In Search of the Grape

Argentina

Most people who know us are aware that we love all things wine.  Learning about wine, visiting wineries, meeting winemakers, tasting different wines, collecting wine, making our own wine.  It is a hobby, it is a quest, it is a passion.  So, when the opportunity arose for a specialized wine trip to Argentina, we jumped on it.   

After some very active time in Brazil and Antarctica, we made our way to Buenos Aires to meet up with 11 members of Vine Society, our North Carolina wine group.  We had been to Tuscany with this group in 2024, with fantastic results.  We were ready to relax and enjoy some Argentine wines with good friends.  Little did we know that this would not be a typical, least of all relaxing, wine tour.   

The travel agent dubbed our excursion as a “Wine Safari”.  The term “safari” is defined as an expedition to observe or hunt animals in their natural habitat, especially in East Africa.  We were certain there were no lions, elephants or rhinos roaming free in Argentina, but we weren’t there for “The Big Five”, we were in search of the grape. 

We spent a few days acclimating in Buenos Aires, Argentina’s capital and largest city.  It is known for its culture, European architecture, and vibrant nightlife. Our time there was packed with city tours, historic landmarks, delicious meals, markets, speakeasys, even a tango lesson.  

While our group arrived in Buenos Aires at different times, and wandered the city at different paces, we began the Vine Society tradition of meeting in the hotel bar in the evening to share stories of our day, a bonding experience that would continue throughout our journey. 

Built in 1889, the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires is considered one of the 10 best opera houses in the world.

During our first group dinner, we enjoyed one of Argentina’s most important culinary traditions, Asado, an elaborate meal of grilled meats, and learned to make empanadas, a staple in the country.  It was the first of many empanadas, and numerous Asado feasts.  Beef, beef and more beef; by the end of the trip, we were all craving salad.   

When the time came to begin some serious wine exploration, we boarded a short flight to Argentina’s Salta province in northwestern Argentina, one of the most Spanish regions in the country.   Renowned for its diverse landscapes, cultural richness, and historical significance, the area is characterized by Andean mountains, salt flats, semiarid plains and rare high-altitude vineyards. 

After collecting our luggage, we departed the airport to five waiting four-wheel- drive vehicles.  While most of our companions had traveled light, we had bags containing the necessities for our 34-day South American jaunt, including one dedicated solely to all our thermal Antarctica gear.  As we passed off our possessions and found our assigned truck, we wondered why our drivers had wrapped our suitcases in tarps. 

With no time for chit chat, we all hopped in the SUTs and were off for a three-hour ride through dusty towns, past fields of cacti, over mountains, into the Parque Nacional los Cardones.  The vehicles stayed close together, the drivers communicating via hand-held radios to inform of hazards, interesting sights, bathroom breaks.  We looked somewhat like a military convoy, people staring as we skirted through small communities, probably wondering what important dignitaries were passing through. While the ride was bumpy, the trek was entertaining, and the views from 11,000 feet were stunning.   

The Spanish brought wine to Argentina in 1556.  The country is now the fifth largest wine producer in the world, largely known for its Malbec and Torrontés grapes.  We knew little about either varietal, and were eager to expand our knowledge. 

Our off-road excursion continued for four days.  Up and down steep, narrow, roads (roads is a stretch), with drops so sheer drop we found ourselves leaning toward the hillside.  Through dry riverbeds that were flooded just the week before.  Across rocky stretches that were certain to dislocate body parts.  This area was so dusty and remote we saw no other tourists.   We were beginning to understand the tarps over the luggage. 

During our time in Salta, we visited six bodegas (winery in Spanish) to learn about high-altitude winemaking, savored delicious wine-paring meals, stayed in a historic hacienda and also a five star resort, browsed towns and museums, had impromtu roadside dances.  Salta is definitely the most unique wine region we have ever seen.

The family of Bodega Isasmendi has winemaking history dating back to 1831.  Three generations participate, making wines at more than 8,000 feet above sea level. The winery is among highest in Argentina, and the world. It was our first winery in Salta, like an oasis in the desert after hours on the dusty trail.

