• Achaval- Ferrer: We have been to this small boutique winery and can reassure you that it is one of the most incredible experiences we had in Argentina. Achaval-Ferrer is a small winery that specializes in making limited production hand crafted wines from old vines.  These have a very limited production and are not the type of vineyards high production wineries want to keep.  Old vines produce a low yield but the grapes are rich and concentrated with color and flavor.  Their roots go deep and they have a wonderful complex flavor that young vines are incapable of producing.  Each Berry is hand selected and carefully handled to extract every essence of flavor.  The Wines Achaval Ferrer produce are one of a kind and receive ratings in the 90’s by wine critics around the world.
  
• Bodegas Lurton: The Bordeaux based Lurton brothers, winemaker Jacques and brand manager Francois, produce their finest South American wines in Argentina. Jacques Lurton is one of South America´s finest winemakers, having played a key role in producing the Catena Groups wines under Nicholas Catena in the early 1990's Their wineries are located in the hot low lying Barrancas area in central Mendoza, and at Vistaflores in the cooler more mountainous Uco valley. It's concrete fermentation tanks have so far survived cracking brought about by frequent earth quake tremors in the region. Generously flavored Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Torrontes, and Viognier White wines are made in a ultra clean, creamy style that is highly distinctive. Is a strikingly beautiful winery that was under construction during our last visit. It seems to be at the very foothills of the snow capped Andes in a breathtaking setting.
• Catena Zapata: Nicolas Catena's grandfather Nicola left Italy for Argentina in the late nineteenth century and laid the foundations for the family wine business. Catena Zapata, located in Agrelo in Central Mendoza's Lujan de Cuyo area, is the Catena groups flagship winery, The design was inspired by the Mayan Civilization that once populated Central America. Former head viticulturist Pedro Marchevsky, now with Vantage, aimed at growing balanced vines. The consistent quality of Catena Zapata's range of Bonarda, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Malbec proves that it all starts in the vineyards. The top wine Nicolas Catena Zapata, is mainly Cabernet Sauvignon with less than 10% Malbec. It is aged for almost two years in new French Oak and is not fined or filtered. It is Argentina´s most expensive wine. The views from the winery's roof is spectacular. Our luncheon tasting will include discussion of this unique micro-climate and what makes these ungrafted vines so special.
  
• Fabre Montmayou: Domain Visalba founded Fabre-Montmayou in 1992. It is a young winery compared to the long history of Catena Zapata but Hervé Joyaux-Fabre and Diane Joyaux brought their wine expertise and heritage from Bordeaux, France. Fabre-Montmayou's French winemaking team works from a renovated winery in Vistalba, Compuertas and Barrancas in Central Mendoza. The wines show clean, rich fruit flavors and textures with subtle oak. The Cabernet Sauvignon reds have a well crafted black fruit richness and a lingering finish that stays on the palette. A mouth-filling dry merlot has a gentler texture and long wonderful finish. The Fabre-Montmayou grand Vin is the top red wine. It is a blend of 80% Malbec with 10% each of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. It's flavors are mouth-filling and ripe, without being jammy. My favorite wine was Malbec Diane 2002. A superb, limited production wine of exceptional quality, this Malbec is harvested and destemed prior to barrel fermentation. The wine is bottled without filtration after 24 months of aging in new French oak barriques. Rich and flavorful, featuring very elegant notes of dark red fruits, licorice and spices. This beautiful Malbec is a truly sublime interpretation of Argentina's signature grape variety . I felt very privileged to share a glass with Diane herself, there were only 285 bottles made. The wine was as delightful and complex as it's namesake.
  
  

• Park Suites. We will stay at one of the finest hotels in Mendoza, it is certainly one of the tallest buildings in the city with rooms with a view of the snow capped Andes and the desert. It is located in downtown at a walking distance form the finest dinning restaurants in the city.
  
  

Food from this side of the world is amazing, it is delicious and it is abundant, specially when we talk about beef. In our wine treks, we delight ourselves with the variety of dishes from Mendoza. Every lunch at the wineries is accompanied by fine cuisine from the region, while at night we visit the best restaurants in town.

• 1884 Restaurante Francis Mallman. The soft glow of candles on the patio under the prune trees at the Godoy Cruz Winery's 100-year old Bodega Escorihuela sets the tone for one of Argentina's premier chefs to show what Patagonian cuisine can be. Born in Bariloche and trained in France and Italy, Francis Mallman put Argentina on the map of international ´alta cocina´ (haute cuisine). Students from his culinary school keep wineglasses full and forks flying as they attend to guests with discreet enthusiasm. The 36 page wine list has detailed information on grapes and bodegas.