Mendoza is wine country in South America! I was quite excited when Michael had arranged for a tour of three vineyards not too far away....the kids....not so much. Anyway, there is still much to learn regarding agriculture and the business of processing and distributing a product. You can say it's a reach, but I was going to the vineyards....I mean, when in Rome....

We had a driver who would pick us up and take us to all three vineyards. Our first stop was Alta Vista. It was such a beautiful, peaceful property with stunning mountain views. The guide was excellent. She took us through the entire wine making process. She showed us every container and explained the differences between them. Some grapes were still mixed by hand. When it was time to sample wines, our guide had a game ready for the kids. They had to match scents from a jar to their pictures on cards. Some were difficult to identify such as leather or tobacco, but it was a fun idea.

Maeve and Liam taking a break outside. Another beautiful day.

Our second vineyard was at Mendel. It was a smaller, boutique vineyard. Again, our guide was excellent. She was careful not to repeat any information provided on previous tours. We toured with another American couple and it turned out not only were they from the states, they were from the Chicago suburbs. The woman also worked in education and happened to know my best friend and her sister-in-law. Crazy, small world.

Our final stop was for lunch at a vineyard called Ruca Malen. It couldn't have been a more perfect day. This property had a large open area around the building and a dog, so the kids were thrilled. They spent time wandering around and playing with the dog.

We were ready to eat after sampling several wines in the morning. We enjoyed a gourmet meal (vegetarian for me). It was all excellent. It was truly the perfect end to our stay in Mendoza.

Just a few glasses for a large lunch group arriving soon

Maeve and Liam petting the property owner's dog

A fine sample with a lot of hints of citrus