Amanda Barnes visits three of Mendoza’s most historical wineries
Wine has been pumping through the bloodstreams of humans for over 7000 years. It started out in Georgia and Iran in 5000BC, then the Romans really started to get merry on the stuff, taking it from BC to AC, and the Christian church kept ...
... everyone in good spirits during the bleak medieval period. Mass production (literally) kicked into gear as the Church and conquistadors brought it to the Americas in the 1500s - all of course to ensure that there was plenty of wine for the catholic mass.
Mendoza has been making wine since its first vines were planted by the Spanish in the 1560s. A visit to any one of Mendoza’s thousand vineyards is sure to reveal some of the secrets of winemaking, but if you are looking for a step back in history, here are three key vineyards to visit.
Familia Di Tommaso
Officially declared as one of Mendoza’s historical monuments, Bodega Familia di Tommaso is a charming family-run vineyard and a good lesson in traditional wine making. Built in 1869, it is one of the oldest wineries in Mendoza and its long history is prevalent as you walk through the original building with unusual brick built tanks.
Wine is no longer fermented on site (declaring something a historical monument tends to put a halt to any modern refurbishments, especially large steel wine vats and pipes), however a tour around this small bodega gives you a good idea of how wine was made in the late 1800s. A highlight is walking inside the actual wine vats for a close up view.
Familia Di Tommaso is still run by the Italian family who bought it in 1910. Estella Morandino (fourth generation) is the wine maker and continues the Italian Di Tommaso tradition of her forefathers in the family bodega (red wines of course being dominant). She has also introduced a few new lines including a sweet wine using a recipe passed down by her grandmother.
This is a classic example of a quaint, historical vineyard which is as popular today as it was a century ago. Di Tommasso is located on a leafy laneway 30 minutes south of the city by car and is popular with cycle tourists who rent bikes on nearby Urquiza street In Maipu.
Familia di Tommaso, Maipu, 261 524 1829, www.familiaditommaso.com
Bodega Lopez
The Lopez name is synonymous with Argentine wine and it is one of the most famous national brands. Located close to Maipu plaza, it is one of the few wineries to still use some of the older wine making techniques, most notably storing wine in gigantic oak tanks.
A tour around this large, beautiful bodega shows you not only a museum of traditional machinery but also some of the largest wine vats still in use in Argentina today. The largest vat holds an impressive 35,000 litres of Cabernet Sauvignon and the eldest vat in use is 116 years old. The bodega offers a unique opportunity to taste a traditional style of Argentine wine as well as see firsthand an excellent demonstration of how wine making techniques have changed over the years.
You can also see how Mendoza city has grown and the winery is now in an urban setting, surrounded by residential neighborhoods that were once vineyards and still retain the name of each particular vine holding. Maipu was the original epicenter of Argentine winemaking, boasting some of the biggest wineries in the world in the 1920s.
Lopez is a classic example of how Argentine wineries have changed over the years from mass producers who shipped wine by the tank load on railtrack to Buenos Aires, to finer, more exclusive winemakers with the emphasis on grape varietal and quality.
The winery is a 20 minute taxi ride south east of the city. Bodegas Lopez, Maipu, 261 497 2406, www.bodegaslopez.com.ar
Bodega Benegas Lynch
Another historical winery worth a visit is Bodega Benegas Lynch in Lujan de Cuyo. The Benegas family were the first to bring noble French vines to Mendoza, by carrying sprigs mounted on mules over the mountains in the 1880s.
The family has owned some of the most important vineyards in the region since, most notably Trapiche, now Argentina’s biggest winery. Nowadays Federico Benegas manages a boutique version of the original winery and concentrates on fewer, finer wines - most notably a great blend and an excellent Cabernet Franc.
This handsome, intriguing winery boasts high cane ceilings and thick adobe walls adorned with original ponchos gifted by 19th century Patagonian Indian chiefs. It exudes history. You’ll note the surrounding administration and family buildings have a prodigious amount of exit doors, a 19th century architectural safety feature with earthquakes in mind. The winery houses a delightful collection of all the ‘latest’ technology from the 1880s which includes wine stained concrete vats. A dusty 100-year old record book adds to the sense of history and heritage.
Benegas Lynch is a 20-minute taxi ride south of the city and visits are by appointment only. Bodega Benegas, Lujan de Cuyo, 261 496 0794, www.bodegabenegas.com
