Source: La Nacion
By: J. L. Cieri & J. Reyes
01.07.2008
{this article has been translated into English from Spanish - for the Spanish version, please click the link below}
Little by little the possibility that gains more space in the main vitivinícolas zones of our country people not only visit the warehouses, but that also can be stayed in the place and thus to cross, to taste wines and to learn about this production that has as much presence in our country as in the international markets.
What many call enoturismo is a tendency that occurs in several countries where the elaboration of the wine is very important. "It began to be developed with force in Argentina by the end of years 90 and grew exponentially in last the two or three years due to the high spending power of those who practice it. It is particularly interesting since it comes accompanied not only from real estate developments, but of investments in infrastructure, hotel profession, restoration and other activities of recreation like golf, the ski, or spa, for example ", summarizes Andrés Rosberg, president of the Association Argentina de Sommeliers.
In our country or one calculates that 17 establishments exist, also well-known as wine hotels or wine resorts. They are located between the provinces of Neuquén, Mendoza, the Rioja and Salta. Although the number is significant, still dista much of the 46 that there are in Spain, the 33 of South Africa, the 65 of Italy, or the 50 of the United States, in zones like Napa Valley, the region of California.
Damián Azagra, CEO of the vestibule www.argentinawinehotels.com , that one is in charge to promote them and to as much commercialize them in the country as in the world, it comments how they were originated: "They arose like small inns that offered basic services to the importers and wine distributors that were going to buy to the warehouses and lodged in them. With time, some warehouses glimpsed a good source of income behind these inns offering, in addition, to make activities related to the vitivinicultura in scenes of great landscaping beauty. "
In its majority they have restaurant or you see and breakfast in order to reinforce the visits to the warehouse, halls tasting and vinoteca. "In many cases alternatives are offered that go from the treatments of beauty in spa to cavalcades by the zone. But the axis always tour in winch of the wine and the gastronomy, some even offer programs so that people participate in activities in the warehouse or the harvest ", says to Nicholas Lang, manager of the Emprendimientos division of L. J. Real estate Ramos Brokers.
This business tends to propagate; every time they are plus the warehouses that see the importance of the tourism of the wine and decide to open museums, a center of visits, shop of sales. In our country they are next to open approximately four or five new wine hotels.
To the North
Between the present examples are the Stay and Colomé Warehouse, in the street Mills to the 4400, the height of km 20 in the provincial route Nº 53, and Vines of Cafayate Wine Resorts, on 25 of May, Way to the Divisadero, Cafayate, both in the province of Jump.
Malena Mazzoni, partner manager of Vines of Cafayate, comments that the hotel opened in 2005 July: "It has 10 30 double rooms standard of m2, and two rooms of luxury denominated Cabernet and Torrontés. The access becomes by the internal galleries of the colonial patio where is an ample source. As well, these rooms have exit to an ample gallery-balcony with wonderful views of the vineyards, the granite hills and the Gorge of Cafayate. "
The cost of the rooms makes the rounds between 140 and 150 dollars, and it is to maintain the price the year throughout. To the place, according to Mazzoni, a 60 percent of foreigners concurs, of France and Germany, in their majority, and the rest is national.
In Colomé, the hotel drawn up on 39,000 hectares counts on the oldest warehouse of the country, constructed in 1831, and also it has another landmark: " The French grapevines of Malbec prephylloxera and Cabernet Sauvignon stood in 1854. They are the highest vineyards of the world, since meters are to 2200-3002 on the level of the sea. The vineyards of Colomé cultivate in form biodynamics. And the red wines Malbec of high altitude are powerful, intense and of dark color ".
The warehouse, constructed in 2005, with vanguard equipment, has a capacity of 1.3 million liters. Also it has a deposit for barrels and merchandises in boxes. And for their accomplishment, that adds factory, turbine, farm, among other areas, was reversed to 20 million dollars between the warehouse and the stay.
In a next step the information center for visitors will be constructed and the business of the warehouse, like also the bar of wines and cinema, that will project films on the production and the contemporary art, will open to the public in a near future.
It has tennis courts, putting green of golf and sector for cavalcades. The rooms leave from 258 dollars, and are of 42 m2 with ample balconies.
Another one of the northern proposals, but in the province of the Rioja is Posada Chañarmuyo Estate, to the height of km 15 of provincial route 39, on the Way to the Dock s/n, locality of Chañarmuyo.
The property consists of 800 hectares and the inn offers 10 rooms in suite, doubles, married and triple, that can be transformed into married. The prices of the spaces leave from 67 dollars more IVA.
In the restaurant of the place to regional plates and tables use as cheeses. The inn reflects faithfully to this beautiful La Riojan zone, that surprises off guard the tourist who does not imagine to find views of as much impact and is present at multicolor. "Everything began 1999 by the end of, when the industralist Jorge Chamas felt attemped by that corner of the barren geography of the Rioja. From the vision of this entrepreneur, and with the aid of all the settlers of the zone, in the place where one old property of fruit trees was located left after the death of its owner, they began to take form the warehouse and the vineyards San Gabriel, along with an inn of ten rooms ", reviews Azagra.
Whose
Mendoza, vitivinícola earth par excellence, propose his wine hotels. One of the examples is Algodon Wine Estates Vines of Golf, in km 674 of the national route Nº 144, in San Rafael, who has 550 m2 of covered surface and he was inaugurated in 2006.
For its opening they were reversed more than 600,000 dollars. "Very it is visited by national and international public ABC1, enófilos and golfistas ", describes to Diego Coll Benegas, manager of tourism of the establishment.
Boutique has a warehouse that produces about 100 thousand liters to the year. "The 100% of our wines they happen through wood and all the grape comes from our property, that among other plantations has 120 hectares of vineyards, the grape standard is bonarda, with a plantation of 60 years, with which we cut almost all our wines ", adds Coll Benegas. The hotel counts on solárium, reduced, proshop of golf, room of meetings in the warehouse and driving range.
Finally, in Maipú, one is the Club and Warehouse Carpet, on Pedro Molina s/n and Russell, near provincial route 60.
It is distributed in a residence constructed in 1890, surrounded by 10 hectares of vineyards. The house was recovered conserving its structure of villa of the Renaissance and conserving elements of the time, like the patio and the floors of pine wood, the natural connection with the surroundings and the magnificent Vista of the mountain range of the $andes.
This small hotel of luxury has gained the gold medal, in the category of Lodging, that the Committee granted recently Mendoza of the Global Network Great Wine Capitals. This prize will allow to Club Carpet to compete with other cities of the world in the Great Prize of the Great Wine Capitals and to represent our country in this international contest with object to promote the province of Mendoza as tourist destiny anywhere in the world. It is member of N/A Town & Country Hotels, and between the services it has living room, garden, gallery, swimming pool, pulpería, business to center and spa.
All the rooms cost 150 dollars. In its majority they visit foreign tourists.
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