• Getting here
• Packing Tips
• Know before you go
• Traveling with wine
• Food glossary

+ getting here

Traveling to Mendoza is not always clockwork, we assure you it is worth the effort.

Fly

Mendoza’s international airport, Francisco Gabrielli (MDZ), is comfortably located 5 miles north of town on Ruta 40. Flights arrive regularly from Santiago, Chile (SCL), Aeroparque, Buenos Aires (AEP) and recently Cordoba (COR).

A 45 minute flight over the spectacular Andes from Santiago Chile (SCL) or the two- hour flight from Jorge Newbury Aeroparque (AEP) is easy on carriers LAN (www.Lan.com) or Aerolineas Argentina (www.aerolineas.com.ar)

Sol Lineas Aereas (www.sol.com.ar) provides several domestic routes to Mendoza via Cordoba.

There is a new flight from Buenos Aires’ International Airport, Ezieza (EZE) to Mendoza (MDZ) with a stop over in Cordoba. This new route eliminates the need to switch airports in Buenos Aires. (www.aerolineas.com.ar)

Bus

The central bus station, Terminal del Sol is just 5 minutes from downtown. Several commercial lines connect you to neighboring cities and even countries. We recommend the bus as an economical comfortable mode of traveling. Check out pricing (www.plataforma10.com.ar)

Drive

For the ambitious who envision an adventure behind the wheel, renting a vehicle is another option. The 800-mile drive from Buenos Aires takes 10+ hours. Driving from Santiago Chile takes about 6 hours and includes a border crossing. Be sure to get special permits when taking a rental car out of the country.

+ packing tips

Along with the excitement of an upcoming getaway, comes the frustration of packing. We have provided a convenient checklist to assist you during your preparation. Travel Insurance is highly recommended and should be purchased before your trip.

Passport

Passports are needed for all travelers.

Attire

Argentines are known for their sense of fashion and take pride in their sophisticated style. You, as a traveler, will feel comfortable in nice casual attire. Men dress in slacks/khakis and cotton shirts (buttoned or nice T-shirt) and ladies wear slacks, jeans, capris, and skirts with blouses (sleeveless to long sleeve). You may plan a few more dressy nights, so be sure to include eveningwear or more classy attire.

Layers

The days are warm, while the evenings tend to cool off. Bring layers for warmth and a windbreaker in the case of rainy summer weather.

Sensible Shoes

Bring walking shoes that are comfortable in warm weather while you cruise stores, museums and wineries in Mendoza. Also pack something with tread for your outdoor adventures (water booties will be provided for rafting).

Lotion and Sunscreen

Lotion will become your best friend in this arid landscape. You are in the desert and will need to keep your hands, face and lips moisturized. Due to the high elevation, we also recommend bringing sunscreen.

Glasses

The dusty air can irritate contact lens users, so be sure to pack your glasses for relief. Also, rewetting drops are advised to keep your contacts comfortably lubricated in this dry climate.

Photographic memory cards

There will be many beautiful photographic opportunities, and we know you will want to capture it all. Bring backup memory cards for your camera so you never worry about running out.

Adaptors

Outlet adaptors and electrical adaptors (50V- 220V) are needed in Argentina. Find these at your local “travel store” at home or purchase them when you arrive at a nearby Ferretaria.

Special Medication

There are full-service pharmacies all over the city, but the prescriptions may not be the same. Don’t take the chance, and carry yours with you.

Room to shop

Be sure to leave room in your suitcase for new treasures you will surely discover in Mendoza.

+ know before you go

Prior to your adventure to the land of Malbec, become familiar with relevant information about life in Argentina. Things are done a little differently down here and we would like our visitors to come prepared for the awesome excursion, so please take note of the following things.

Driving in Mendoza

Traffic: By U.S. standards traffic in the city is fast and aggressive. Stoplights are normally followed, stop signs are not, many intersections have neither. Generally speaking the car coming from the right has the right of way – but not all of the time.

Taxis & Remises: Taxis are black and yellow and are clearly marked. Traveling by taxi is a safe and easy way to explore Mendoza.

