SUB-ZERO WINE BLOG

Mendoza, the center of Argentina’s burgeoning wine trade, is a convivial city where clock runs languidly on what the locals call el tiempo mendocino – Mendozan time. If you stop for a quick espresso or a leisurely vino tinto at one of the shady cafes, you feel that you’re just a few kilometers from the Mediterranean. But the sleepy look of Mendoza is deceptive. Behind the scenes, Mendoza is an international hotspot where jet-setting consultants, buyers, connoisseurs and power-brokers can be seen slurping and sniffing Argentine malbec, and wheeling and dealing for stakes in Argentina’s lucrative wine industry. Behind its impressive colonial-era facade, the fabulous Park Hyatt hotel houses a state-of-the-art conference center, spa and casino. This hotel is just one product of the wine buzz in Argentina in the past decade.

In the beautiful countryside around Mendoza, vineyards spill down from the towering Andes. Mendoza’s location in the shadow of the Andes makes it one of the world’s best wine regions. A wall of mountains—including Aconcagua, at 22,834 feet, the highest peak in the Western Hemisphere— shields the high vineyards from the marine moisture that sails inland from the Pacific Ocean. This creates a near-desert terroir ideal for wine grapes. Although other grapes show great promise, Malbec is still Argentina’s star varietal. This Bordeaux vine, neglected in France, found itself in the right place at the right time. The world is ready for Malbec’s deep, ripe, juicy flavors. As the Argentines know, Malbec really comes into its own when matched with a grilled steak.