In Vino Veritas

My plane banked to the left and over the wing rose the majestic peaks of the Andes. Right out my window, and soaring almost 7000 meters into the sky was the highest of them all - the highest in the world outside of Asia - Mt. Acongagua. Its peak remained snow-covered, despite the fact that it is the middle of summer here and the temperature on the ground is over 90 degrees. I planned to trek to the base camp of this giant on my second day in town. First however, I had other plans to take care of. As the plane began its final descent, the green fields surrounding the airport of Mendoza came into focus. Stretching all the way to the foothills of the Andes, and even up to the very edge of the runway, were the areas famed vineyards. The area around Mendoza produces 80% of Argentina’s wine. No small amount, considering that Argentina is the world’s fifth-largest wine producer. Within minutes of town, most of the bodegas offer tours and tastings. It was 9 am. I wasn’t planning on wasting any time.

After checking into my hotel, I immediately set up tours at two of the local bodegas for the afternoon. I had just enough time to walk next door to an open air sidewalk café facing the central Plaza Independencia for some much needed lunch. In somewhat of a rush and not focused on food, I skipped the menu and simply ordered the special of the day for 7 pesos, just over two dollars. What soon arrived was a full cut of sirloin steak, a mixed salad, and a glass of the house red. Barely able to believe what was in front of me, I dug in and may have decided then that I had taken the wrong plane and arrived in heaven. When I was almost finished with the and feast and grinning sheepishly as if I had pulled of some sort of heist, a distinguished looking silver haired gentleman sat down at the table next to me. After ordering the special as well, he turned to me and asked, “Que hora?,” simply, what was the time. As if woken from a dream, I mumbled something back in likely incomprehensible Spanish. Clearly not interested in the answer he leaned back smiling and sighed, “ahhh, time for beautiful women and good wine.” I had read before that Mendoza is known as the “Land of Sun and Good Wine” as it almost never rains in this once-desert land that now supports wine production from a ancient system of river-fed aqueducts. However, as two stunning barely twenty-somethings strolled by as if on queue under the shade of the leafy plaza trees, I was prepared to accept the gentleman’s addition. As I drained the last drop of my surprisingly good glass, however, I had to leave this silver fox to his own people watching. For me, it was time to catch the bus to the first bodega.

Bodega La Rural is a large maker of several esteemed wines including the fantastic Rutini line. It was first on my list however, because it also boasts the largest wine museum in South America. As the lovely Leticia led a small group of us through the museum, she discussed the history of the winery and of Argentine wine making in general. Mendoza is situated perfectly in the rain shadow of the mighty Andes. This means that it gets 350 days of sun a year and yet there is abundant snow fed water very close. The system of irrigation used currently both to water the fields and supply the town is descended from the time of the Incas. The region is especially suited for making great reds. Somewhat ignored in Europe and used basically as a blending grape, Malbec is the pride of the Argentine red grapes. It is a rich versatile red, somewhat similar to a merlot and pairs excellently with red meats. The Cabernet Sauvignons are also robust and fantastic and the Syrah is smooth and spicy and reminiscent of the popular Shiraz coming out of Australia. Aging in French and American oak barrels, once rare is now becoming very common. At the end of the tour we were treated to copious samples of their Rutini, Trumpeter and San Felipe lines of reds which are all widely available and one called Museum, only available at the Bodega. I couldn’t help but walk away with a couple bottles, a huge purple smile and a somewhat tranquil mood as I headed for my next stop.

In stark contrast to La Rural, Bodegas Vina El Cerno is a small, family run winery. Built in 1864, the bodega is romantically tucked away among the vineyards in a tiny building packed with the huge wooden barrels. It is staffed by five people and unlike the polished tour guide in La Rural, here I was shown around by a portly weathered man with hands stained black from wine. He gestured wildly with these black hands as discussed their process saying that everything was done by hand, from the picking of the grapes to the sorting and pressing in old wooden presses, to the labeling of the bottles. The tasting room consisted of a single table and wine poured from small wooden barrels. With fewer than 9000 bottles a year, the wines from this bodega can rarely be found outside of Mendoza and some Buenos Aires bistros. Now, one 2002 Malbec might be seen in my suitcase – and chances are slim it will survive the couple weeks left before I have to head home.

