On the 23rd of January two friends of mine picked me up early morning for a trip to the Uco Valley, 135 km far from Mendoza City. We had a pleasant journey towards to this “valley of plenty” known for its tradition of fruit farms and, recently, for some of the best wines of Argentina.
On the way, my friends; both Argentinean; gave me a complete class of geography, culture, tradition and national economy – well, it was a long ride… I love learning and they know that, so they didn’t bother of me asking questions as curious as a child.
After being slightly lost, we reached our target: O. Fournier, an ultra modern winery owned by a Spanish group.
At the arrival, what impressed me the most was the vines growing on free-standing - not commonly seen over here, but a tradition from same parts of Spain, rooted here to connected somehow this far land with the owners homeland.
We had a guided tour in their winery and learned a little about what gravity can do for the wine making process – the winery was built to make the most of it: got good results, energy saved, and some prizes for its architecture.
All buildings are underground connected and our tour ended on the restaurant, named Urban.
At the restaurant we set ourselves overlooking a mirror lake and the Andes Mountains on the back ground – very inspiring.
We didn’t agree about our favorite wine; however we were delighted at the same level.
The wines were married to the delicious four-course menu, and we had the change to taste all the winery ranges:
Urban Uco Sauvignon Blan 2009;
Urban Uco Chardonnay 2008;
B Crux 2003 (60% Tempranillo, 20% Malbec, 10% Merlot, 10% Syrah);
Alfa Crux 2006 (100% Malbec).
Feeling pleased and merry, we were joined by the charming chef and owner, Nadia Haron, for a coffee and a lovely chat.
Nadia - who still keeps the Spanish accent - showed so much passion and commitment with her work that explained the warm feeling and the great food at the restaurant.
After this “cherry on the cake” we headed back to Mendoza city still arguing about the favorites – Long life to democracy and the difference of tastes!
Cheers, Marcia Amaral
On the way, my friends; both Argentinean; gave me a complete class of geography, culture, tradition and national economy – well, it was a long ride… I love learning and they know that, so they didn’t bother of me asking questions as curious as a child.
After being slightly lost, we reached our target: O. Fournier, an ultra modern winery owned by a Spanish group.
At the arrival, what impressed me the most was the vines growing on free-standing - not commonly seen over here, but a tradition from same parts of Spain, rooted here to connected somehow this far land with the owners homeland.
We had a guided tour in their winery and learned a little about what gravity can do for the wine making process – the winery was built to make the most of it: got good results, energy saved, and some prizes for its architecture.
All buildings are underground connected and our tour ended on the restaurant, named Urban.
At the restaurant we set ourselves overlooking a mirror lake and the Andes Mountains on the back ground – very inspiring.
We didn’t agree about our favorite wine; however we were delighted at the same level.
The wines were married to the delicious four-course menu, and we had the change to taste all the winery ranges:
Urban Uco Sauvignon Blan 2009;
Urban Uco Chardonnay 2008;
B Crux 2003 (60% Tempranillo, 20% Malbec, 10% Merlot, 10% Syrah);
Alfa Crux 2006 (100% Malbec).
Feeling pleased and merry, we were joined by the charming chef and owner, Nadia Haron, for a coffee and a lovely chat.
Nadia - who still keeps the Spanish accent - showed so much passion and commitment with her work that explained the warm feeling and the great food at the restaurant.
After this “cherry on the cake” we headed back to Mendoza city still arguing about the favorites – Long life to democracy and the difference of tastes!
Cheers, Marcia Amaral