First established in 1831, Bodega Colomé is the oldest winery in Argentina and has been pioneering high-altitude vines for more than 180 years.  After a tasting and tour of the expansive facility, we visited the Museo James Turrell, located on the property.  Turrell, an American artist, is considered a “master of light” who creates art installations that mix natural light with artificial color to transform internal spaces by ever shifting, and changing, color.  We thought it odd that such a museum would be in a vineyard in the remotness of Salta.  The wineries owner, an avid art collector, believed that wine and art share a symbiotic relationship. Vintners tell a story through winemaking and evoke certain moods and emotions, as does an artist with a painting, and in this case, rooms of light and color.  It was an impressive display.

Deep within the Calchaquí Valley, Bodega Tacuil is reachable only by a near-vertical rocky path, or helicopter.   The Dávalos family’s history with vineyards dates back to the mid-1800s when Ascensión Isasmendi of Dávalos, introduced the first French grapevines to the valley, forever transforming the Calchaquí landscape. These plants adapted remarkably to the harsh conditions imposed by Salta’s soil and climate, evolving favorably alongside native grapes.  The winemaker rejected the traditional oak aging process, believing that Tacuil wines should showcase the grapes’ unique character without the influence of wood.

We were fortunate to arrive at Bodega Yacochuya during harvest and were able to observe the sorting and destemming processes.  The vineyards of Yacochuya produce very limited yields creating powerful wines with a lot of body and color.  Lunch with a breataking view rounded out the day.  

Bodega El Cese was not a planned stop for wine tasting, it was actually a bathroom break.  But it is also a boutique winery known for its unique, limited-production wines.  While we did not taste the wines there, we purchased a bottle to share with our fellow wine enthusiasts later in the trip.  Those who sampled the Malbec found it to be a balanced, more than drinkable example of high-altitude wine.  We affectionately named it the “Toilet Wine”.

El Porvenir is a gravity fed winery and cellar housed in a hand-made adobe structure in downtown Cafayate.  The winery has been an integral part of the community since the 1970s, with four different vineyards, one of which uses a pergola system that is ideal for cultivating Torrontés, one of our new favorite varietals.  Our visit was completed by a picnic in the vineyard under clear blue skies. 

With our precious wine purchases packed in our suitcases, we left the ORVs behind to board a more civilized form of transportation in Mendoza, Argentina’s most famous wine region.  A far cry from the tiny hamlets of the Salta region, Mendoza is a thriving city with wide tree-lined streets, modern buildings and art deco influence.  We traveled by bus on paved roads and highways, not as daring as our Salta outings, but much more comfortable. 

In Mendoza, we examined the productions of five incredible wineries, out in the vineyards, down in the cellars.  Every morning we wondered how we could taste another wine, but that feeling quickly dissapated when we arrived at yet another amazing estate, with another heartwarming story, another wonderful representation of Argentine wines. 

We were very happy we booked a lunch and tasting at Susana Balbo Winery, the owner is Argentina’s first woman to graduate as a winemaker.  Not only was the wine spectacular, the food pairings were perfect.  It was a great introduction to Mendoza wines.

Catena Zapata has been producing high-quaklity wines for more than 100 years, and is credited with putting Argentine wines on the world map.  Today, the Catena Institute of Wine studies soil, rocks, insects, microorganisms, etc. to make wines that will stand the test of time.

Atamisque Winery is a renowned estate in the Uco Valley of Mendoza known for its commitment to quality and sustainable practices. We were treated to a unique barrel tasting of chardonnay aged in two different barrels, with all other treatments identical.  There were substantial contrasts in the two wines, simply due to the different oak.

Huentala Winery lies on the slopes of the Andes, next to the Tupungato Volcano, in the Gualtallary Valley. We enjoyed lunch and a tasting in the picturesque setting, followed by music and dancing in the barrel room.

While we did see some guanacos (like lamas) and burros, in the end it was more of a Wine Chase than a Wine Safari.  The well-known term “Storm Chasers” is broadly defined as people who deliberately pursue a severe weather phenomenon out of curiosity, adventure or scientific investigation, typically in off-road vehicles equipped for any terrain.   One could substitute the word “Wine” for “Storm” and it would be an apt description of our Vine Society trip to Argentina, “Wine Chasers”.  For nine days, we were on the hunt for vino.  Like storm chasers, our motives were curiosity, about Argentine wines, scientific investigation, into the wine making processes in the country, and, adventure, in the distinctive vineyards of Salta and Mendoza.  All in search of the grape.