Wine, Wine & Wine..

So in our quest for relaxing weekends as home.. we went to Mendoza..  (did you hear the sarcasm??).. LOL.. 

So basically we have hit all of the 'high points' in Argentina and Mendoza is the last of the 'must sees' and it did not disappoint.. So Mendoza is wine country.. the best wine.. and food.. yes.. food and wine.. it is a plenty and I think I might have commented to a friend after the long weekend I was sorta 'fooded out'.. :)  

so here are some pictures:)  

One of the wineries we visited.  This particular winery produces over 3 MILLION liters of wine annually... blows my mind.. was delicious!!  

because I just love a good floor.. this was from Plaza Espana... spanish tiles.. really beautiful

Horse back riding is one of the best ways to visit any 7.2 square mile winery. Wouldn't want to have missed the trout pond, acres and acres of fruit field, ponds, tennis courts, private house, and grape fields!!! 

Yeah.. I will be honest.. after 20 or so years not on a horse, this was a challange.. LOL

Rain never stopped a horse.. over looking the acres and acres of grapes used for Malbec.. Argentinas most famous of wines.

OK.. I never lie about food.. I give it straight up and I have way too many food pictures I could have posted.. this one is a must.. braised pork with mashed sweet potatoes.. one of the top five meals I have eaten in South America so far!!  

Heavenly ice cream.. like really heavenly... and I hate ice cream.. (don't judge)

Really the food in Mendoza easily surpasses Buenos Aires...

a traditional parrilla Mendoza style.. this is not what it looks like in Buenos Aires.. lots more hand on work with the food and the fire here.. no ovens to be seen!!!

Beautiful Malbec grapes (photo credit Cora)

lunch outside on a perfectly overcast and cool day.. (photo by Cora)

Cora is loving her new camera...

tasting some grande reserve at the 6th month of a 24 month aging process straight from the barrel.. good stuff

as featured on the 5 pesos bill:)

tasting grapes.. so sweet and perfect..

modern tanks holding 500,000 liters of wine per tank!!!

lovely winery owned by a group of brothers from Canada who bought it because as immigrants from Italy when they were children their father worked there.. couldn't let their childhood memories pass... 

of course no family vacation is really ever complete until we cook something.. making bread with a master.. was a great meal!!

everyone gets wine.. 

Our grill master at work... amazing to watch him cook on the fire.. kids loved helping and chatting with him.. their spanish is so good!!

pinecones.. like the size of a head of an adult.. 

bad picture but more food.. so in Mendoza on their shepards pie (they call pastel, seen on the left) they use cinnamon and sugar for the topping.. AMAZING!!!!  genius.. it must be the wine that gives them genius ideas!!

even though the Andes were hiding the mountains and the view were spectacular nonetheless.. 

And just in case you were worried we might be done exploring since we have hit the high points of Argentina.. but don't you worry.. Uruguay and Chile are up next!!  nothing stops Scott from planning and exploring!!