Tourists can tour from the plantations to the production halls / Instagram Malma
In recent decades, wine production has spread throughout the entire national territory, creating a wine route throughout Patagonia, which ends in Sarmiento, a town in Chubut, with the southernmost winery in the world.
This type of activity moves the perimeter of the regional economies in two ways, on the one hand because of what it generates from the production itself and on the other, thanks to the tourist circuit that is erected around it and that attracts thousands of visitors at different times of the year.
This route begins in the south of La Pampa and extends through the provinces of Río Negro, Neuquén and Chubut with numerous wineries installed throughout its territory. Those who choose to vacation in one of the points that make up this circuit, find destinations that offer the possibility of disconnection and rest while enjoying a gastronomic experience next to the impressive landscapes of the area.
The Rio Negro Valley
In Villa Regina, a town located in the Gran Valle of Rio Negro, is the Favretto winery, a family business that has more than 70 years of experience and whose history goes back -like that of many in Argentina- to the Italian immigrants who arrived in the country in the 1920s.
The history can be learned in the guided visits to the place that include a “tour through the old part and the new part, which ends in a tasting room where three wines are tested,” they detailed from the winery.
The tour has a cost of $1,800 per person and is generally carried out on Saturdays at 10 in the morning, although they have consideration and flexibility in the case of tourists or visitors who are passing through the place. Therefore, the winery recommended making a reservation before arriving at the place.
After the visit to the Favretto vineyards, those who wish to stay in the area have the option of doing so in a cabin complex that has its own access to the river. There, a house for two people costs $12,000 per night and for an extra $3,500 breakfast service can be added.
In addition, the property where the cabins are located has a hop plantation, a fundamental ingredient for the production of beer, which can be visited in the same way as the vine plantations.
Neuquén, wines and gourmet food
In San Patricio del Chañar, a town in the province of Neuquén, is Malma, a large winery that has stainless steel tanks capable of storing up to 18,000,000 liters in its facilities.
With an entry fee of $1,200, visitors have the chance to tour the place, discover the production process and taste the brand’s wines. They also have preferential prices in the local store.
To complete the gourmet experience, the winery has its own restaurant, where it offers a menu made entirely of Patagonian products designed to pair with its wines.
In the appetizers section, the Creole empanadas for $1,100 and the Puerto Madryn prawns a la plate for $2,000 a portion stand out. While the Patagonian lamb roll is the star main course and costs $4,600. But there are several options such as Patagonian lamb ravioli for $3,400 or the catch of the day on risotto for $3,600. The menu also has a wide variety of desserts that range between $500 and $1,800.
The chef’s specialties are accompanied by wines from the cellar, which can be purchased by the glass at a cost ranging from $700 to $2,000, depending on which one is chosen; or by bottle where the value goes from $1,500 to $9,600.
Chubut, the southern wine
The province of Chubut is another of those that joined the Patagonian wine route and according to official figures, in the last ten years the wine industry grew by 335 percent.
In this framework of propped up growth, it has different elements that characterize the activity in the place, such as the achievement of having the southernmost winery in the world. But further north of the province, close to the mountains and the border with Río Negro, the Ayestarán Allard winery is located in the town of El Hoyo.
Like the previous ones, it has the factory facilities open to the public that for a value of $1,000 the entrance can see the whole place.
There the guides accompany the visitors while they tell them the history of the vineyard, they tour the production rooms and the cellar, ending with a tasting of all the labels.
“It is not only about tasting the best wines in the region, but also about enjoying a training and explanation process that allows a better understanding of the production process,” they pointed out from the Chubut winery.
These are just some of the many wineries that each season receive hundreds of tourists willing to enjoy and learn about the production process of one of the most drunk drinks in the world.
Visitors can tour the place, discover the production process and taste the wines
