by Michael Eiseman, your guide to Argentina

Cavas is a heavenly boutique hotel with top notch cuisine and a fantastic spa, in the heart of Mendoza wine country! This new Mendoza jewel is perfect for honeymooners and couples seeking something different. Cavas offers luxury and chic without being remotely pretentious. The charming setting amongst the vines and against a backdrop of the nearby snow-capped mountains, all is designed for romance. The original artwork in the entrance and lounge is filled with striking sculpture and modern paintings.

Charming staff make you feel immediately welcome; you’ll find it hard to leave the intimate Moorish spa with its wine-inspired therapies. The wineries in this region known as “Zone 1” produces excellent Malbecs, but because the Italian grapes have prettier canopy’s, Cavas decided to go with this Italian grapevine to enhance the sheer beauty of the setting. I learned that the Malbec grows at the very bottom of the vine making it hard to walk under them such they have done here. At night, wind your way through lamp-lit vines to your individual bungalow: your suite has uninterrupted views of the snow-capped Andes and its own divine plunge pool. Inside are concrete hand brushed walls, King size beds, baths with views and outside, your private deck and plunge pool. Step up to your private roof terrace, order a local malbec and survey the mountains as the moon emerges. Shear heaven.

This hotel is very busy and needs to be booked well in advance. Especially for the Harvest Festival season which is in March every year. Mendoza is the place in Argentina for wine and it’s perhaps not surprising that the food here is of the highest level as well. Cecilia and Martín’s vision for the restaurant here was that it should provide simple, elegant food, with a distinctively Latin American flavor, rather than the French aspirations of many top Argentine eateries. The chef trained in Buenos Aires’ best, Oviedo, and is creating truly inspired dishes from locally sourced vegetables and fresh seafood from just over the border in Chile: my saffron Rainbow trout was spectacular. There are surprising local delicacies, such as the chivito (kid), expertly cooked so that it’s perfectly succulent, and melt-in-the-mouth grilled squid. Tables are smartly arranged in the elegant dining room, or on the terrace with its pergola of vines and views of the vineyards in the foreground and the Andes Mountains in the background. Wine and finger food is also paired perfectly for noshes. Cavas Wine Lodge also has its own sommelier, who will give you a personalized tasting and quick course in wines of Mendoza, in the hotel's own cave, an atmospheric room under the main building, with wonderful stained glass tables. The wine tastings here at 7pm are very special, make sure not to miss this experience. The cellar is charming and the artsy tables make for a sophisticated setting for sampling one of the many malbecs from the region.

Widely travelled owners Cecilia Díaz Chuit and Martín Rigal really set this hotel apart from the rest with their brilliant partnership with six of the regions best restaurants. They offer you a full meal plan at the hotel that allows you to eat lunch or dinner either at Cavas or nearby Club Tapiz or even at Argentines best known restaurant La Bourgogne (same as the Alvaer Palace in Buenos Aires) on Carlos Pulenta’s Vistalba winery. This allows you to enjoy the regions best food and wines over a 3-4 day stay.

Cavas boasts fabulous architecture innovative interior design and great service.

All the staff is bilingual and genuinely delighted to help. Amazing rooms: luxurious space and privacy, utterly breathtaking views. Children under 12 are regrettably not allowed – but then this makes for a very calm atmosphere! There are 14 rooms of which 4 corner rooms are slightly higher for their privacy. The hotel is closed in the month of June. From the main building, you see the adobe structures rising up from the regular rows of vines. The staff shows you along a winding path to your own private bungalow, prepare for a most unexpected surprise. What might have seemed otherworldly from the outside, is architectural digest-plush inside. The scheme is white, pale blue and chocolate brown: couches draped with striking local weavings, a concrete slab of desk with antique chair, huge beds dressed with pristine white linen soft brown and pale blue throws. Curved white walls, irregular archways, concrete floors giving interesting glimpses of snow-capped mountains, and a wall of honey-hued local stone in the distance. Little niches hold small sculptures; rustic touches remind you this is rural Argentina. Floor to ceiling windows let in dazzling sunlight, and sliding doors open directly onto your private, screened-off deck, complete with comfortable loungers, plunge pool and outside shower – all beautifully lit for night time dips. It couldn’t be more romantic with open views, and plenty of wine-based toiletries, sumptuous towels and bathrobes, encouraging you to linger.

There’s a mini bar too, and you can make your own delicious leaf tea, with a selection from Teeson provided. There’s a TV - ask for a DVD player and CD player if you want one - and two phones in every room. Also expect air conditioning, a safe deposit box, and hairdryers; staff will arrange an extra bed if required for a child over 12 to share your room. Climb up steps curving around your little adobe home to find a private roof terrace with fireplace, screened from behind by the quirky curved chimney, and with clear views across the vines to row after row of mountains in the Andes beyond. Here you ask for a fire to be lit in winter: the perfect place to sit and contemplate read in peace – or propose to the one you love! Ask for a front row cabin so your view of the Andes is uninterrupted. The pool is graced with charming frogs spurting water, and a lovely Mediterranean feel.

Our VIP Program includes:

- Round trip Transfer from Mendoza Airport
- Luxury accomodations including breakfast
- Private Visits to the wineriesin the area: Catena Zapata, Chandon, Achaval Ferrer, Altavista, Domino del Plata - Susana Balbo, Fabre Montimayou, Dolium, Ruca malen, Chakana, Norton, Terrazas, Septima, Eduardo Pulenta, Sottano, Carlos Pulenta Vistalba.
- Optional day sports: White water rafting, 18 holes of golf at nearby courses, biking, horse-back rides in the andes or sightseeing cultural tours.
- Lunch daily: In the vineyards, inside a winery or restaurant. Beverages not included.
- Dinner daily: Guests may choose from the "A La Carte Menu" in participating restaurants, with the liberty to dine at 6 different restaurants in Mendoza. Beverages not included:

Cavas Wine Lodge
La Bourgogne Vistalba, at Carlos Pulenta's new winery
Frances Mallmann's 1884 INside Bodega Escorihuela
Club Tapiz from well known chef Max Casa.
Bistro M at Park Hyatt Mendoza.

- One hour massage per person per stay.
- Complimentary access to the fitness center, outdoor pool, jacuzzi and relaxation area.

Our program does not include laundry, phone calls, minibar, alcoholic drinks or tips for chauffers and staff can be left together upon check-out as a group tip, on your credit card for your convenience.

Please feel free to contact me personally to arrange yoru stay in Argentina. you can call me at 800.772.9188 or email me at [email protected].