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13 Hottest Travel Destinations of 2013 · Travel & Leisure · View PDF
Uco Valley, Argentina: Will this sunny expanse outside Mendoza City become Napa South? New hotels are making it easier to sample the region’s Malbecs and Semillons: Francis Mallman—the Argentine Thomas Keller—runs the kitchen at Vines Resort & Spa ($$$$), while Casa de Uco, Wine Hotel & Spa ($$$$) has freestanding tubs and outdoor fire pits.
In Argentine Developments, Vineyards and Villas · NYT, International Herald Tribune · View PDF
"Big open spaces,” he (Brochu) said. “It’s like Napa 30 - 40 years ago."
36 Hours in Mendoza, Argentina · New York Times · View PDF
Start your tour of the city with a wine sampling at Vines of Mendoza ... The tasting room is owned by Michael Evans and Pablo Gimenez Riili, whose 1,000-acre cooperative vineyard in the Uco Valley gives those who dream of making their own wine the possibility of owning as little as three acres of vines, with access to a state-of-the-art facility and an excellent in-house oenologist.
Owning A Piece of the Vineyard · Wall Street Journal · View PDF
Two years ago, a colleague bragged that he and two friends had bought three acres of vineyards in Argentina's Uco Valley for $210,000, including the first two years of farming fees. Each harvest season since, he and his partner-pals have gone down to the fast-growing wine region to pick and crush their grapes, then blend them into premium wines under the guidance of Santiago Achával, one of Argentina's most revered winemakers (his Malbecs can sell for more than $100 a bottle—several times the typical price)... Starting this year, they'll have some 12,000 bottles of wine annually to label and drink as they choose, at a cost of $3,000 per acre in farming fees.
Argentina Lures Bankers Dreaming of Owning Their Own Vineyard · Bloomberg · View PDF
For his 50th birthday two years ago, Phil Asmundson, vice chairman of technology at Deloitte LLP, flew to Argentina for a vacation and ended up buying a vineyard. As a long-time wine collector, making his own was a secret dream. During harvest in March or April, he’ll fly down from New York to pick malbec grapes and play cellar rat.
MORE THAN MALBEC · AFAR Magazine · View PDF
“At The Vines Resort & Spa, guests can watch the sunset from a lakeside deck or dine at Siete Fuegos Restaurant, run by grill master Francis Mallmann. The Vines was the first Mendoza wine company to offer vineyard ownership opportunities, and now travelers-turned-vintners return regularly to tend their vines.
Argentina’s Napa Valley · New York Times · View PDF
“Mendoza is Napa 30 or 40 years ago,” said Michael Evans, a former Democratic campaign strategist from Washington, D.C., who moved to Mendoza six years ago to go into the wine business. But while money is pouring in, charming hotels are popping up, and wineries are going all-out architecturally, Mendoza remains very much an old-world experience.
What’s the Easiest Way to Become a Winemaker? · Vanity Fair · View PDF
Step One: Contact The Vines of Mendoza, situated in Mendoza’s Uco Valley, in Argentina.
'Texas Boy' Investor Can't Resist Taste of New Argentine Winery · Bloomberg · View PDF
Brochu, a self-described “Texas boy” with about 700 bottles of wine in his Seattle home, eventually came around to the idea of being a part-time winery owner. Now the 56-year-old financier, who has sold three companies with a total value of about $1 billion, is waiting to taste the fruit of his latest investment. “Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought about owning a vineyard,” he said.
HARVESTING PROFITS IN ARGENTINA'S WINE COUNTRY · FORBES · View PDF
Evans restored his juices in Mendoza, in the foothills of the Andes. He discovered a new career: vine renting. His five-year-old company, Vines of Mendoza, manages a 1,046-acre Argentinean vineyard on behalf of casual winemakers who would rather do the quaffing and let others handle the pruning.
