Back to Salentin for lunch. Boy did we need some lunch after a couple hours of tasting. We had sparkling wine to clean off our purple teeth. Craig took this picture and the window is reflecting the 20,000 foot Andes in the background
Because we were such good customers, the wine maker pulled out the "wine thief" and let us sample wine still in the barrel. Special treatment for the Till boys.
Chuck purchased the special grand reserve so we could sample the finest of Azul. Our new found friends from North Carolina and Peru were very grateful. The drivers even slipped in for a taste-don't tell the federal es.
From grand to "boutique". Bodega Azul was our second stop. Now this is a place the till boys can relate to. The funny thing is that this wine quality was much more impressive than the wine from the 30 mil facility. Azul in Spanish is "Blue". The sky, the mountains and the river.
Till boy Tim reaching to the sky with the backdrop of the Andes Mountains...so cool words and pictures don't replicate this special place. Just giving you all a heads up...we'll be back.
The till boys and Chuck making a "five star" toast...it doesn't get much better than this...drinking wine at 11 in the morning.
Mike bellying up for a taste of a reserve Malbec, and boy do I mean "BELLY UP"...man I cannot wait to get back to working out.
The till boys in the reserve tasting room. John in his Argentine colors. Mike in midwest brown. Craig in the same shirt he has worn for days (whew), and Tim in his shades, who knows why, maybe he has a sty in his eye.
Large French oak cask hold the red wine during initial fermentation. These casks are used seven times and then replaced.
The lowest level is the barrel storage room. It is circular in shape with tiered steps. The wine barrels are the audience and the columns rise to the roof - impressive.
Our first stop this morning after about an hour ride was Bodega Salentin. For you non Spanish speakers, a "Bodega" is a winery. This one might as well been a church, or museum.Built in 2000 at cost of 30 million, it is state of the art gravity flow starting at the top and descending a couple levels into the ground.
We have azul skies but it is a white out below those azul skies! Talked to Jeff Muff on my way into Willow Point and he said he has not been able to make it into Big Sandy since last night. It will probably take a CAT to get them out.
ReplyDeleteInteresting pictures of the different wineries.
ReplyDeleteHope you don't all turn into alcoholics! The Texas/Alabama game wasn't too exciting until the end. McCoy got a shoulder injury in the first play from scrimmage. He was replaced by a true freshmen who didn't look very confident and the play calling was three runs into the line and punt! Late in the second half he connected on two long passes for touchdowns.
It is very, very, very cold here now-(30-40 degrees below zero wind chill)