With fall around the corner perhaps you are thinking of a winter escape. Adventurers will soon discover that Mendoza’s Luján de Cuyo makes a perfect wine country escape during the Northern Hemisphere winter. If you do not prefer the heat then Argentine spring or fall is even better. No matter the season Spaswinefood is
happy to return to Argentina. This article will focus on Luján de Cuyo in the eastern
foothills of the Andes. Luján de Cuyo is one of Mendoza’s three wine regions (Valle de Uco, Luján de Cuyo, and Maipu).
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Bodega Septima Estate Vineyard, Luján de Cuyo © Spaswinefood
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Luján de Cuyo have many wineries that are spread
over a large area. For our February visit we selected a number of smaller and larger wineries to visit.
Many of the wineries have restaurants where they offer wine pairings with
lunch. We did a number of winery lunches and enjoyed the overall experience. In
fact I would highly recommend it. Our Luján de Cuyo winery stops included Bodega Norton (tasted fabulous premium wines), Bodega Lagarde (did an excellent wine tasting with lunch), Bodega Caelum (had a delightful tasting at smaller winery), and Bodega Septima (enjoyed another great tasting). Let's take a brief look at each.
1. Nirvana: Bodega Norton's Premium Wines
Bodega Norton was the first winery opened south of the Mendoza River. It was founded in 1895 by Sir Edmund James Palmer Norton, an English engineer. Although the winery today still bears Norton's name it was purchased in 1989 by Gernot Langes-Swarovski, an Austrian businessman. Swarovski is a company known worldwide for its cut crystal. Bodega Norton is managed by Gernot Langes-Swarovski's son, Michael.
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| Ready to Taste Bodega Norton Wines © Spaswinefood |
Norton's wines are internationally known for their overall good quality and price. Since we were quite familiar with Bodega Norton wines our visit was the perfect opportunity to taste some of their premium wines. Our wine tasting at Bodega Norton began with a Gernot Langes 2010.
Bodega Norton, Gernot Langes 2010
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| Bodega Norton, Gernot Langes 2010 © Spaswinefood |
When you begin a wine tasting with a Gernot Langes 2010 you know that you are about to experience a very special wine tasting. Named after its owner this Bordeaux style red wine blend of Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc is amazing.
We tasted fabulous Malbec 2012 wines produced from parcels within three different single vineyards.
Bodega Norton, Malbec Lotes A-112, L-112 and LC-112, 2012
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| Bodega Norton, Malbec Lotes A-112, L-112 and LC-112 2012 © Spaswinefood |
These are very special Malbec wines. These are the Mendoza Malbec wines that make this area so special. Yes, I did take the time to enjoy those very special Malbec wines.
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| Gernot Langes 2010, Malbec Lotes A-112, L-112 and LC-112 2012 © Spaswinefood |
After tasting these four amazing red wines next we tasted Privada, a Bordeaux style red wine blend.
Bodega Norton, Privada Malbec 2010
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| Bodega Norton, Privada Malbec 2010 © Spaswinefood |
This is absolutely a great red wine blend of Malbec, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Overall it was an off the charts wine tasting at Bodega Norton.
2. Perfection is a Bodega Lagarde Vineyard Lunch
Whenever I think about Mendoza Province images of lunch at Lagarde's Restaurant Fogón often flash through my mind. Those memories of tasting such excellent Argentine wines takes me back to that special place. It is hard to imagine a better place for a vineyard lunch than Lagarde. Lagarde is one of oldest wineries in Mendoza. In fact some of their Malbec vines are over 100 years old. The first vines were planted in 1897 when the winery was established. The winery was one of the first in Latin America to introduce to the area non-traditionally grown grape varieties, such as Viognier and Muscato Bianco. Their five vineyards (230 hectares) are completely managed by the winery. We were most fortunate to see the original vineyard, Finca Drummond. This is where the winery and restaurant are located.