Latest Press
AN OPEN WINDOWS FOR WORLD WINES· THE WASHINGTON POST · View PDF
"... Evans and his partners are building a luxury wine resort and a vanity vineyard operation, where foreigners can buy parcels of 2 to 12 acres. The Vines of Mendoza will provide three years of free vineyard maintenance, planting grapes according to a customer's wishes and providing a bottling operation on hand once the grapes ripen."
THE VINES OF ARGENTINA· THE WORLD OF FINE WINE · View PDF
... But it is the Private Vineyard Estate project that is the most intriguing facet of the operation. The company has purchased 200 acres (202 hs) of virgin land in the Uco Valley, at the base of the Andes Mountains. With 240 days of sunshine per year, high altitude, and unlimited access to fresh water, this is prime vineyard land, neighbored by Michel Rolland's Clos de los Siete.
DON'T CRY FOR ME ARGENTINA· TRADER · View PDF
Owning a vineyard? Sounds like fun. Only problem: You have no idea whatsoever how to make wine. Solve this conundrum by purchasing a four-to-12-acre plot in the winemaking mecca of Mendoza, Argentina, from The Vines of Mendoza Private Vineyard Estates ($35,000 and up; vinesofmendoza.com). There, you'll receive the aid and comfort of some of the region's highest-rated winemakers, who will help with such trivial details as varietal selection, vineyard design, maintenance, harvesting and bottling.
GETTING STARTED· FORTUNE · View PDF
Want to buy a vineyard in Argentina's wine region? Founde US tech executives, Vines of Mendoza sells "full service" vineyards in the Valle de Uco. Land, vine planting, three years of maintenance, and use of a winery run $50,000 an acre.
NAPA DEL SUR· STAR TELEGRAM · View PDF
You'll barely make it inside the door to The Vines of Mendoza, a tasting room opened by developers from California, when you hear it: This is the next Napa.
THE HAPPIEST VALLEY· THE OBSERVER MAGAZINE · View PDF
A combination of cheap land and perfect conditions has created a stampede for vineyards in Argentina's Uco Valley.
ARGENTINIAN RED WINES· DECANTER · View PDF
"My first visit to Argentina has left me convinced that...this country has no rivals for...value for money of it reds and possibly none qhen it comes dramatic improvements in the future. The Vines of Mendoza, an impressive wine bar around the corner from the Grand Hyatt, put on a tasting of 10 wines for me that, for them, represented the country's most exciting new styles..."
ARGENTINE CRUSH· CAVIAR AFFAIR · View PDF
"Mendoza is by far the largest and most important wine-growing area in Argentina, and arguably the most significant for high quality wine in South America... The company's [The Vines of Mendoza's] wine bar lists 90 Argentine wines by the glass... [but] offers more than just wine tasting - it also provides a wine club and sells vineyard estates..."
HOT WINES· WINE SPECTATOR · View PDF
This week's Wine Spectator Insider newsletter features wines from three top wine producing regions, including Malbecs from Argentina, Champagnes and Spanish Riojas. This report leads off with James Molesworth's latest Malbec reviews from Mendoza and the Uco Valley, including a 96-point Malbec from Achával-Ferrer, which you'll find among this week's Hot Wines...
THE TOAST OF ARGENTINA· BUDGET TRAVEL · View PDF
I have over 1,200 wineries to choose from and only four days in which to see them... Vines of Mendoza, a tasting room just off Plaza Independencia that pour over 90 local wines and organizes vineyard tours for flummoxed visitor like me.
THE RISE OF ARGENTINIAN WINE· GLOBAL POST · View PDF
A few years ago a visiting American, Michael Evans, decided that was needed was one place in town where you could tour all the bodegas, as it were, by glassfuls.
MENDOZA, ARGENTINA'S WINE COUNTRY· ABC NEWS · View PDF
Mendoza in particular, is the most exciting and dynamic wine region in the world today. In many respects, it's a lot like the Napa Valley was 30 years ago," said San Francisco Bay-area transplant Matt Hobbs, the vice president of marketing and sales at Vines of Mendoza.