Remises are unmarked taxis that look like normal cars with a small antennae and a yellow number on the trunk. They are much newer and cleaner than most taxis. It can be cheaper to rent a Remise (car and driver) for the day than to rent a car for the day. You consider both options before making your decision (we will help differentiate the costs).

Maps: We will provide you with a map of the city, but a funny thing about maps in Mendoza, we have yet to find two that are alike. The other challenge is that very few streets outside of the city have street signs. Taken together those challenges can make for some interesting trips. But don’t worry because there are several tourist kiosks around the city and people that can help direct you to where you need to be.

Walking in Mendoza

Look both ways before crossing the street. We have a simple saying to describe walking in Mendoza: In the U.S. pedestrians have the right of way, in Mendoza pedestrians have the right to get out of the way.

Sidewalks are covered with beautiful tiles, but are uneven and quite slippery when wet. Watch out for small steps up and down when walking.

Acequias are the small, open concrete canals that provide clean water from the Andes to the city. All the sidewalks have small paths that rise above the Acequias leading to the street. Make sure you stay on that small path or you could see an Acequia up close and personal.

Stray Dogs

Stray dog are very common in Mendoza. Most are well-fed, calm and happy dogs that frolic around the city. There is no need to feed, pet or take them home, they are content as they are.

Money Exchange

The Argentine Peso is currently 3.97:1 to the US Dollar, but this figure can fluctuate.. American Dollars can be exchanged in money exchange offices or at the airport. Check the exact exchange rate before your trip and bring a small calculator if you want to compute your trip expenses in reference to your home dollar value. When you see prices printed $40 it always represents the value in pesos. The USD or U$D printed next to the item are the only indicators that the price is in US Dollars. Beware of false bills and always count your cash after a transaction to ensure you were not short-changed.

Check current rates here

ATMs

Most shops and restaurants receive debit cards today. You can withdrawal around USD$175 per transaction at the nearest cajero and will be charged a service fee by your home bank. We recommend withdrawing pesos to carry at all times. Leave larger bills in a safe place and always be conscious of your purses or backpacks while out in the city.

Gratuity

Gratuity is just that, showing gratitude, in forms of money, gifts or even wine. You may like to keep a few smaller bills handy for the bellmen & housekeeping. You will also meet some fun winemakers and talented professionals, beautiful children and creative street people where you may enjoy exchanging something tangible other than paper bills or monedas (coins). It is not common to tip in Argentina; however, restaurant service appreciates a 10% gratuity.

Items purchased

If you do not have room in your luggage, purchased items can be sent home via Argentina mail, DHL, & UPS. The high shipping cost is determined by size, weight and destination. Delivery Items purchased at TAX free stores and over a value of $70 peso have the option of tax reimbursement upon leaving the country. Tax is always figured into the price of the item and is 21%.

Greetings

Men to women and women to women usually greet with a kiss. They “kiss” the air while touching the right cheek to cheek. Men shake hands or embrace and even “kiss” too. There will be a list of greeting words we will send you to study before arriving.

Electrical Adaptors

Electrical current is 220 V. in Argentina. Make sure your devices have a universal electrical adaptor 100-240 V. Also, the outlets are different and require an adaptor to plug in. You can get them at the hardware store or ask the hotel front desk. Hairdryers are often provided in hotels.

Drinking Water

Water is very safe to drink, however, bottled water is more popular among most people. Bottled water can be purchased in street side kiosks, restaurants and stores. Also, you can choose your water with carbonation (con gas) or without carbonation (sin gas).

Cell Phone Usage

Unfortunately, not all US cell phones work in Argentina. You may carry your device down, purchase a SIM card and still NOT have communication. The roaming laws are tricky in Argentina. Some companies work. If you want to rent a cell phone to use nationally or internationally, we recommend: http://www.privatephone.com/

+ traveling with wine

Shopping for wine to bring back home is fun and highly encouraged. Your options to do so include separate shipping, packing it with your luggage, or ordering online.

Shipping

International couriers in Mendoza can ship your wines to your door for a fee of USD $210 per case of 12. They will come to your hotel, electronically charge you, pick up your wines, and ship them wherever you’d like in 5 days.

