A certain magic lives in Mendoza, as it does in soil-rich regions where growing grapes into intoxicating elixirs is inspired by generations of honest, driven work. Oenophiles, wine makers and enthusiasts wax poetic about it’s terroir, or the characteristic taste and flavor imparted to wine by the environment in which it is produced. It’s the Mendoza terroir, dry, mineral rich soil, sunny days, cool nights and pure snow run-off from the Andes, combined with distinctive and very human, styles of winemaking that imprints an extraordinary story of place on the wines coming from this region. Mendoza itself is nestled in a desert valley in the shadow of the Andes mountains in Argentina and besides being one of the wine capitals of the world, it is now a renowned tourist destination, filled with five-star hotels, modern art-esque wineries and culinary experiences combining centuries old ingredients with cutting edge techniques.

This modern guide to Mendoza will have you staying in a “vineyard loft” on stilts overlooking acres of grapes, having a pitfire bbq with open-flame cooking master Francis Mallmann, touring some of the most ecologically and technologically advanced wineries in the world and hopping aboard a beautifully colored hot air balloon, commencing in an inherent understanding of why this region is called “the land of sunshine and good wine.”

Reporter: Katie Bush