Ah, Mendoza, the argentinian wine capital… Pronouncing the name – with a soft Z, in spanish! gives me the feeling that push me to pack the suitcase and take off again! Every wine passionate has for sure Mendoza on his wish list destination (or, even better, he craves for it, as for us europeans it’s not just round the corner).
Few years are already gone from my visit, but memories are still vivid. Located at the Andes foothills, short way from the 6.900 meters of the Aconcagua (the tallest peak of the entire american continent), some 1.000 km of endless pampa from Buenos Aires and less than 400 km from Santiago del Chile, Mendoza is the heart of the most important viticulture area of the country and one of the most important in the world.
During the (too few) days spent here, the days have gone between a winery visit and another, with no rush, enjoying the time in each of these, as argentinian rhythms dictate. Here red wines are drunk, Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon on top, bold wines, textured, with a lot of oak, wines to pair with a gorgeous argentinian red meat.
How to conclude the visit in Mendoza, on the last night, if looking for a nice restaurant where to enjoy meat and wine? With a nice company of an australian girl met earlier in the afternoon (food and wine are better enjoyed if shares with someone else, or not?), we seat at the table of an elegant restaurant, loose some time reading the menu and, first of all, to find a remarkable bottle. Found it, let’s place the order!
“Lo siento senor, después de las 8 de la tarde no podemos vender alcohol”… What??? Why?? Because in 12 hours the polling station to elect the new national president are about to open (in Argentina voting is mandatory, and the ban on alcoholic beverage sales seems to be in place to limit potential “forgetfulness” to go voting). “But we are not argentinian!” I try to explain to the waiter, showing the passports. Nothing, unperturbed. I also try – in the most delicate way – that we are not in the most law-abiding country, that we are in a corner of the restaurant, that we are there right to drink some wine…Nothing to do, the waiter is uncorruptable.
All day long dreaming about food and wine, some chat in nice company, everything vanished in the mist in front of a delicious food in the plate…paired with water!
The following morning, at dawn, the bus that will take me further north is ready to leave. Luckily on the way to the bus station I pass by the fountain who spray wine – yes, wine – in the city center. At least, the last imagine of Mendoza will be linked to wine and not to the water from the previous night!