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Vineyard Lunch, Bodega Lagarde © Spaswinefood
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When arrived at Restaurant Fogón we were taken to a table outside near the vineyard. The restaurant offered a number of setting options. There is a lovely inside dining area for cooler days.
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| Inside Dining Area, Restaurant Fogón © Spaswinefood |
Perhaps we would have chosen to set inside but it was summer.
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| Restaurant Fogón, Bodega Lagarde © Spaswinefood |
For us the patio and the garden are the best summer time options, given there is plenty of shade.
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| Patio and Garden, Bodega Lagarde © Spaswinefood |
The outside setting is most delightful.
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| Table Ready, Bodega Lagarde © Spaswinefood |
Yes, at the end of a six-course lunch our table was filled with glassware from a most delightful wine tasting paired with each course. Yes, this is how wine memories are made.
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| Wine Memories © Spaswinefood |
It was indeed a Lagarde vineyard lunch to be remembered.
3. Delight in Sipping Wines at Bodega Caelum
It was a hot summer's day when we arrived at Bodega Caelum in the eastern foothills of the Andes. This family-owned boutique winery in Mendoza’s Luján de Cuyo was established in 2009. By taking the next step to establish a winery they built upon their success as grape growers in this highest altitude wine region. Their Luján de Cuyo vineyard sits at about 1000 meters (3, 280 ft) above sea level. I was about to discover why Caelum is a perfect place to sip some high altitude Mendoza wines.
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A Vineyard View, Bodega Caelum © Spaswinefood
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While Malbec is king here Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Torrontés are also quite successful in this wine region. Fortunately Spaswinefood had the pleasure of tasting these wines at Bodega Caelum.
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| Bodega Caelum, Torrontés, Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon © Spaswinefood |
We loved the tasting at Bodega Caelum. Our host not only shared information on the wines but also before the tasting we did a brief tour of this boutique winery. We discovered that great care is taken in the vineyard, and the making of their wines.
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| Bodega Caelum Vineyard, Luján de Cuyo © Spaswinefood |
4. Top Views and Wines at Bodega Septima
Bodega Septima, at the eastern edge of the Andean Mountains, has spectacular vineyard and mountain views from its top deck. This winery is one of the established names here, along with other well-known names, like Catena Zapata. It is part of the Codorníu Raventós group, the oldest family business in Spain, which was founded in 1551. This group has ten wineries that are located in the world's top wine regions. Fortunately we had the opportunity to visit Septima, their Luján de Cuyo winery.
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| Top Views, Bodega Septima, Luján de Cuyo © Spaswinefood |
After a most delightful tasting at Bodega Septima I was happy to discover that their wines are available in most countries. In fact 60% of Bodega Septima's wines are produced for the international market.
Before left the winery we were taken on a tour of their María Restaurant.
If time permits you might want to add Ruca Malen, Alta Vista, Belasco De Baquedano, and Catena Zapata to your list. In the past we visited Ruca Malen for lunch and loved it. We have also visited Alta Vista, and Belasco De Baquedano on a prior visit. During the last visit we tried to arrange a visit to Catena Zapata however, we did not have and success on a short notice. I
would strongly recommend making appointments for winery visits.
Yes, Mendoza's Luján de Cuyo wine country is the perfect escape. It is easy to visit Luján de Cuyo from Mendoza city. The drive from Mendoza city to Luján de Cuyo wine region takes about 40 minutes. Luján de Cuyo, the first appellation recognized in Argentina in 1993, is indeed a delight to explore. Mendoza's
wine regions in the eastern foothills
of the Andes. There you will find over 1,500 wineries with vineyards that are amongst the
highest altitude vineyards in the world, averaging between 600-1,100 meters
(2,00-3,600 feet) above sea level. I invite you to check out my travels in Argentina
and elsewhere at Spaswinefood.
Sharon
February
2017
Mendoza,
Argentina
©
Spaswinefood
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