Day 122 - Mendoza, Argentina

Last day in Mendoza today as we need to get the over night bus back to BA at 7pm this evening. 

We have a pretty leisurely morning watching TV (including lots of Friends and a great new series called Believe, also saw the advert for the new series of 24 in LONDON!! Can't wait!). 

Now I didn't think it could happen but we are actually getting a little 'wined out' so decide against another tour today. But alas. We still plan to go to a vineyard for one tasting and lunch - just cutting down from the usual 3-4 tastings. We find one of the top vineyards that comes highly recommended called Bodega Zuccardi for a bit of a treat lunch. 

Our table isn't until 2:30pm and we don't need to get picked up until 1:45 so we have a stroll around entral Mendoza first, starting with the lovely Independence Square. As Mendoza is very prone to earthquakes, after the last major earthquake which destroyed a lot of the city they have built a series of big, open, green plazas and wide avenues to allow people to gather there in safety if another one happens. It makes for a well designed and very pleasant city. 

Surprisingly for a "desert" the place is full of fountains and lakes. 

After our 45m taxi to Bodega Zuccardi we arrive at a gorgeous place in the middle of nowhere. Our immediate reaction when we get into the restaurant is an overwhelming feel of Christmas. Probably because it was quite cloudy and dark outside and a smell of log fires it strangely felt really Christmassy.

We are lucky to be in this region at harvest time as we see the lovely ripe grapes ready for picking as well as the fields fill of pickers.   

The first time we have seen vines grown in this way. They grow he grapes on top instead of at the bottom which creates hundreds of vine tunnels. 

The place is really gorgeous inside. One if the nicest restaurants we have been in so far. 

They only do a set menu with wine pairing which involves pretty much all the BBQ meat you can eat. Result. 

Fantastic food with amazing sides. 

This is Nat's plate after she has actually finished her meal. Looks like a meat grave yard. 

No such issues on my plate. Although I did quite rightly sacrifice the salad for more meat space. 

The wines we had were all pretty good too as usual. We had another lovely Torrentes white a not so good Seria A Bonarda 2011 red, a delicious

Malbec. We finish with a lovely desert and desert wine called Santa Julio Tarde. 

The garden outside was lovely too. 

After lunch we quickly slip into food coma and get very sleepy in the taxi on the way home. Good to see even McDonalds embraces the wine here too. 

To kill a bit of time before we need to get the bus we have a walk to Av Villanueva which is sheet all the bars and restaurants are and have a beer in the very good Johnny B Good's bar. We go for the Quilmes Bock beer which was pretty tasty. 

Now it's not very often that I can say "saw this pile of dog turd and thought of you" to someone I actually like but this award goes to my father. We miss you being the groups poo early detection system and all round poo guard every time you spotted a drop on the pavement! Walking the streets of Argentina are a lot riskier than they were last week!

At 7pm we get the pimp Andreas overnight bus back to Buenos Aires. It's another fantastic and comfortable journey and welcome downtime. Full of wine and food we shouldn't have too much trouble sleeping tonight. Goodbye Mendoza. You have been amazing. Great wine, great food and great scenery all round.