TASTING NORTHERN WINE IN SALTA

A special location and terroir makes of this winery the first to harvest in the Calchaquí Valleys.

The winery Estancia Los Cardones is located in Tolombón, province of Salta. This is the northernmost wine-growing area in Argentina, located south of the city of Cafayate at 1,700 masl, located at the top of the eastern slope of the Calchaquí Valleys.

The facility, inaugurated in early 2017, was built entirely of stone extracted from the quarries of the same estate. In fact, if you look at the drawing of the walls in the cellar you can easily have a notion of the soil that makes up the vineyard.

We propose you to visit this particular winery taking a guided tour following the path that makes the grape until it becomes a wine that reflects the unique characteristics of this terroir of Tolombón.

Starting with the vineyards, we will learn everything about this peculiar soil. The terroir of Estancia Los Cardones is unique in the valleys as it is rocky, very shallow, with abundant chipped slate stone on the surface and full of disintegrated mica.

The mostly planted strain is the Malbec, however you can also find lots with Petit Verdot, Grenache, Cabernet and Marsanne.

Another curious fact that makes this winery special is that the orientation of the vineyards, the intense sun and the stony soil favour the earliest maturity of the grape, being the first farm to harvest in all the Calchaquí Valleys.

We will continue into the winery to learn about the production process and end up in the cellar, where we will take in how the wine is aged to become the exquisite final product.

To finish the visit, we will go to the tasting room to taste three wines from the winery and check on our own the characteristic flavor of this special terroir from the north.

The golden clasp, it is possible to enjoy a lunch with empanadas, barbecue and a regional dessert!

GENERAL INFORMATION

  • Duration: 2-2.30 hours
  • Operates: Wednesday to Saturday from 10 to 18 hs (last tour at 17 hs). Sunday from 9 to 13 hs (last tour at 12 hs). Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.
  • Includes: guided tour of the vineyard and winery facilities, wine tasting and lunch as described.
  • Not included: transfers.

 

Lunch with The Enemy in Mendoza

We’ve been recommending this experience in Mendoza for some time now, but it’s so good that we want to give it a refreshed view. Enjoy a culinary proposal now included in the Michelin Voyage guide.

Alejandro Vigil is a wine expert at Aleanna Winery, one of the most prestigious wineries in Argentina. Together with Laura, the youngest daughter of the renowned Ernesto Catena, he indulged himself by introducing his own wine: “El Enemigo”. From its very first impression, the name speaks for itself and plays opposite to the other wineries that want to bind together wine and friendship. However, the name given to this wine, has conquered the market due to its antagonism: “The Enemy”.

Maybe that’s not the picture we have in mind about what happens behind closed doors at Aleanna Winery, but that’s how Alejandro Vigil is. He understands his work that way because he is as passionate for the grapevines, the bottles and the beautifully designed labels as for his own restaurant: Casa Vigil (formerly called El Enemigo), where his guests can savour exquisite local cuisine and its emblem wine.

Located in Chachingo, Maipú, only half an hour away from the city of Mendoza, Casa Vigil was recently included in the prestigious French guide Michelin Voyage, which stands out the best touristic and gastronomic places to visit outside France. The guide has remarked not only the well thought dishes that you will find on its menu to pair its wines, but also praised the place itself for its originality and exhibited local art. “An attractive and atypical place”, the Michelin Voyage calls.

This is not the only international mention to Casa Vigil. In 2017, the Great Wine Capitals network awarded it as the best cellar restaurant in Argentina, and Decanter magazine called it one of the best restaurants in Mendoza.

With so many good reviews, surely you´re curious and eager to see and taste for yourself what all this is about. This is definitely an experience that you can’t miss on your visit to Mendoza.

When in town, you will be picked up from your hotel and taken to Casa Vigil, where you´ll meet Alejandro and his wife Maria. You´ll visit the cellar where El Enemigo and El Gran Enemigo are made, and also be welcomed into the Vigil´s family home, where they´ll share anecdotes, stories and tell you about their passion for wine.

The visit includes and exquisite asado (barbecue) with gourmet salads and grilled vegetables. Of course, you won´t leave without tasting some of the house´s internationally prized wines, joined by one of the best wine experts in the world: Alejandro himself will guide you through a “Great Enemy” wine tasting experience.  

 

GENERAL INFORMATION

  • Lunch with “El Enemigo” menu: Barbecue with gourmet salads and grilled vegetables along with the seven labels of “El Enemigo”.
  • Min. 2 pax required
  • Tour to the cellar is subject to availability.
  • Included: Round-trip transportation to and from the winery – “Gran Enemigo” wine tasting experience – 4 step lunch with wines included.
  • Not included: Tips – Accommodation – Extra wine tastings – Guide.
  • 7 step dinner service is also available. Contact your Kallpa Executive for pricing.