Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Dispatches" from the Pampas...Day 10...Saturday, February 15, 2014

I have had a great night of sleep, and I don't even roll over until after 8:00AM. I like my little “cabina” here outside of Mendoza. It is very clean and has a comfortable bed, shower with plenty of hot water, a small gas stove, a refrigerator and a television that gets three stations.
It is still raining (naturally), so I sit in my open doorway and enjoy a morning cigar while water heats up for coffee. Boiling water goes into my French press and, soon, I'm enjoying a cup of coffee with my cigar. I want toget in another winery visit/tasting/lunch today, so I take a look at my wine map to see what's close by. One of my guidebooks recommended “Famiglia Zuccardi”...it has a huge tasting room, two restaurants and a gift shop. The Garmin says it's 37 miles away but, what the heck, a little drive will be relaxing...even in the rain.
After a shower, shave and change of clothes, I'm off in my little Renault “Logan” for the winery. A good part of the drive is through town, so it takes me a little under an hour to go the 37 miles. There are lots of visitors on this day, and I have to park in the mud on the side of the road about 50 yards from the entrance.
Inside, the place is packed with people. I elbow my way into the gift shop and spot a guy who seems to be a manager. I ask him in my broken Spanish if it's possible to have a tour, a tasting...maybe lunch. He looks at me...he looks at my UM Football cap...and he smiles. His name is Torrey, and he graduated from Penn State. Since his team beat UM this year, he says, he will let me taste some wine...and...even though both restaurants are completely booked, he will find me a spot to sit for lunch...and, my waitress will be Megan...from Utah. Soon I'm sitting in a nice comfy chair, looking over the menu while enjoying a glass of Torrontes. Megan and her husband like to camp, and they've been to all of the same Utah parks that I like to visit. For lunch, I order Grilled Provolone Cheese with Onion Confit, Ham/Sausage/Mushroom Quiche and a large Salad...washed down with several glasses of Bonarda. The portions are huge, so I have a nice bag of leftovers for dinner.
After lunch, I go on a very enjoyable tour of the winery, followed by a tasting of six different wines...three from the “entry-level” Santa Rita line and three from the “premium” Zuccardi line. In the gift shop, I purchase a bottle of Torrontes, a bottle of Bonarda and a bottle of Malbec. I also purchase a hat...and this is a mistake. It's one of those Panama-style” hats with a hat band that says “Zuccardi”. It will get all mashed up if I pack it in a duffel or my carry-on...so...I'll be carrying it around for the rest of the trip.
The trip back to the campground is a pleasant surprise as the Garmin calculates a return trip of only 23 miles. Back at camp, I sit in my doorway (it's still raining)...drinking wine, smoking a cigar and listening to music from my iPod boombox. Around 9:00PM, I feel mildly hungry, so I eat the last of yesterday's grilled ham and cheese...along with the rest of today's salad.
Around 11:00PM, I'm fee..off to bed. ling sleepy.

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