An Oasis of Vines and Wines
Like the nearby city of Mendoza, the Estancia Los Alamos is a verdant oasis surrounded by vineyards and orchards. Here, in the middle of the Cuyo – the country’s most arid region – and on the remains of what was once a half-million-acre cattle ranch, 12,000 irrigated acres are given over to extensive vineyards, olive groves, vegetable plots, and fruit orchards.
Built in the early 1800s as a frontier fort, the sprawling white adobe main house has been home to the Bombal family since 1866. It later became known as something of a literary salon and country retreat for such luminaries as Jorge Luis Borges. Today the good life still prevails at what seems a mixture of European manor hotel and U.S. dude ranch. You can visit nearby vineyards on horseback or by jeep, descend class IV rapids through a beautiful rimrock canyon, or just lounge by the estancia‘s shaded pool. Lunches at 2:30 and suppers at 11:30 are anchored by pisco sours on the patio or late-afternoon tea. By day’s end you’ll know why the mendocinos call their home La Tierra de Sol y Buen Vino, the Land of Sun and Good Wine.
