After having spent a week in the small but picuresque wine town of Cafayate our tasting buds were piqued and Mendoza loomed on the horizon. 15,000 miles from home, wine country seemed like the perfect place to spend Thanksgiving. As an added bonus, Sophie finished her finals early and hit the road with us.
The enormity of this region hit us full on as we entered the city limits. A quaint mountainous Napa Valley retreat it is not. Mendoza is a sprawling hot-asphalt metropolis of over one million people. Camping is shockingly expensive and miles away from the wine we intended to drink. But it’s hard to bring a Pribbeno party down.
Sophie got us hooked on a new card game
Grillmaster at work
We improvised a Thanksgiving asado to be remembered for the ages. After watching the new Nebraska-Iowa rivalry, skyping with family, and getting our fill of the holiday warm and fuzzies we put our drinking caps on and made plans for a bicycle tour through the Maipu region. Mr. Hugo’s tour company starts you off with unlimited free wine. Unlimited. Free. Wine. Keep this in mind for the photographic progression.
What every wine lover enjoys, clever witticisms
As Napa Valley veterans we may have been a little over-confident in our tasting abilities. We were fully prepared to dazzle our peers with phrases like “an exceptional finish” and “hints of cracked pepper exciting the olfactors.” But after biking five kilometers in 89 degree heat we simply said “yes please, una mas, frio.” on repeat.
A well deserved first pour after a lengthy bike ride
Hitting our stride
We made some new friends from the US who, like us, left their jobs and are traveling as long and as far as the money will take them. We clicked immediately and together we retreated to the nearest patio bar to watch the sun disappear behind Aconcagua’s imposing outline.
Closing out the day with a few ice cold brews
"It's not really wine tasting unless you sustain an injury." - B
