Snowshoeing, Uco Valley, & Termas de Cacheuta
Days Three, Four, & Five - Mendoza & the Great South American Eclipse - 2019
A snow day, a vineyard day, and a spa day: probably the three best ways to enjoy the austral winter.
Map Credit: OpenStreetMap
1. Potrerillos #1
The Potrerillos Dam was constructed between 1999 and 2003 for the purpose of generating electricity and providing floodwater for nearby Mendoza.
The following day, we had a scheduled day tour arranged by Outdoor Frontiers Tours to go snowshoeing in the Aconcagua foothills. Andy, our guide, met us at our accommodation in Chacras de Coria with a fair warning that the road between Uspallata and the Aconcagua area was closed due to snow. He recommended we nonetheless head towards Uspallata in the hopes that the road would reopen as the morning sun warmed the road bed up. En route, we stopped quickly at Potrerillos, a lake formed by the dam of the same name.
2. Potrerillos #2
The controllable release of floodwater from Potrerillos has resulted in a generally predictable quality of wine in the Mendoza wine region.
While the weather at Potrerillos was generally clear and relatively warm...
3. Potrerillos #3
…the weather in the mountains to our west looked rather forbidding.
4. Uspallata Checkpoint
The Uspallata Pass (also known as the Cumbre Pass) connects Santiago, Chile, and Mendoza, Argentina, and is one of the most scenic roads in the world - allegedly.
We arrived at the eastern checkpoint along the Uspallata Pass to find the road was still closed due to weather. Obviously, this was frustrating since -as you can see- the weather was phenomenal where we were. Regardless, the checkpoint officials could not say when the road would reopen. We agreed to spend a little bit of time in and around Uspallata before checking the road condition one last time before heading to a secondary location.
5. Las Bóvedas #1
Las Bóvedas (The Vaults) were smelting furnaces built in the 17th century and used to process nearby minerals into metals.
We first stopped at Las Bóvedas, an historical site just outside Uspallata proper. Here, Andy gave an overview of the region’s historical importance: as the Uspallata Pass was one of the only means to travel by land between the Spanish territories of Argentina and Chile, it was used by Argentine military leader José de San Martín to conduct a sneak attack on the Spanish military stationed in Chile. Ultimately, this led to the independence of Chile from Spain.
6. Las Bóvedas #2
In addition to its vast historical significance, Las Bóvedas also has amazing views of the nearby Andes Mountains. The next photograph is also from the same viewpoint.
7. Las Bóvedas #3
8. Vallecitos #1
Vallecitos sits in the glacier-carved Valle del Plata.
We headed back to the checkpoint to find the road was still closed. From here, we traveled back towards Potrerillos before climbing up into the Andes Mountains closest to Mendoza. After some time, we arrived at the Vallecitos Ski Resort, which had enough snow for snowshoeing and tubing, but not yet skiing. This was a pretty excellent backup plan, and we were very happy Andy went through the effort of arranging this for us. For better or worse, this required us to climb up the steep slope; however, we took our time and had a great time making our way up the mountain. It certainly made me have to go back on my promise that the snowshoeing would be “an easy walk through the Aconcagua foothills.” Speaking of Aconcagua, the weather meant that I was unable to see the mother of all South American mountains; this bummed me out a bit, but nonetheless I had a very enjoyable experience, particularly because Andy prepared an amazing picnic-style lunch for us using a backpacking stove … and a corkscrew, because -naturally- wine was involved. I’ll always appreciate guides like Andy who stay cool when things don’t always go according to plan.
The next three photos are also from the climb up Vallecitos.
9. Vallecitos #2
10. Vallecitos #3
11. Vallecitos #4
12. From Vallecitos to Mendoza #1
The dirt road to Vallecitos is named after Francisco Guiñazú, the engineer who -among other things- designed and built Vallecitos' chairlifts.
The ride back to Mendoza continued to offer spectacular views of the Andes Mountains, and they got even better as the clouds thinned later in the afternoon.
The next three photographs are also from the ride back to Mendoza.
13. From Vallecitos to Mendoza #2
14. From Vallecitos to Mendoza #3
15. From Vallecitos to Mendoza #4
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16. Bodega Salentein #1
A wide variety of environmental factors -to include elevation, soil quality, sunshine, and negligible difference in temperature between night and day- result in Uco Valley producing some of the world’s greatest wines.
The following day, we took the Bus Vitivinícola from Chacras de Coria to Uco Valley, one of Argentina’s premier wine growing regions. Unlike the boutique-style wineries nearby where we were staying, Uco Valley features gigantic, multi-million dollar estates with elaborate tasting rooms and visitor centers. While the whole presentation was very pretty to look at (hence why there are five further photographs from my time at Bodega Salentein), the whole presentation was, frankly, heavy-handed. Perhaps I am not the type of customer they are catering to? Anyway, it doesn’t matter much whether you have a gigantic headquarters building designed by a renowned architect, or you are making wine in a converted garage like Carmelo Patti - the proof is in the wine. In this regard, Bodega Salentein was -honestly- underwhelming. I couldn’t identify a clear winner in their tasting session, and what they touted as their signature pour -the Malbec, naturally- was far too smokey for my taste. Overall, the profiles were too complicated, and I left empty-handed (aside from an Uco Valley magnet which I bought in their probably unnecessary gift shop). I don’t want it to seem like I am coming down too hard on Bodega Salentein, but for all the pretension, I expected a bit better….
17. Bodega Salentein #2
18. Bodega Salentein #3
19. Bodega Salentein #4
20. Bodega Salentein #5
21. Bodega Salentein #6
22. Casa Petrini #1
The alluvial deposits from the Las Tunas River give many Uco Valley wineries -including Casa Petrini- distinctive terroir.
After Salentein, the Wine Bus took us to Casa Petrini for lunch. I was stoked because the kitchen had steak on its lunch menu, and -frankly- one cannot have too much South American steak. The meal was quite well prepared (the beet served on the volcanic rock was an interesting highlight), but the portions were a bit small for the price. The tasting was also ho-hum, with the tannat standing out as a welcome option. There was an optional winery tour, which I declined in favor of photographing this kiskadee.
23. Casa Petrini #2
24. Bodega Andeluna
Cuatro Cepas (Four Vines) is a variety of wine made from Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot.
Our last stop of the day was Bodega Andeluna, which featured a brief vineyard and production line tour, followed by a quick stop in the cellar tasting room. The Pasionado Cuatro Cepas was the standout here, and was probably the best blend I had on the entire trip.
25. Termas de Cacheuta #1
The Termas de Cacheuta features multiple indoor and outdoor thermal pools of increasing temperature, as well as a natural rock cave sauna.
On day five, we headed to the Termas de Cacheuta for a day of relaxing in the therapeutic hot waters. Additionally, I got a back massage, something I am actively trying to work into each trip I take since I spend so much time on the move and not nearly enough time just relaxing when I travel. The spa was fantastic, and it was tremendous value for money, in my opinion. The unsung hero of this place is the lunch buffet, which is included in the admission price; it featured a bar-be-cue line, as well as a huge variety of vegetables and side dishes. We took the spa’s bus service from Chacras de Coria, but -to really maximize your time there in a group of three or more- I recommend just taking a taxi to-and-from, as the bus transfer can be extremely time consuming. Termas de Cacheuta is a solid option for detoxing during or after your wine-and-steak fueled debauchery.
