In the middle of the crisis, wine tourism is resisting and developing with luxury alternatives – 01/03/2019

Unlike the economic crisis, wine tourism in Mendoza continues to grow. A romantic sunset in the middle of a vineyard, a toast during a balloon flight or a yoga clbad in the garden of a vineyard are some of the renewed options of wine tourism and are almost always complete. These are outings that start at $ 1,900 – if they include one meal per person – and go up to $ 5,000 when it comes to a meal. tour by different wineries or offer a special menu of several stages. Nearly half of those who adhere to these proposals are foreign, encouraged by the devaluation of the peso against the dollar and the greater air connection that Mendoza has with destinations abroad.

In the most requested restaurants, like The enemy's house (Chachingo-Maipú), by the winemaker Alejandro Vigil, Reservations must be made one month or more in advance; especially, if you travel between March and April, harvest time. Among the customers, there is a majority of tourists from the United States, Brazil, Europe, Japan and Chile. The same multicultural atmosphere has the restaurants of chef Lucas Bustos, the Trapiche winery and Ruca Malén, which integrate together Vigil Universe, the gastronomic destinations recommended by the famous guide Michelin Travel.

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An example of the prosperous summer that wine tourism is experiencing is the landing, for the second year in a row, of the Tegui restaurant in Palermo: the head Germán Martitegui is installed in Mendozain the SuperUco winery, Michelin brothers, an hour's drive from the capital Mendoza.

The idea of ​​moving the restaurant to a vineyard arose from a conversation, after a meal, shared by Matias Michelini with the owner of Tegui. "He said that he had not taken a vacation for a long time, that it was the summer when he was working the most and that had the idea to close his restaurant and open it in MendozaA magical place that made him fall in love, "explains the winemaker, who at this dinner, the Roca brothers, renowned chefs from Girona (Catalonia), attended this conversation, which was the starting point for the event. a dream come true. "Without hesitation, we proposed our house in Germán, the family winery, to install his restaurant in a vast wine-growing environment," explains Matías.

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Until March 30, the 25 members of the Tegui team will be in the Uco Valley. Here, the peculiarity is that half of the clients who booked the service are Argentines. The eleven-step menu is served between 18:00 and dusk and is entirely made up of regional products, such as the Malargüe kid, local herbs and the tomato specialist. Ten wines are served, a sparkling wine at the reception and a mistela for dessert. For all these reasons, they must be paid $ 4,600 per person.

Yoga and wine

"It seemed contradictory to combine yoga and wine, but both worlds converge in the breath of aromas, harmony and contact with nature," says Alejandra Navarría, wine tourism entrepreneur and cycle planner. Yoga on the wine roads. And that shows a good side of wine tourism: "The culture of wine is not drunk. There is much more around the wine-growing landscape and the cellar; there is the mountain, the green, the flowers, the water that waters the farms and the clean air ".

For Claudina Teruel, the teacher who dictates the courses, the activity of yoga in wineries is as simple as "bringing a healthy activity to the world of wine".

The yoga clbades, which take place every Saturday morning, can go to a person who just wants to relax and meditate, no need to drink wine; but, also, there is the possibility of staying for lunch in the cellar restaurant. For example, in Santa Julia (Familia Zuccardi), you can order a snack or basket of take-aways in the afternoons and enjoy a picnic on a blanket.

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The cycle that combines yoga and wine started at Bodega Chandon and the toast, at the end of the exercise, consisted of a very fresh sparkling wine. Abstémiens can also participate in the relaxation course in the winery: "In all the places We offer water and natural juices to drink and a guided tour with guides to make visitors aware of the winemaking process, "Navarría said, adding that the program is being implemented. Wine in moderation (He came in moderation), which involves tasting a wine without exceeding it, which appeared in Europe and reproduced by the commercial entity Bodegas de Argentina.

Mendoza Corresponsalía.

LGP