Wow, it's hard to believe my 8.5 months in Argentina is just about over. I left Mendoza on Tuesday with a bottle of Pulenta Estate in my bag and a tear in my eye. Saying goodbye to a great group of friends and an unforgettable adventure made me realize what an amazing time I've had in Mendoza over the past four months and how really it seems too soon to leave just now. Traveling often seems to go this way- just as things start to seem normal and comfortable, it's time to go! I suppose that could be a good thing in some respects.
During my time in Mendoza, I was fortunate enough to be able to sommelier at Azafran, one of the best restaurants in town, write wine blogs for The Vines of Mendoza, a company successfully pulling off a number of impressive projects in the area, start a local tasting group, meet winemakers, taste a ton of wines, visit bodegas, and get to know a lot of new people doing brave and amazing things. Not only was the experience invaluable in terms of my personal wine education, but it was also a great opportunity to learn a lot about myself and what I'm capable of accomplishing in an inspiring environment with a supportive community. I know that the Mendoza Tasting Group will continue without me, exploring new themes and tasting tons of new wines, now run collaboratively by a group of smart and dedicated women. Azafran (check out some nice Tripadvisor reviews that mention me!!) will continue to earn stellar reviews and fill nightly with tourists from all over the world, the cellar being one of the coolest places to visit in town. The Vines of Mendoza will continue to grow rapidly, opening a new resort in the next year, claiming status as a very important player in the oh-so-hot Uco Valley.
I can't wait to see how all of these projects continue and expand over the next several years and hopefully one day I'll make it back to Mendoza and reconnect with this thriving community. For now, I'm enjoying a week of eating and drinking in Buenos Aires before my return to Seattle. B.A. has proven to be an incredibly distracting place to try to work, but the idea is to catch up on posts that I've been meaning to write for the past four or five months. So watch out for posts about my trip to Salta last fall as well as new B.A. experiences. I am trying to balance my time in front of a screen with time wandering around this gorgeous city (as much as I struggled living here last year, I can't deny how cool this town is).
And yes, the plan is to keep up the amateur wine writing upon my return to the northwest, though expect my blog title to change- my struggles with the blog title merit a whole separate post. Hopefully one day I can turn this into something like a real career. For now, thanks to those who are reading, feedback is always welcome.
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