The National Grape Harvest Festival in Mendoza, Argentina is Coming Soon!

by Julie R Butler Every year, on the last weekend of February, the celebration that will fill the city of Mendoza with participants of the Fiesta Nacional de la Vendimia along with festivarians who come to witness one of Argentina’s grandest cultural celebrations commences.It all began sometime around a hundred years ago with the ritual harvest celebrations that took place in the burgeoning wineries of Mendoza Province, centering on the Benediction of the fruits according to Biblical traditions. With God’s blessings, the grapes can be processed and put into casks, leaving the rest of the work of winemaking up to “wise time and the patience of man.” These traditions continue today, as thanks are given to God for the successful harvest to initiate the National Grape Harvest Festival in Mendoza and homage is paid to the Virgin of Carodilla, the patron saint of vineyards and harvests. The oak-carved image of the Virgin that was originally brought over from Spain at the end of the eighteenth century is carried through the city by harvesters and vineyard caretakers seeking her protection and help.The first Grape Harvest Queen, a beauty from Godoy Cruz Department, was crowned in 1936, and since then, the pageantry that stretches over a week and throughout the streets, parks, and amphitheaters of Mendoza has drawn ever-increasing crowds. Reinas or queens representing each of the eighteen departments of Mendoza Province participate in parades, competing for this highest of honors. Two major parades create a Carnival-like atmosphere, with costumes, floats, horses, and folkloric dance troupes representing different regions of Argentina as well as other cultures of Latin America, with the big finale taking place in a large amphitheater in an explosion of light and sound, culminating in the reigning of the new Grape Harvest Queen and a huge fireworks display. The week’s events are spectacular, attracting hundreds of thousands of spectators to the heart of Argentina’s wine-growing district.Those who participate in the making of Mendoza wines have much to celebrate. The topography and the climate of the region offer up a perfect combination for cultivating the great Malbec grapes that reign in stature over the other varieties that are grown here, such as the traditional Criollo Grande and Cereza as well as the newer, more internationally desirable varieties that have been found to thrive here, including Bonarda, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Tempranilla, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc. The continental climate provides for consistent weather patterns with few extremes and the semi-arid conditions provide for a glorious lack of insects and fungi, while human ingenuity provides for the extensive system of controlled irrigation. The sandy soil that gives the region its indigenous name of Cuyo means that drainage is never a problem. Neither is sunshine, though the exposed slopes at the edge of the Andes Mountains allow the vines there to receive yet more direct sunlight than elsewhere in this famously sunny area. The principle wine producing areas are Luj?n de Cuyo, Valle de Uco, San Rafael, and Agrelo, and altogether, Mendoza produces over two thirds of the wines in Argentina.So those who would like to come join in the 2012 celebrations should book their accommodations now, before it is too late. In fact, the best places to stay are already all booked up. But not to worry – if you can’t make it this year, there is always next year. And if crowds are not for you, stay tuned for Monday’s edition, where we will reveal to you one of the treasures of Mendoza, itself a delightful city with a stunning backdrop of Andes Mountains and a gem of Argentine culture that is a must for anyone who would like to get to know the best of this amazing country.

see more: Mendoza, The Center of Argentina's Wine Country

[image: Tapiz Winery, Mendoza, Argentina, via Wikipedia]

Julie R Butler is a traveler, blogger, freelance writer, and editor who has authored several books, self-published as eBooks, including Nine Months In Uruguay and No Stranger To Strange Lands (click here for more info). To contact Julie about writing or editing work, email: julierbutler [at] yahoo.com.
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