Packed Wine

Carrying liquids onto the plane is prohibited (international flights), so keep in mind any wine you purchase will go into your checked luggage category. Cardboard boxes with Styrofoam can be purchased in Mendoza and are counted as checked luggage. Carrying wine inside your suitcase is also another option. Bubble-wrap bottle holders are available in the local wine shops and are more secure than the socks you might use.

We advise you to bring down what you have that can be used as a bottle carrier, this will save time searching for “carrying products” while you spend more time searching for the wine.

Online Options

There are several on-line wine shops that can deliver your wines to your doorstep without the hassles of carrying heavy cases or shipping via DHL. Please check out www.vinesofmendoza.com , www.southernwinegroup.com , www.anuvawines.com and www.copafina.com for more great Argentinean wine online.

+ food glossary

Argentina Gourmet: Asado (BBQ)

When talking about food in Argentina, we will never leave out the most extended country tradition, an asado or outdoor barbeque. Although Argentineans are known to be passionate for fútbol and tango, an asado better represents the lifestyle here. Argentina is famous for its delectable meats and locals will use any excuse or familiar celebration to gather together and light the fire. As the different cuts of meat are slowly cooked “a las brasas” or over hot coals, everyone has plenty of time to catch up, eat, and drink wine. At the grill you can expect to start out with an empanada, then a choripan (chorizo wrapped with bread and covered in different sauces), and a morcilla (blood-sausage). This will be followed with an assortment of cheeses and sausages before the different meat cuts are shown and enjoyed.

Argentina Mate

Mate is the most popular hot beverage in Argentina. You will come across it each day. It was presumably discovered by the Guaranies Indians, the aborigines living in an area that mostly occupies Paraguay, S.W. of Brazil and N.E. of Argentina. Also called Paraguian Tea, it is an infusion of the herb called Yerba Mate soaked in hot water. The Argentines love this drink because it is very tightly packed with antioxidants and nutrients and is also high in polyphenols (compounds acting as effective antioxidants and exhibit anti cancer properties). Yerba Mate leaves carry saponis, which are phytochemicals that have been discovered to energize the immune system and protect the body against disease. Yerba mate produces energy, called mateine, that is similar to caffeine in coffee, but that has little or no side effects. While caffeine creates muscle tension, mateine allows you to stay at ease, yet conscious. Mate is the common student’s beverage to keep you awake and study all night before an exam.

If you get invited to a mate session, follow these instructions to look like a professional:

1. When it is your turn, drink until you entirely drain water from the mate. Be careful not to move the bombilla (metal straw) around in the yerba—it's severely bad form. Notice the pleasing gurgling sound as you hit bottom.
2. Pass the mate to the designated brewer (cebador), who will likely be reaching for it. The cebador refills the mate with hot water and passes it on in a clockwise circle.
3. Gracias means "I'm done,” so go at ease on the politeness whenever you would like to go additional round.
4. Enjoy the ensuing company and subtle caffeine and immunity lift.

Dulce de Leche

According to legend, Dulce de Leche -a sticky, sweet, caramelized milk and sugar sauce found in almost every pastry in Argentina- may have been invented by Napoleon’s soldiers burning milk and sugar while in the field, or by a housekeeper who forgot the milk on the stove. Whatever the origin, the flavor is legendary. Rich, milky, smooth, it can be used to fill facturas (pastries), to drizzle over ice cream or fruit for dessert, or atop toast or waffles for breakfast. Or just spooned straight out of the container.

Recipe:

4 cups milk / 2 cups sugar / 1 teaspoon baking soda / 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

Bring the milk to a boil in a heavy bottom saucepan. Add all other ingredients, being sure to stir the sugar with a whisk until it’s completely dissolved. (Otherwise, your Dulce de Leche will have a gritty consistency-not so good.) Cook on medium low until it turns into caramel, about 2-3 hours. It should have a rich tan or brown color and smooth texture when done. Consistency is a matter of taste-some like theirs runnier than others, but test it by spooning some onto the center of a plate. If it stays without running and making a puddle, it’s ready.