THE NEW CONQUISTADORS: ARGENTINA'S BOOMING VINEYARDS· THE INDEPENDENT · View PDF
For most, the dream remains just that, but for some, it is becoming an increasingly affordable reality, not in Europe, where land in the prestigious wine-producing regions remains expensive, but 7,000 miles away in Argentina.
YOU CAN CRUSH AT MY PAD· FINANCIAL TIMES · View PDF
...Owners get to produce their very own wine with the guidance, help and expertise of a dedicated, professional team of viticulturalists, agronomists and oenologists. In the case of Vines of Mendoza, that expertise comes from none other than Santiago Achával.
10 QUESTIONS WITH MICHAEL EVANS, CEO & CO-FOUNDER OF THE VINES OF MENDOZA· NEW WORLD REVIEW · View PDF
Michael Evans was a political consultant working with John Kerry and Rock the Vote, then went on vacation to Mendoza, Argentina in 2004. A year later, with co-founder Pablo Gimenez, he began The Vines of Mendoza, a wine entrepreneurship program in the Uco Valley where owners, with help from Argentina's most acclaimed viticulturalist Santiago Achaval, learn winemaking and create their own superior quality wine...
ARGENTINE WINE PICKS FOR THE HOLIDAYS FROM VINES OF MENDOZA· NEW WORLD REVIEW · View PDF
As a preview of our forthcoming interview with Vines of Mendoza co-founder Michael Evans, we asked Vines of Mendoza to provide a few Argentine wine picks for the holiday season...
RESTAURANTS, ACCOMMODATIONS AND ATTRACTIONS AROUND MENDOZA, ARGENTINA· THE WASHINGTON POST · View PDF
Don't want to leave the city for wine-tasting? Try one of several flights of wines at this in-town tasting room, complete with terrace and English-speaking hosts. They might even try to interest you in buying your own piece of a vineyard...
CHILE SAYS REBUILDING MAY COST TENS OF BILLIONS OF DOLLARS· THE NEW YORK TIMES · View PDF
As the Chilean government employed helicopters and boats to extend aid to earthquake-battered regions, President Michelle Bachelet on Tuesday began to grapple with the enormous cost of rebuilding the country, saying it could extend into thetens of billions of dollars...
MALBEC - WINE OF THE WEEK· SLASH FOOD · View PDF
Malbecs are inky, concentrated and exploding with fruit, yet are not as aggressive as Zinfandels or Petite Sirah due to its additional layer of softness. Considered Argentina's national grape, and an exploding segment of the wine market, we thought it would be fun to open up some Argentinian Malbecs and see how they rate...
VINE TALK: THE HUNT FOR A NEW-WORLD TERROIR· REUTERS · View PDF
NEW YORK (Reuters Life!) -Given the choice, few people would travel from Argentina to New York City in January.
THE VINES OF MENDOZA· TRAVEL SQUIRE · View PDF
Have you ever thought about owning your own brand of wine? Michael Evans has and believe me he's not alone. Michael, an American entrepreneur and former political consultant, is founder and president of The Vines of Mendoza, situated in the heart of Argentina's wine region...
MENDOZA: IL VIGNETO FAI DA TE· GAMBERO ROSSO · View PDF
Siamo nella Valle de Uco, circa 80 km a sud di Mendoza. Sullo sfondo lo spettacolo della Ande, le vette stuzzicano i 5.000 metri di altezza. Vigneti strappati al deserto a perdita d'occhio. E' nato qui il progetto innovativo che vi presentiamo: The Vines of Mendoza. Gli ettari a disposizione sono 120, i proprietari oltre 90...
BEHIND AN EXPAT'S WINE STARTUP SUCCESS· FORTUNE · View PDF
Vines of Mendoza managed to overcome the pangs of the global financial crisis and Argentina's inflation woes by keeping a close eye on costs and cutting deals whenever possible.
DESTINATION: SUMMER SCHOOL· DETAILS · View PDF
Come back from vacation with more than just a tan. Plan your next holiday around a once-in-a-lifetime courses, and you'll return the master of a new domain.
