Mendoza, Argentina: 14th March 10

Today we were picked up at our hotel at 8.30 for a tour of the wineries in the Uco valley, about 1,600 feet up in the foothills of the Andes. Mendoza has over 800 wineries surrounding it and we visited 799 (just kidding, it was only three). The Uco valley is an amazing place set between foothills on one side and mammoth snow capped peaks on the other. The countryside in between is so pretty - full of vines, orchards and enormous poplar trees.


At the first 2 wineries we were given a tour including an explanation of the wine making processes, we then got to try the wines, 5 in each! You only get a small glass (obviously or you’d be legless after the first!), but it’s enough to get you very tipsy! At the first one Matt had a black fly in his Chardonnay – isn’t that ironic!

At the last winery we had lunch which consisted of 6 small starters, a main course followed by deserts – absolutely beautiful!

There were 6 other people on the tour with us, 4 Brits and 2 yanks – all really good company so there were lots of giggles along the way.

On the way back to Mendoza we stopped to photograph a shrine to a chap called Gauchito Gil. He’s a kind of Robin Hood for Argentina, venerated by the poor as a saint. The tradition is that truck drivers leave small gifts and red flags for him along the roads in the hope that he’ll keep them safe – sweet!