After the frustration of the week with the pack we decide to get down to what we came for, wine tasting. We reserved a rental car for 9 the next morning. We have decided the best way to visit the most wineries is to drive ourselves. First mistake, we actually expected the car to be available at 9:00. We arrive to find the office (which opens at 8:30) locked. After waiting for 15 minutes an employ shows up and says, "something must be wrong, he is always here (speaking of the other worker)." After he makes a call we are told another client got in an accident at the airport and he had to get see about the car. The guy who is at the office says he will go get our car. We finally at 10:00. We soon find out the maps SUCK! It is dificult to find anything. We do manage to get to Alta Vista winery where we joined the inprogress english tour. We than had a great tasting and even ordered a glass of thier reserve. The bottle cost $120 pecos, about $33 USD. It was by far the best wine I had ever drank. Every sip was like a bite of fine cuisine you savored. We left with a less expensive, but very good bottle of malbec ($39 pecos/ $10.25 usd).
After hitting a few other wineries and finding they were all closed for the 3 hour lunch break we got a bite to eat and went to a little place that makes olive oils, jams, chocolate, and spirits. We had a extensive tasting there and purchased a jar of jam, some chocolates, and olive oil. These items are only sold at this shop where they are made. This is small operation where the man experiments and creates. He definates knows his stuff and it is worth the stop if you are in Maipu near Mendoza. It is 300 meter down the road past La Rural vineyard and museum.
We then darted off to another vineyard, Di Tomasa Familia, in Maipu. These people knew what we were there for, no tour just tasting. This was by far the largest group of people doing a tasting that I have ever been a part of, about 25. These wines were rather dissapointing and we left quickly to try to fit in one more tasting, no luck. We went back to Mendoza, parked the car in the supermaket parking and walked to The Vines, a tasting room in the city.
The Vines is a tasting room where they have a lot of different wines from small noncommercial vineyards. These wines are all of very good quality. We found out that on the following evening (wednessday) they have 1/2 glasses on all open bottles. Well then, we will see you tomorrow. We then found a resturant and had a very satifying meal for about $20 usd (including, tip, wine, and dessert for all 4 of us). Then to bed. Ken goes to drop off the car the next morning and the guy who is never late...isn't there and the office is locked at 10:00. The parking attendant tries to get Ken to pay to park the car infront of the office while he waits. A cop shows up and he tells teh parking lady to let it be. Eventually, the guys shows up and Ken returns the car. I will not be renting from Budget anytime soon.
Wednessday we went to the museum and saw some other architectural sites. Mendoza was hit with an earthquake a while ago which means there are not a lot of old buildings. We had lunch at the museum and learned what a triple sandwich is. It is a thin ham and cheese sandwich on double size very thin white bread with mayonaise. These are a staple here. They sell them on just about ever corner. If you get them at a resturant they will cut them into pretty triangles for you. The kids had \pizza and did not like the cheese. After our site seeing we went back to the hostel to cook supper before going to The Vines. We find the stove removed from the kitchen and torn apart. Oh well, I can go wine tasting on an empty stomach, hahahahaha!!!! At the vines we are on our secound glass when I realize I NEED food and the kids are hungry. So we order thier cheese and meat tray. This was good and helped hold us over. We met lots of people and had 3 glasses of good wines each and the meat &cheese tray for about $30 usd including tip. Then across the street to purchase a couple of the bottles we had sampled. Back to the hostel at 10:00 still no stove. We add our hamburgers to the grill which is going and continue to drink. Eat and send the kids to bed. We end up partying till 1:00 am. Next morning is a late one. It was a wild night.
The days move on as we try to figure out where to go next. We do school and laundry and try to fix Theodore's feet. Adrian cooked traditional asado for us one night and we let the kids stay up till midnight to eat. Supper is late in Argentina. This was also a party night with picture to prove it. Every night at Sosa Haus is a party, we just did not always participate. We finally decide to go to Cordoba next. We go to the Vines again for 1/2 price Wed. and invite a doctor from Ireland who is staying at the hostel. We leave the continued partying to the young guys this night. Late Thursday evening (October 8, 2008) we board a bus to Cordoba(10 hours) and reluctantly hand over our bags. Ken gets off the bus at every stop to watch the baggage handlers and our bags. It was a rather sleepless night.
No comments:
Post a Comment