By the end of the second tour and tasting, both conducted in Spanish, I was feeling gregarious and struck up a conversation with another purple-mouthed visitor who seemed about my age. A young lawyer from Buenos Aires, Sebastian was in Mendoza for a couple of days with his girlfriend. “I just closed a deal and we were supposed to go to Brazil for a two-week vacation” he explained, “but my company cut it short and we just had time to come here.” Apparently, heavy demands on lawyers’ time is not solely a U.S. phenomenon. He said he hated his cell phone because his company could call at any time and he would be back on a plane to Buenos Aires. I asked if lawyers here used the notorious Blackberry email devices now toted by most lawyers in the states. “They haven’t arrived yet” he smiled, “but I guess then I will have another wireless leash.” As we enjoyed a glass of Vina El Cerdo Cabernet, we discussed his work and interest in the wine business. Currently working for the large Brazilian petroleum company, Petrobras, he wished to move into a wine company, because wine “tastes so much better then petrol.” He was very interested in the legal issues surrounding the wine import and export business. I asked if he had heard of the case that was recently heard by the supreme court concerning the interstate shipping of wine. “Of course,” he replied, “we think it will be significant for the wine business here if it becomes easier to ship wine internationally.” Widely thought to be significant for internet wine stores, allowing more freedom of interstate shipping, the case could signal a liberalization for international trade as well. Because of the high quality wine that can be produced here so inexpensively, and yet the difficulties and distances involved in obtaining it, Sebastian surmised that the internet could have a dramatic impact on the amount of wine that gets exported.

Until very recently, Argentina’s wine business had been inward looking. As recently as 1987, exports constituted only 1% of the wine output. The vast majority is left for the local market, making Argentina the world’s seventh largest consumer of wine. The local market was also somewhat undemanding, quite willing to wash down the world’s best beef with some of its worst wine. But this has all been changing very fast since ex-President Menem opened up the economy. Since the late 90’s, over a billion dollars has been invested in new over a hundred new bodegas and tens of thousands of new hectares of vineyards. Much of this investment is coming from abroad in the form of the worlds large beverage companies. The local market is also becoming more discerning and demanding. Argentina is set to become a global giant in the wine business. The biggest obstacles have been transportation and marketing. Mendoza has had poor links to Buenos Aires and beyond, and until recently most people had barely heard of Argentine wine. Advances in communication and the opportunities presented by the Internet could have far reaching effects in the success of Argentina’s enhanced venture into the wine market.

Winemaking as well as other agriculture will be crucial for Argentina’s economy to rebound from its recent troubles. Argentina is blessed with plenty of suitable and empty land, a large domestic market and a well educated public. Farmers are good at adapting to changing market conditions and apparently willing to use new technologies in agricultural production. If Argentina manages the development of its wine business correctly, it could be a spark that the economy needs. Much will depend on the ability to generate investment within Argentina as well as from outside. Much may also depend on the international export market. It will be interesting to see the role that the law plays in shaping this environment. The use of the internet for marketing and sales as well will be a relevant and, perhaps key, factor. By the end of my two night and three day stay in Mendoza. I felt like I had completed a crash course on the wine business in Argentina. I had visited several bodegas and had more than my share of free samples. I had also trekked to the largest mountain in the western hemisphere and had some of the best steaks in my life. As my plane departed for the thousand-kilometer journey back to Buenos Aires, soon the vineyards disappeared and the land was empty and open. I wondered how the landscape would change by the next time I visited. I wondered what new bodegas would pop up and what new wonderful bottles of Malbec, Cabernet and Syrah would make their way out and into my local wine shop. I felt sad to leave and wished I could live closer to this oasis of sun and good wine. Until the next time I visit, I may have to settle for being only a few mouse-clicks away.