When we landed in Mendoza on July 22, we decided to take a tour of the wineries (bodegas) in the area. This area of Argentina produces around 70% of the wine in this country, as much for domestic consumption as for exportation. We were able to see four bodegas, varying from small, boutique wineries to the larger wineries that produce millions of liters per year. Mendoza favors wine production because it is very dry, to the east of the Andes, it's almost desert like and their emblematic grape is the Malbec. It is what grows the best here and tastes exceptionally good. We even learned a bit more about wine tasting and how to drink right.
Many of the wineries are family owned and specialize in red, white or a combination of the two. Another characteristic is the age. Some places specialize in young wines and others in aged ones.
Basically, there are so many nuances to wines, that you can choose one that will serve for any occasion. At least, that is what I took away from it.
At the end of the tour, we were able to visit a chocolate factory, which was really quick but cool because we got free chocolate.
Another option for the winery tour is by bike, which we didn't do but would have been fun.
As for accomodations, Campo Base was really fun, crowded and had very friendly staff, which is who we did the tour with. Hostel Itaka was too expensive, not very friendly and super loud, especially if you sleep on the first floor. It was also out of the way, unlike Campo Base which was right next to the main plaza, Plaza Independencia.
I think Mendoza is probably way more beautiful in the summer. It's their winter right now. The sidewalks are wide and tree lined and there is an amazing park called San Martin covering 420 hectares of forests, lakes, and views of the city.
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