Casa de Uco Vineyards & Wine Hotel offers the possibility of buying a 'cuartel' (vineyard plot) of one hectare with various types of grapes
Next to the Andes is the peaceful city of Mendoza crowned by Aconcagua, the highest mountain in America . Founded in 1561 by the Spaniard Pedro Ruiz del Castillo, this land of valleys and semi-dry climate was inhabited by Incas, Puelches and Huarpes . The latter diverted the water from the high snows through channels with different flows to their plantations on the 'Cuyum Mapu' (sandy land).
Used to this day, this ingenious irrigation system allowed the entire homonymous province to become the oasis that it is today . Since the beginning of the 19th century, plantations of vine in Mendoza have expanded to reach 60% of Argentina's production, joining the map of the main wine regions such as Bordeaux, La Rioja, Cape Town and Napa Valley.
Just over an hour and a half flight from Buenos Aires, you land at a small international airport with direct connections to the main cities of the southern cone. From there, by car you have to drive for an hour south along the mythical Route 40 –which crosses the entire country from the northern border with Bolivia to the confines of Patagonia–, to reach the most promising territory in the area: the Uco Valley.
In the last decade local and foreign investors have found here the ideal place to develop high-end wines, luxury hotels, mountain lodges and urbanizations between vineyards with golf and polo fields . And it is that in an area of 250 kilometers, among other grapes, the best malbec in the world is grown. This variety, also known as cot , has been used to make red wines in southwestern France for centuries. Currently, Argentina is the only country that has original French strains of this fruit with medium-sized clusters and a bluish-black color, which achieve their most elegant expression in Uco, as well as being the favorites of experts. “Based on nearly 20 years of experience working in the valley, I can assure you that the vast majority of Mendoza's premium wines are produced here ”, affirms the Italian oenologist Alberto Antonioni, responsible for the production of Casa de Uco Vineyards & Wine Hotel.
Casa de Uco Vineyards & Wine Hotel: ma-ra-vi-lla
Made up of the departments of Tupungato, Tunuyán and San Carlos , the wide horizons of the Uco they reach the Andes . And the picturesque valley also dazzles with its natural beauty and its 330 days of sunshine a year , so its visitors find wine and cultural proposals during all seasons of the year, as well as interesting adventure sports circuits. winter is cold and dry , with average temperatures below 8 ºC. From June to September, the snow season encourages visitors to Las Leñas, the largest ski and snowboard center in the region, just two hours away by car. Its summer, from the end of December to March, is hot and humid, with average temperatures of 25 ºC and maximum that exceed 30 ºC.
At night, when it cools down, there are brief showers, with a temperature difference that can reach up to 15 degrees. This climatic factor added to the altitude of the valley (1,200 meters) favors the development of grapes of excellent quality . Thirsty tourists celebrate the great Grape Harvest Festival at the end of summer, a time when the preferred activities are hiking to the headwaters of the rivers, plagued by vicuñas , or even the volcanoes in the area, such as the Maipo, which reflects its immensity in the crystal clear waters of the Diamante lagoon.
Guachos in the Uco Valley
Manzano Histórico is a protected natural reserve that is in a virgin state and that just recently expanded its limits. Next to its access, where there is a craft fair that during the weekends offers silver details and hand-woven ponchos , an apple tree recalls the rest of General San Martín – a relevant figure of South American independence –, after his return in 1823 from the liberation campaign of Chile . And it is that at this point a dirt road enters the heart of the Andean mountain range to the neighboring country (in a straight line, Santiago de Chile is 60 kilometers away). A surprising journey where you will come across gauchos and wild horses grazing freely and in which to spot the condor, the largest bird on the planet, near the summits.
If you are fit you can also reach the nearby Aconcagua park . Climbing the Centinela de Piedra (6,962 meters) can cause altitude sickness that requires frequent stops to acclimatise. Quite a challenge for those who propose it. Last Christmas, nine-year-old North American Tyler Armstrong became the youngest person to reach its peak . And at the beginning of the year, the Portuguese marathon runner Carlos Gomes Dasa achieved a world record by going up and down it in 15 hours and 42 minutes, running downhill.
Casa de Uco Vineyards & Wine Hotel: ma-ra-vi-lla
Of the options to sleep in the valley, it stands out Casa de Uco Vineyards & Wine Hotel and its 16 cozy rooms, with contemporary interiors and 24-hour service. Its suites form a kind of 'inhabitable box' -with views of the vineyards, the lake and the Cordón del Plata-, where to enjoy the sweet and fruity flavor of malbec during the magical sunsets , quite a show from the bed or the bathtub. Ten independent bungalows with interior patios with their own Jacuzzi are also distributed among its landscape. A hedonistic proposal that continues in its floating pool and spa , which offers treatments based on grapes and hydrotherapy, adding the antioxidant virtues of groundwater, rich in minerals and trace elements, extracted at a depth of 300 meters.
