Cordoba & Mendoza

My husband just returned from a one week trip to Mendoza so I am asking him to respond with some ideas for your trip. He had visited Mendoza 34 years earlier, right out of college, and had talked for years about going back, and he was not disappointed:

Here's what he wrote in some of his e-mails back to me:

"One day I rented a bike and drove all over the city. Fun, and a good way to get to know areas I'd never otherwise go in. There's a very odd slice of pseudo-park and junked buildings in a swathe through the middle of town -- turns out that's the old railroad line, station, and repair shops that were here in the 1970s but at some point got torn up. It's sad. Argentina had a great train system, built by the British. I'm guessing the automakers, oil companies, airlines, and goodness knows who else teamed up to get the government to abandon the lines. I have to learn what happened.

"The nicest area for cycling is San Martin Park, a huge area right at the edge of the city. Easy to get lost in it. Like some other things here, parts are quite pleasant, other parts are not quite as well kept up.

"One day three of us from the B&B rented a car and drove up into the mountains. Basically, there's only one road to take, the road towards Santiago, Chile. It takes you past Aconcagua, highest peak in the Western Hemisphere -- nearly 23,000 feet. It was a spectacular trip -- beautiful weather (as the whole week has been), and just stunning scenery. Some of the drive reminded me of the U.S. Southwest -- same sort of canyon erosion as at Grand Canyon. Rocks were very similar, too -- many reds. And the area is very dry, so the colors are much the same."

OK, husband here. Mendoza had almost mythical dimensions in my mind, for the trip 34 years ago had been a six-month South American circuit, starting in Colombia and traveling down through Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. Tough countries at that time, with few creature comforts (especially given the $1,000 budget my friend and I each had). When we finally crossed the border from Bolivia to Argentina, we thought we had died and gone to heaven. Good food, good wine, warm temperatures, lots of sun, trains that ran on time, pensiones and hostels with dependable plumbing.

Mendoza was one of the first Argentine cities we visited (we were on our way to Tierra del Fuego, and wanted to take boats down the Chilean coast and so were headed to Santiago, Chile). It was a garden of Eden. Despite the semi-arid climate (two inches of rainfall a year), every street in the city was tree-lined thanks to an ingenious irrigation system that carried glacial melt from the Andes into the city. The same irrigation system (first built by native peoples hundreds of years before the Spanish arrived)had been expanded out beyond the city to water the numerous vineyards (there are 1,200 of them around Mendoza, thanks to the many Italians, and some French, who settled there in the late 1800s/early 1900s).

Mendoza struck me as very European -- because of the tree-lined streets, mainly low buildings, the terrific food (steaks every bit as good as Argentine steaks are supposed to be), the relaxed lifestyle (dinner is at 10 p.m., taken outside at the plethora of restaurants that line many of the downtown streets), and the wine.

The wine is spectacular, much more varied and much more sophisticated than most of the Argentine wine you can buy in the U.S. Mendoza vineyards are known for the Malbec grape, which produces a red wine; I believe nearly 75% of Mendoza wine comes from the Malbec. But I've always found Malbec a bit tannic for my tastes.

I've discoverd that's not an uncommon reaction. Even among some Mendocinos -- who are, for the most part, devotees of Malbec -- there is some feeling that the tannins should be softened at times. So there are some Malbecs that are fermented or aged in slightly different ways that softens and rounds the wine. More commonly, other grapes are mixed with the Malbec to make blends, or "cortes" in Spanish. Typically, these are Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot grapes. My favorite Mendoza red wines are blends, and I tasted some stunning ones on my visit.

You'll want to visit some of the vineyards, of course. That's a principal reason to go to the area. But at most vineyards you can't just wander in (the "Bikes and Wines" tours are an exception, since the company has worked out deals with about a half dozen vineyards so they always accept cyclists). You need to book ahead. Typically, you do this through a tour company or tour guide.

You can connect up with wine aficionados at the "Vines of Mendoza" wine bar downtown, a couple blocks from Plaza Independencia. You can taste wines there, including special evening tastings when vintners are invited to explain their craft and products.

For lodging, I can heartily recommend Plaza Italia B&B, where I stayed. It's a marvelous place, with some of the friendliest, most helpful hosts/hostesses I've ever encountered. Mercedes and Tito run the place; it's their old family home, right near the downtown.

A real treasure at Plaza Italia B&B is their son, Javier, who helps manage the operation and offers tours of the vineyards and general tourist advice. Javier is a perfect gentleman; I can't say enough about his willingness to make a stay in Mendoza pleasant. (I probably sound like I've been hired to promote the place; I haven't. I just like to recommend places I honestly think are top-notch.)

This is a B&B, mind you, not the swanky Hyatt a half dozen blocks away. But you'll meet wonderful guests there from all around the world; you'll never want for dinner companions if you want to link up with others.

Some rooms at the B&B are on the street side, so if you're a lighter sleeper you might inquire about that. I was given a room away from the street, and it was perfect.

One more thing -- if you're traveling in March, make reservations right away. That's harvest time, and the city apparently really pops then. I've not been at that time of year, but i gather many visitors come then for the special events linked to harvest.

And, oh -- if you're a devoted cyclist (like me) looking for quiet streets or rural roads, with wide shoulders and smooth surfaces), you'll be disappointed. I didn't feel unsafe cycling, but you have to put up with heavy traffic, uneven surfaces or ongoing reconstruction, and rented bikes that might be missing some gears (I tried five bikes from Bikes and Wines before finding one whose range of gears worked). It's experiences like these, though, that remind you that there are still some jagged edges to South American travel -- despite its absolute joys and wonderments. (And really, I can suffer through 12 instead of 18 gears, and a flat tire or two....)

One final, final note -- air quality in Mendoza is not good. That's the one really negative development in the city since I was there in 1974 (that, and the disappearance of trains, thanks to the economic "reforms" of the 1990s). Think LA before catalytic converters on cars, or diesel emission controls. The city is backed right up against the mountains, and the smog can settle there and stay. I tried not to bike in the city in the late afternoon; the air was really not very good.

P.S. Some vineyards have rooms and restaurants. I didn't stay at a vineyard, mainly because I like the city so much (we live in the woods of Vermont, so cities are places we flock to). But I imagine a stay at a vineyard hotel would be great fun and very relaxing.

I can recommend a spectacular restuarant at the Vistalba vineyard -- it's called "La Bourgogne" (may have spelling off a tiny bit). One of the most tastefully prepared and served meals I've ever had. If you're buying a red wine to have with your meal there, get the Vistalba Corte B -- one of the blends I mentioned, made right at the bodega that surrounds you. Expect to pay about $30 for a bottle of this absolutely marvelous wine.