Mendoza: From Fish to Vino

We have been in the heart of Argentina´s wine country for the past couple of days in the picturesque city of Mendoza. But before I mention anything more about Mendoza, I want to share a little story from our flight here the other night. Across from Anita (from our group) and I were two children - Lucia (age 9) and Frank (age 6) - flying with their father. They seemed like a friendly family, so when we broke out our deck of cards we invited them to play with us. For the remainder of the flight, we played several memorable rounds of fish, or "pesca". The games with the bright eyed kids reminded me that the cross-cultural experiences on this journey can be fun and enriching even when at 33,000 feet in the sky.

Mendoza is Argentina´s fourth largest city with a metro population of over 800,000. It is located in the country´s west-central region (known as the Cuyo, which means "sandy earth". The Andes Mountains are visible to the west, and because Mendoza sits in the rain shadow of these mountains, it is very arid here. One interesting historical note is that a major earthquake struck here in 1861, destroying most of the city. When Mendoza was rebuilt, much of the "new" city was built around five major plazas. The plazas were designed to be open spaces the residents could flee to in case another major earthquake struck.

The irrigation in this region almost makes you forget that the area is essentially a desert. Within Mendoza, there are giant sycamore trees that line the main boulevards, and then there are the vineyards that cover much of the area. In fact, the Mendoza province has over 1200 wineries and produces 70% of Argentina´s wine. Yesterday, we had the opportunity to visit one of Mendoza´s wineries - a place called the Catena Zapata. My Lonely Planet book says that it is "Argentina´s most esteemed winery" and that "its pioneering owner, Nicolas Catena, is often likened to California´s Robert Mondavi." The grapes grown in Catena´s vineyards range in elevation between 3,000-5,000 feet and they are known for growing a somewhat famous variety of grape known as a Malbec. About 60% of what they produce are red wines and 40% are white, and the good news if you are a fan of wine is that they export to the U.S.! The wine tour was outstanding and educational...

In closing today, there is one random final note and bit of advice I´d like to dispense (in case you are traveling through Latin America someday and like eggs) - if you happen to order your eggs "over easy", request "huevos fritos menos cosidos". That is something new I learned this morning!