Before people begin sending nasty comments (ok, we’re not even sure anyone is reading), let us state that we’re well aware that Mendoza is the premier wine growing region in Argentina and we do have hopes of one day making the trek there to taste their lovely wines. Nevertheless, a recent trip to Argentina included an interesting few days in the country’s fledgling Patagonia wine region, where we found wines that were good, though not quite up to the quality of some of the more established Mendoza wineries. We did, however, meet some of the nicest people in a very friendly country, which in the grand scheme of things may be more important than the quality of the wine.

First off, a brief explanation of how we found ourselves in what some call “the end of the world” wine region (the region is the closest wine growing region to the South Pole in the entire world).  Our trip to Argentina began in Buenos Aires before we flew to Patagonia to enjoy the country’s beautiful lakes region. Rather than hopping a plane back to Buenos Aires, then flying to Mendoza (Argentina is a huge country), we decided to drive to Neuquén and check out what was going on.  Wine Spectator did a fine review of the region that you can find here.

We stayed at a beautiful new wine resort, Valle Perdido, where the staff couldn’t have been any friendlier, the food was first rate and wine certainly pleasant enough to drink in the mass quantities in which we were served.   

 We recently drank a bottle of Valle Perdido’s 2006 Malbec Reserva that we brought back and the first taste sent us right immediately to our memories of Argentina.  The Malbec was rich and dark, with a smoky smell that made you want to indulge in something off the grill.  Nice plummy Malbec taste, though perhaps not with the sophistication of its Mendoza brethren.  But we’re here to praise, not criticize, and considering that wineries in the region began making wine in the early 2000s and basically sit in the middle of a desert, it’s certainly as good as many other reasonably-priced Malbecs out there.  We discovered that one of our local wine shops, K&L in San Francisco, is selling the Valle Perdido Pinot Noir so we’re excited to continue drinking Patagonian wines and monitor their progress as they evolve.

  If you ever find yourself in the Neuquén area of Patagonia, the few wineries there are worth the trip.  You won’t believe that really affordable tasty wine is grown in this desert region and you also will be blown away by the winds that engulf the area some days.  In addition to tasting at Valle Perdido, we visited Bodega NQN and Familia Schroeder.  Our lunch at NQN was out of this world delicious and the wine selection at Familia Schroeder rivals any Sonoma winery.  Don’t forget to brush up on your Spanish though, the locals speak little English.

In preparation for our trip to Argentina we drank some Malbecs and are hard-pressed to find wines that offer better value for the money. We would not hesitate to buy a $10 Malbec, and most wine stores and grocery stores (at least where we live) are littered with them.  With barbecue season upon us, they are the perfect accompaniment for grilled meats.  Enjoy!

Jill and David Shabelman