September 16, 2018

September 16, 2018

Mendoza is a semi-desert, like Tucson. It gets little rain, so an extensive canal system is used to deliver Andes Mountain snow-melt water everywhere. It seems all the downtown sidewalks are lined with baby canals to grow trees. They are a tripping hazard forcing you to really watch where you walk. Larger canals feed the parks and agriculture. In this area, olive trees and vineyards are the major industries.

We went for wine tastings today. Our first was a boutique winery. Mendoza grows lots of varietals but specializes in the Malbec grape. Everybody thought it was a little early to be sipping wine, but even in the morning the Mendoza Malbec is tasty. I learned that aging in wooden casks not only improves the taste, but the tannin addition also extends the shelf life.

Our next stop was Bodega Norton, one of the largest and oldest wineries in Mendoza, established in 1895. In Buenos Aires, we coincidentally had both a white and red "1895" labelled wine from this facility. Norton has a great view of the Andes Mountains. Just past the lower foothills we can see the snow-capped mountains of the second range.

We had a fun wine making contest at Norton. We were challenged to mix Merlot, Cabernet, and Malbec to make a better tasting combination and to design a label for it. Our group came in second. I didn’t participate in the tasting because my big toe was starting to hurt and I am afraid I might be getting Gout, the Royal Disease, from the fine dining we have been doing the last several days. After the contest we got the tour of this large facility. They have large stainless tanks for making high volume inexpensive wine, and wooden casks for the finer varieties.

Near the hotel, we had pizza at a Beatles-inspired bar, before taking an afternoon siesta. Partly because we are tired, but also because siesta is very common in this region. The town pretty much shuts down for the afternoon.

Around seven, we walked around Independence Plaza, the main square in the city. After San Martin liberated Argentina from Spain, he came to Mendoza to organize and train an army to liberate Chile and Peru. Today a craft fair is being held in the park. The only stall that held our interest was a Caricature Artist. It is fascinating to watch how fast he could turn out amazing likenesses, albeit with exaggerated features.