The whole set uses solar energy and in the Argentine cuisine restaurant, the dishes are accompanied by vegetables and fruits from their own organic garden, land that can be visited during the bicycle circuits or during the asados (barbecues) that take place daily among the vineyards, with the peculiarity that you can choose the products that you will later have at the table. But the ecological conscience in this hotel does not end in its kitchen, it reaches the very ceiling : a gallery covered with natural species represents the memory of the landscape before the intervention of man. It offers 360-degree views that at nightfall turn it into an improvised observatory where you can explore the wonders of the Milky Way.
Grilled in the middle of the vineyards
Casa de Uco Vineyards & Wine Hotel also makes it easy for those who want to be true winemakers: for just over $100,000, they can purchase a plot of vineyard (choosing from eight grape varieties: Malbec, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, etc.). One hectare of land allows to produce about 7,000 bottles of wine per year in each vintage and that with the help of the property's oenologists they will be stored in a cellar and marketed with their own label.
Where are you hiding Casa de Uco?
Visiting the wineries in the area is an enriching experience that offers multiple alternatives to add to your tastings, such as carriage and helicopter rides, restaurants and art galleries . For example, within the Salentein winery, the Killka space has an important permanent collection of contemporary painting and sculpture by Argentine artists, as well as a section on Dutch art from the 19th and 20th centuries . It was born as a cultural center in the middle of nature and today it hosts four temporary exhibitions in its gallery with works by renowned local, national and international artists.
The excellent production of this winery, with vineyards surrounded by red roses, meant that its wines were chosen for the banquet of the royal wedding of Máxima Zorreguieta and the prince of Holland . On the other side of the main road, the charming restaurant La Azul invites you to enjoy grilled meat or meat in a clay oven, where delicious ' steaming buns ’. Recently, in addition, it is possible to stay in the so-called Finca La Azul Guest House , whose rooms have views of the Andes. And for trout lovers, the Atamisque winery, with its own hatchery, offers a fusion of gourmet and Creole cuisine in Atamisque Corner.
Salentein Winery
Another place not to be missed is Clos of the Seven , a project of French winegrowers promoted by Michel Rolland, one of the best winemakers in the world who has his own terroirs there. Between his four wineries, run by four families from Bordeaux, DiamAndes winery stands out with its advanced technology and that attractive name that emerged as a play on words between **'Diamante' (for the Diamante de Mendoza lagoon) ** and 'Andes' (the main mountain range of the region) .
But if what you prefer is a more rural environment, in Alpasion Lodge You will find, along with six charming rooms, dishes with local flavors and an excellent malbec. After all, this is the grape that connoisseurs say grows and ripens in this region of Argentina better than anywhere else in the world. An unforgettable gastronomic experience, since it is also the perfect match for meats . Today the Uco Valley is experiencing its best moment and is presented as one of the most interesting destinations to visit in South America.
JOURNEY NOTEBOOK:
HOW TO GET
From Madrid you can fly to Buenos Aires with countless airlines, including Iberia, LAN and Aerolineas Argentinas. Then, to Tunuyán, in the Uco Valley, there is a distance of 1,154 km that you can travel either by car, or by taking another plane to the city of Mendoza with Aerolineas Argentinas and LAN (1 h 30 min approx).
WHERE TO SLEEP
**Casa de Uco Vineyards & Wine Hotel ** (tel. +54 9261 5397551; HD: from €400, with views).
** Alpasión Lodge ** (tel. +54 9 261 320 2999; HD: from €250). It has only six cozy rooms that will make you feel at home.
Posada Salentein (tel. +54 2622 429090; HD: from €150). Includes visits to the winery and the Killka art space.
In the Killka center, from Bodega Salentein, there is a collection of contemporary painting and sculpture by Argentine artists.
WHERE TO EAT
The Blue Rest (tel. +54 2622 422108) . Winery and restaurant with Creole dishes.
Atamisque Corner (tel. +54 9261 527 5336). Restaurant with its own trout farm.
The Board. Argentine grocery store (tel. +54 92622 66355). Local food and barbecue.
DiamAndes Winery (tel. +54 261 4760 695). Seasonal menu of three steps with pairing of two wines.
Marie Antoinette (Belgrano 1069, Mendoza; tel. +54 261 4204322). In the city of Mendoza, they practice contemporary cuisine in an informal space.
* This article is published in the May 84 issue of the Condé Nast Traveler magazine and is available in its digital version to enjoy on your preferred device.
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Maria Antonieta Restaurant, in Mendoza