I can support anything that pairs drinking with an otherwise healthy activity. So when I heard it’s possible to bike from vineyard to vineyard in Argentina’s wine country, I was immediately up for the challenge.
In Mendoza, drunken cycling is not only allowed, it’s encouraged.
Deborah and I rented bikes from a tour company, Mr. Hugo’s Bikes, where we were outfitted with old-school BMX bikes. Someone thrust a map at us and we pedalled away.
Our first stop was Trapiche Winery. I decided that guzzling wine at 10 a.m. is perfectly acceptable when it’s in a place this swanky.
Besides, we were just doing what the adorable tour guide told us to do.
Trapiche’s big thing is that they make organic, biodynamic wine … which basically means they plant pretty flowers in between their vines.
Also, they have cows.
And, naturally, we sampled the fruits of their labor.
The remainder of the day was a blur of wine, vines and other assorted pretty things.
Altogether, we rode about 15 miles, which is admirable, given the not-quite-sober conditions.
It was the perfect way to see wine country. Even though we biked it, we still found time to sip back and relax.