Mendoza, where 70% of Argentine wines is produced, is a good place to sample some.  Many of the best wines can be purchased by the glass at a bar in the city.

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Another fun way is to hire a bicyle and pedal between the vineyards.  We had such a wonderful day in Maipu that we hired bikes again in Luján de Cuyo for another full day of cycling and sampling (liqueures, jams, chutneys, olives  and olive oil as well as the wines).  This is Malbec country and we were able to taste the lot, from last year´s Rosé through to an 8 year old blend with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

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Many of the wineries have Italian origins.  The annual Festa in Piazza is a celebration by Italian immigrants and food originating in small Italian villages can be sampled.  We missed the parade of floats through the city for the Vendimia, but a float full of beauties was staying at our hostel and posed with us for a photo.

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In San Juan, 200 kilometers north of Mendoza, we spent an afternoon tasting along the wine route.  Our favourite was the little family run champañera Miguel Mas where the owner demonstrated the final process of removing the sediment by freezing the neck of the bottle, then adding the syrup.  We were able to sample before (Nature) and after (Brut).

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Another special winery was the adobe Bodega Las Marianas.  Here we tasted 2 week old Malbec from the fermentation tank, then later the finished product.

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