Mendoza Winery Profile - Belasco
Spain's Belasco Family Expands to Argentina's Wine Capital
May 1, 2008
With over nine-hundred wineries in the Argentine wine capital of Mendoza, you might be tempted to hop in your rental car and visit a few but don't be surprised to find that most are not open to the public without an appointment. If you're looking for a tour and fine-dining experience along with high-quality Malbec wines, visit a relative newcomer on the Mendoza wine scene - Belasco de Baquedano winery.
Old Malbec, Brand New Winery
Just a 30-minute drive from the city center in one of the best-known growing regions in the province, Lujan de Cuyo, the imposing medieval style brick winery sits in the midst of a seventy hectare Malbec vineyard, parts of which are approaching one-hundred years in age. In contrast with the old vineyard is the starkly new winery building with a modern gravity-fed design, high-tech equipment, professional tasting room and a small restaurant. Tourist facilities have only been available since January 2008.
Spain's Belasco Family in Argentina
The owners of four wineries in Spain as well as a distilling operation, the Belasco family expanded to Argentina to make 100% estate-grown Malbec, Argentina's signature red wine. Currently, the winery only uses about one-third of its capacity to make four wines. The line includes a rose and three Malbecs aged for 6, 12 or 18 months in new French oak. The majority of Belasco wines are exported to the USA and Europe, according to hospitality representative Cecilia Pincolini.
Robert Parker Rates Belasco
The top-of-the-line Malbec from Belasco called Swinto, a Huarpe Indian name meaning crow and a symbol of the Belasco family, received a 90-point score for the 2005 vintage. Retail price of this wine is $30USD but you can taste all four wines at the winery along with a delicious three-course lunch and appetizers for roughly $40USD per person.
A Work In Progress
In the vineyard, the old traditional flood irrigation system is being converted to a drip system and varietals no longer in commercial demand were grafted over to Malbec. Inside the winery, the tourism program is so new that if you buy wine there are no bags for your purchase and forget about using a credit card to pay for a couple of bottles. Service in the restaurant was a bit too fast-paced, especially for a country where slow service and leisurely dining are the norm.
Tours are available in Spanish or English and can be arranged with or without the lunch and tasting. Expect to climb several flights of stairs. After a large lunch with four wines, maybe that is a good thing.
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