Argentina’s Wine Country, Beyond Mendoza
Black Tomato and Assouline’s new journey starts with the names worth knowing in Mendoza, then heads north to Cafayate and the Calchaquí Valley—where the vineyards sit higher, the hotels get more interesting and the crowds thin considerably.
Mendoza is the obvious choice for an Argentine wine trip. This itinerary doesn’t stop there.
Created by Black Tomato in partnership with Assouline, the journey begins with two nights at Four Seasons Buenos Aires in La Recoleta before heading west to Mendoza and Susana Balbo Winemaker’s House in Chacras de Coria, the former home of Argentina’s first female winemaker.
From here, the itinerary covers some of the addresses that justify Mendoza’s reputation: Viña Cobos, Casa El Enemigo, Bodega Riccitelli and Kaiken. Lunch at the latter’s Ramos Generales is overseen by Francis Mallmann, while Michelin-starred Brindillas, tucked into a family cherry orchard, takes care of dinner.
Then things become considerably less obvious.
The route turns north to Cafayate, where vineyards climb above 5,000 feet and altitude begins to shape the trip. Patios de Cafayate is the base for visits to San Pedro de Yacochuya, at 6,500 feet, and Finca Los Cuises, where vines grow across Inca terraces.
The final stop is Estancia Colomé, a remote working wine estate above 7,200 feet in Salta’s Calchaquí Valley. As if the setting needed another reason to make the journey, the estate is also home to a museum dedicated to James Turrell.
Mendoza remains essential. But for those who already know where Malbec comes from, Argentina gets rather more interesting further north.