Dinosaur fossils and old vines
Head northeast on Ruta 237, where Patagonian steppe stretches as far as the eye can see, only gauchos and their cattle for company. After a couple of hours, you’ll reach El Chocón dam, which made viticulture possible for nearby Neuquén. Stop off at the Ernesto Bachmann Municipal Museum (museoernestobachmann@ gmail.com) to visit the area’s incredible dinosaur fossils, including the appropriately named Giganotosaurus.
Continue to Neuquén, Argentina’s gateway Patagonian wine region, and stop for a wine tasting and lunch at Malma (www.bodegamalma. com) or Familia Schroeder (www.familiaschroeder. com) – don’t miss the dinosaur fossils in the cellar at Schroeder! Complete your Patagonian wine tasting voyage by visiting the oldest vines in Argentine Patagonia, in neighbouring Río Negro. Visit Patagonian pioneer Humberto Canale (www.bodegahcanale.com), which has been making wine since 1909 and continues to cultivate centenarian vines for delicious Riesling and Semillon to this day.
Where to eat Malma or Familia Schroeder Where to stay There are simple options in town, but if you want to get off the grid in Neuquén, stay at Estancia Ranquilco (www.ranquilco.com) – a working cattle ranch in the mountains
Local wines to try Fin del Mundo, Humberto Canale, Malma, Schroeder
Touring tip Still eager to explore? If you can stretch to another week, you can either delve deeper into Argentina’s wine scene by driving north to Mendoza (11 hours); onwards right across the country to Buenos Aires (18 hours) via the coastal vineyard and winery of Costa y Pampa (www.trapiche.com.ar) at Chapadmalal; or head south to the whale-watching vantage point and vineyard of Bahía Bustamente (www.bahiabustamante.com) (13 hours).
Alternatively, complete the full circuit and head back over the Andes to Chile (five hours) so you can visit the treasure trove of old vines in Bío Bío, Itata and Maule (five hours). There are dozens of small wineries to visit, and the best place to base yourself is the boutique winery hotel of Bouchon Family Wines (www. bouchonfamilywines.com) in Maule, on the road from San Javier to Constitución, where an old raulí-wood wine barrel upcycled into an enormous hot tub awaits (pictured above), ready for you to soak your travel-weary bones.
An awarded wine journalist and expert in South American wines and regions, Amanda Barnes is author of her first printed edition of South America Wine Guide (£ 30, due out April 2021) – order via www. southamerica wineguide.com