winery, Renacer (re-birth) and as we were a bit early for our scheduled tour, we killed time by walking around the grounds and taking in the sights. Our guide told us whey there were kevlar nets placed along the sides of the grape vines. These nets are to prevent hail damage to the grapes. Hail can be as large as golfballs and can devastate a crop.
Today we had scheduled a 1/2 day tour of two wineries in the Maipu area of Mendoza. Since our hotel, the Club Tapiz, is located in this area, we were picked up at 10 am. One does not just drive up to a vineyard for a tasting as is done in the United States, but rather you must have an appointment for a tour and tasting. These tours are pricey and for a 1/2 day private tour it is about $179 US /pp and a full day private tour with lunch is about $279 US /pp.
We were transported to our first winery, Renacer (re-birth) and as we were a bit early for our scheduled tour, we killed time by walking around the grounds and taking in the sights. Our guide told us whey there were kevlar nets placed along the sides of the grape vines. These nets are to prevent hail damage to the grapes. Hail can be as large as golfballs and can devastate a crop.
Since this is such a large problem to the area, the government has a program of monitoring the skys with radar installations and when conditions for hail seem imminent, airplaines come and drop silver iodide crystals to produce small ice crystals that melt when they fall down rather to fall as a large ball of ice. This technique is also used in the Burgundy wine region of France.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/04/15/entire-burgundy-wine-region-covered-hi-tech-hail-shield-kill/
We also learned to tell a Malbac varietal by it leaf pattern. Malbec has three segments to the leaf with holes in between the segments while Cabernet has five segments to the leaf. Whether you can tell other varietals by the leaf, I am not skilled enought to know this yet.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/04/15/entire-burgundy-wine-region-covered-hi-tech-hail-shield-kill/
We also learned to tell a Malbac varietal by it leaf pattern. Malbec has three segments to the leaf with holes in between the segments while Cabernet has five segments to the leaf. Whether you can tell other varietals by the leaf, I am not skilled enought to know this yet.
The winery tour guide told us about the soils in the area and how elevation affects the grape. We also learned about how the temperature variation between day and night temperatures affects the type of wine. When the temperature variation is large, the wine develops more sugar and acid and that makes it more complex.
http://www.wineguy.co.nz/index.php/81-all-about-wine/766-diurnal-variation
The soil is also very important to the grapes as well and all of the factors considered are called the terroir, The soil in the Mendoza area is very pourous and does not hold water well. Therefore, the vines must be watered by flood irrigation which is costly, or by more efficient drip irrigation.
http://www.wineguy.co.nz/index.php/81-all-about-wine/766-diurnal-variation
The soil is also very important to the grapes as well and all of the factors considered are called the terroir, The soil in the Mendoza area is very pourous and does not hold water well. Therefore, the vines must be watered by flood irrigation which is costly, or by more efficient drip irrigation.
Mendoza is a desert climate and the Maipu region has lower elevation than the Uco Valley which we are scheduled to visit tomorrow.
The second Maipu Winery that we visited was Vistalba. It too had similar soil for the vines and they generally blend their grapes that consist of Malbec, Cabernet Savignon and Bonarda. Interesting is that their wines are fermented in cement fermentation tanks. The cement is made from local soil that imparts some of the flavors to the wines, specific to the area.
The second Maipu Winery that we visited was Vistalba. It too had similar soil for the vines and they generally blend their grapes that consist of Malbec, Cabernet Savignon and Bonarda. Interesting is that their wines are fermented in cement fermentation tanks. The cement is made from local soil that imparts some of the flavors to the wines, specific to the area.
They make blends called A, B and C with A having the best grapes. The wines are placed in French oak for aging and kept in a cellar that has humidity adjusted to slow evaporation from the oak.
After visiting the two wineries, we were returned to Club Tapiz for rest and relaxation. We will try out their restaurant in the evening.
After visiting the two wineries, we were returned to Club Tapiz for rest and relaxation. We will try out their restaurant in the evening.