Wapisa wines is the Patagonian project of Fincas Patagónicas (see Tapiz in Mendoza) making maritime wines from their 60-hectare vineyard in San Javier in coastal Río Negro. The winery is making Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir so far.
San Pablo in the Uco Valley is now officially Argentina’s newest GI (Identificación Geográfica, IG in Spanish) with the San Pablo GI approved earlier this month. Vineyards of Salentein, Zuccardi and Tapiz are included within the 510 hectares of vines currently planted in the San Pablo IG area.
Spearheaded by these three wineries, the application for the GI took four years to reach approval by the INV.
Ranging from 1,100 metres to 1,700 metres altitude, the San Pablo GI is one of the cooler sub-regions of Mendoza and the Uco Valley.
The region is part of an ancient alluvial fan and the vineyards are planted on sandy-loam soils of alluvial origin with a high pebble content with some calcareous material.
Wineries with vineyards in San Pablo include Salentein (300 hectares), Zuccardi (35 hectares), Bodegas Tapiz (452 hectares).
There are a wide range of grape varieties planted with San Pablo, including white wines of Chardonnay, Verdejo and Sauvignon Blanc, as well as many red wines including Malbec, Cabernet Franc and Pinot Noir.
The boundaries of the GI are defined by:
A family of 40 llamas, a horse-drawn carriage ride through the vineyards and tank tastings makes visiting Tapiz winery in Luján very interesting indeed. The main winery is located in Luján, but you can also visit its restaurant, olive oil factory and boutique hotel in Maipú or its other winery in the Uco Valley.
Owned by an Argentine couple, Tapiz showcases the owners’ two passions: wine and llamas. Owner Patricia Ortiz is an animal lover and vice president of the national llama association, so it is no surprise that a visit to Tapiz is not just about Malbec but also the sustainable social project of providing employment for harvest workers in the winter though shearing llamas and weaving shawls and scarves that are for sale in the winery.
Aside from meeting their furry companions, a visit includes riding through the vineyards on a carriage and tasting wines from the tank with their very informative guides. At the treetop restaurant and boutique hotel in Maipú you can also visit their small olive oil factory and sparkling wine house which has a striking 22m by 4m Sergio Roggerone mural.
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