News From Mendoza

 

What's New in Mendoza

One of the best parts of our job as owners of Amazing Mendoza Tours is to stay abreast of all the latest Mendoza attractions so we know which ones to offer our clients. Here's a report on some of our recent forays.

A new and futuristic-looking bodega in Mendoza, Argentina Recently we visited Bodega Melipal, a brand-new futuristic structure whose sweeping, angular roof directs the eye to stunning views of the snow-capped Andes. Created by an Argentine family that made its mark growing soy beans, Melipal leapt onto recommended wine lists when its first vintage, the 2003 Melipal Malbec, earned 91 points from Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate. Although some of the vines are new, this bodega also has 25 hectares of vines planted more than 80 years ago. Located just off Route 7 (the route to Chile), the bodega's in the process of developing a tourism program, including meals.

 

A group of young clothing designers who have opened a new boutique in Mendoza, Argentina that features their designs along with local art. We also enjoyed  sipping champagne and listening to a jazz band at the inaugural bash at Immagina, a truly imaginative new offering on the Mendoza arts scene. This combination high-fashion boutique and art gallery is located at the popular, centrally located intersection of Emilio Civit and Belgrano streets, walking distance from a restaurant strip and Independence Plaza. Owners Romina y Marisol Peyrera Villanueva plan to coordinate the themes of the original fashion designs they offer with the art work they exhibit.

 

The Domaine du Mont in rural Mendoza which features gourmet lunches and dinners. Owned by Derek and Meg Montgomery and managed by their daughter Jasmine. Always on the look out for new dining options, Amazing Mendoza celebrated a delicious lunch in the garden of Domaine du Mont, a beautiful new venue near the Tempus Alba winery in Maipu. Our Canadian friends, the owners Derek and Meg Montgomery, along with daughter Jasmine, have created a welcoming restaurant in a turn-of-the-century house with turrets, stained glass and beautiful tile floors.

The regular menu is mostly light fare--sandwiches and salads--but if you book ahead, you can get a more ambitious tasting menu, accompanied by several wines. Our tasting menu featured a stunningly fresh green salad with  pears,  mushroom and malbec wine risotto, and a typical Mendoza bread pudding dessert accompanied by a shot of the local Primo vodka, produced by friends Emil de Balthazar and Lindsay Davidson. See the Financial Times article about them at this link.