VINTAGE ADVENTURE· THE AGE.COM.AU · View PDF
Almost every bar in town is effectively a wine bar and Vines of Mendoza has positioned itself as the first stop for most visitors. Opened in 2006 by a former campaign adviser to the failed 2004 US presidential candidate John Kerry, it is one of the only custom-built tasting rooms in South America...
VINTAGE ADVENTURE· SMH.COM.AU · View PDF
Almost every bar in town is effectively a wine bar and Vines of Mendoza has positioned itself as the first stop for most visitors. Opened in 2006 by a former campaign adviser to the failed 2004 US presidential candidate John Kerry, it is one of the only custom-built tasting rooms in South America...
TEN MOST IMPORTANT CHEFS OF MY LIFETIME· FORBES · View PDF
I chose my words carefully here. I was tempted to call this group "my ten favorite chefs of all time," but then realized that'd be impossible to decide. Too many chefs, too much great food!
FRANCIS MALLMAN JOINS THE VINES OF MENDOZA RESORT· NEW WORLD REVIEW · View PDF
After naming the grill master and author of the book Seven Fires: Grilling the Argentine Way the executive chef of Siete Fuegos, the restaurant at the Vines Resort & Spa in the Uco Valley, the Vines of Mendoza took the famed chef on a whirlwind tour of several US cities to celebrate with a menu of grilled sweetbreads, five hour rib eye, skirt steak, and a salt crusted salmon infiernillo with aioli.
TIMES WRITER JULIA MOSKIN EATS HER THANKSGIVING LEFTOVERS A COUPLE WEEKS EARLY· GRUB STREET · View PDF
It's been a busy week at the Times Dining Section: In addition to Pete Wells's review read 'round the world, it's also Thanksgiving, the biggest food week of the year. "With the hurricane, and the recipe testing for Thanksgiving, this week was very ramped up," reporter Julia Moskin says.
SIP, SAVOR AND SPA AT THE VINES RESORT & SPA IN MENDOZA, ARGENTINA· WANDER MELON · View PDF
A new luxe vacation residence to open this spring in Argentina's most prestigious wine region with fire master chef Francis Mallman.
CHEF FRANCIS MALLMANN'S FIRST L.A. DEMO: A BACKYARD BBQ IN THE HOLLYWOOD HILLS· LA WEEKLY · View PDF
This superstar chef with three restaurants in Argentina, another set to open in March, one in Brazil and one in Uruguay, quietly slipped into Los Angeles for his first cooking demo here.
DI-VINE DWELLINGS · CENTURION MAGAZINE · View PDF
One of The Vines' aims is to take the mystery out of winemaking, so estate owners can get involved with the nitty-gritty such as taking soil samples, fermenting and even designing labels at the on-site winery.
THE LONG AND WINE-DING ROAD· BUENOS AIRES HERALD · View PDF
The air is crackling with energy, and it has nothing to do with the Andes having some kind of temper tantrum. Mendoza is in its prime at this time of year, and as the official Vendimia celebration took placelast night, thousands are in town to get a piece of the action.
SIETE FUEGOS ASADO - MALLMANN'S LATEST ENTERPRISE· CENTURION MAGAZINE ON LINE · View PDF
What could be better than a succulent fillet straight off the grill on a Sunday? Francis Mallmann's latest venture in Mendoza is sure to get mouths watering as they witness his finesse with the roaring flames.
WINEMAKER´S DREAM· ECOCUYO.COM · View PDF
To give it a name, this private vineyard "community" is located in Vistaflores, in Uco Valley; and it is composed of 200 hectares. … each land owner would be able to make his own wine with the consultation of a group of enologist, headed by Santiago Achaval – from the prestigious Achaval Ferrer winery- and video cameras in each lot, so that investors will be able to monitor the evolution of their grapevines from any part of the world..
FRANCIS MALLMANN SETS MENDOZA ON FIRE· THE MENDOZA SUN · View PDF
With seven different fires burning, set in the stunning vineyard and mountain-scape of Tunuyan, the new outdoor Siete Fuegos restaurant is not only a masterpiece of nature but also one of Argentine chef Francis Mallmann.