Uraqui Wines stowage

Another unforgettable day at Mina Moya Winery

We received Claudio Zucchino's message with emotion: he invited us to join him in his ceremony of gratitude to life, to celebrate the renewal of a new work cycle and, above all, to be part of a joyful high altitude party in which the senses would be the great guests.

The proposal was to get up again to almost 4000 meters above sea level to reach the cava, the old Mina Moya mine, nestled in the bowels of the Quebrada de Humahuaca, in Jujuy. Of course we honored the invitation!

Once at the top, after traveling by 4x4 on the narrow road along the slope, which demands temperance from the driver and imposes to overcome altitude sickness and, above all, the inevitable feeling of vertigo that takes over in those tracks, the landscape offered as first gift the enhanced colors: the green of the valley; the crimson red of the "Pollera de la Coya", that particular formation of the Yacoraite chain known for its similarity with the clothing; the golden color of the high peaks... And what to say about the blue of the limpid sky, that blue so characteristic of northern Argentina? 

In that superb scenery, at the moment when the llamas arrived carrying the exceptional treasure in their saddlebags, the sikus and the bass drum opened the gala. 

It was then that Claudio thanked and entrusted his sacred guardian to the Pachamama, sharing the wish that his formidable red wine would mature in his own womb. Then, with absolute simplicity, he touched everyone when he urged us to dream, to make wishes come true, to the responsibility of believing and being encouraged: in short, to live with intensity, the same intensity that defines the lineage of his wine.

At the end, our host summoned each of those present to participate in the ritual, opening the former cave and inviting us to enter, bottle in hand, to place it in the cellar where it is stored for up to thirty years, but not before fulfilling the express request to make a personal wish. The desire of @tripticity_ was to be able to continue generating these enriching links, like the one made with Claudio and Inés a few months before.

When the sun was already burning from above, we went down to the refuge, nestled among the vines that nurture Uraqui Minero, the big star: a blend of Malbec, Syrah and Merlot by Marcos Etchart.

The banquet that followed, created by three great Argentine chefs, was sublime.Flor Rodríguez, Martín Molteni and Pedro Demuru proposed a sequence of multiple steps in which they combined their expertise with the characteristic quebradeño flavors, demanding maximum attention from the diners' palate so as not to lose any detail of that enjoyment. As if that were not enough, the plus was a tasting of the flagship wines of Jujuy:  Molino de Chicapa from Bodega Jesús Vilte, with its beautiful label designed by the artist from Salta Mariano Cornejo; Sikuri from Bodega Dupont, also from Maimará; Cactus from El Perchel vineyards; Cielo Arriba from Huichaira Vineyard; and, of course, the master of the event, Uraqui Minero, the highest altitude wine.

Between each step the musicians accompanied the banquet and the chef Lalo Angelina illustrated the characteristic notes of the wines presented, all locally made, while we shared the table with a group of jocular folks from Jujuy who welcomed us in their group: Fede, Juanjo (the " infiltrated" from Salta), Matías, Gastón and Martín.

The most outstanding delicacies were the liver pate, the humita al pesto with purple corn, the smoked trout with beans and lemon and the tremendous lamb with quince and blue potato. The chocolate ball with chili and salt, served with the amazing bubbles of Bodega El Molle, was a flash of flavor.

The satisfaction of the guests could be felt in the atmosphere: that of the proud winemakers who presented their wines, that of the journalists and food critics, that of the authorities of the Province of Jujuy, of the civil associations, the wine lovers, the foodies....

We were fortunate to share brief but charming moments with Tamara Herraiz, the journalist and writer who generously shared with us the second edition of her book Al Rojo Vino, a testimony of the valuable participation of women in the development of the Argentine wine industry. Also Marina Beltrame, as beautiful as she is authentic, founder of EAS (Escuela Argentina de Sommeliers) and pioneer in the training of experts, who told us a bit of her exciting story. To top it off, as a good tea lover, when I heard about the presence of Inés Berton I could not resist the temptation and I rushed to her to say hello, like a fanatic child looking for a photo with his idol. The @tripticity_ tea collection obviously features several of the blends of Tealosophy, the famous Argentine brand of her creation.

In short, the intensity of the experience, proportional to the difficulty to reach the sinkhole where the peculiar stowage takes place, allowed us to take a full dimension of the daring, sacrifice and non-negotiable passion of its creator to accomplish this great feat that is the Uraqui Minero.

And when Claudio thanked all those who made this journey possible, and especially honored among them his beautiful Inés, his companion who shyly but strongly escorts him in his adventures, the exaltation took over the moment because there is nothing nicer than a recognition.