Bikes and Bodegas



I must say my first trip into the Mendoza vineyards was a smashing success. I have already purchased more wine than I can legally bring home (which is none since I am 19) but I only half of what my parents may take back if they come to visit me. And if you guessed that means I have 2  bottles you are right!

The trip to the vineyards (bodegas in Spanish) began early Saturday morning with a delightful ride on the city bus to the next town over Maipu. Pause and enjoy English speakers: Maipu is indeed pronounced as My Poo. And when we six American girls descended from the bus we were immediately meet by a English bike rental salesmen. Did we follow our carefully researched bike rental plan? No, true to form the American consumers responded amazingly to the British accent and we rented from Maipu Bikes instead. All was well with our Bicics though so no harm.

Van Trapp Time

Over the course of 11 Kilometers (no idea what that is in miles) we saw two wineries, two olive orchards, and 1 liquor shop. The pedaling was alternately glorious and taxing. Our first stretch and several more later on were on wide, tree-lined, paved, country lanes with the grapevines stretching into the distance until overtaken but the mysteriously pale Andes. Someone started “Doe, a deer a female deer. Rey, a drop of golden Sun!” and we sang the whole song through for with those mountains did we ever feel like some Van Trapp children learning what fun was for the first time. At other points the road was nothing but dust and water, a man-made dry creek bed, so bumpy it made your teeth chatter and the amount of dirt in the air gave me new sympathy for the Dust Bowl victims of the 1930s.

My favorite stop was probably the very first where we paid USA $3.75 to taste around 30 olive products, jams, dulce de leche, chocolate, and 1 shot each. I did not partake of the shot but those dulces were the best I have ever had and such a varied sampling was just fun. I am bringing home my favorite Dulce de Leche with almonds. Rey Rico, Chicos. Tastings may have to happen at Reading Night next year…after my family gets a go at the jar of course. My favorite vineyard (of two) was Carinae, the smaller, more modern winery. I liked that it was small, exclusive, humble (they weren’t charging out the roof but had a legitimately good product), and just full of light and color. Which is fitting since the place is named for a constellation, as is the wine I bought. We did visit one other vineyard that was old, stately, and excellent. And there I purchased a very nice, very traditional Malbec that will commemorate my time in Mendoza well. I enjoyed that one too, it just didn’t have the same flair as the wine of the “stars”.