A VINTNER’S DREAM

I have always loved Argentina for its cultural combination of European customs and Latin American traditions, its diverse landscapes that include forests, deserts, mountains, and thousands of miles of ocean shoreline, and its similar time zone making jet lag a nonissue. This, however, was my first trip to the heart of Argentina’s wine country, Mendoza; a visit that made me fall in love with this South American gem all over again.

My hostess, Susana Balbo, is the owner of one of the country’s most successful wineries and the recipient of numerous international awards. She has dedicated four decades to the wine industry overcoming numerous obstacles in the male-dominated business to achieve her distinguished position as the country’s first female winemaker. The winery is family-run by Susana and her children José and Ana.

During the pandemic, Balbo and her daughter, Ana Lovaglio Balbo, decided to create a luxury boutique hotel on the site of Ana’s former home. The frequent and globe-trotting travelers hoped to combine the best features of their favorite hotels with the intimacy of a stay with a dear friend. Although the mother-daughter duo works in the family winemaking business together, opening SB Winemaker’s House & Spa Suites in the spring of 2022 marked their first foray into hospitality.

For transit, I chose Copa Airlines because of its modernity and 90+ percent on-time performance rate. After a short 30-minute drive from the Mendoza airport, we approached a dramatic black gate on a quiet residential street. The gate slowly opened to reveal a tree-lined brick lane leading toward the Winemaker’s House, a stately mansion surrounded by seven spa suites.

As we entered the estate through a courtyard, we were greeted by Sergio Roggerone’s Tree of Life. This enormous work of art is rich in symbolism as the vibrant flowers symbolize strength and femininity, entrepreneurship, and women’s empowerment while the birds represent family—two perfect symbols for this mother-daughter endeavor. As Balbo explained how the artwork reflected her life, it became evident that spirituality, love, and consciousness would permeate every aspect of the property’s design.

Another work paying homage to Balbo’s extraordinary career hangs in the modern living room. Mujer Rural, a black-and-white photograph by Brazilian artist Sebastião Ribeiro Salgado Júnior, was a gift to Balbo for her work presiding over the W20 Summit as a congresswoman for Argentina. The room was also home to several pieces crafted from the property’s fallen trees including two mammoth pieces of petrified wood that flanked the fireplace.

Beyond the living room, I found a dining room, a wine cellar with top Argentine and global wines, a separate room for the Chef ’s Table experience, a cozy bar, and a tasting room. Outside, a heated pool and expansive kitchen/outdoor dining area sprawled across the property.

As we left the main house, undulating pathways led to the seven glass-walled suites tucked behind volcanic rock walls. Each suite is aligned with one of the seven chakras. My suite—number 2—represented the second chakra, “courage.” The expansive quarters boasted a warm, neutral color palette except for the couch and artwork, which bore the golden hues associated with the suite’s chakra. In alignment with Balbo’s goal of women empowerment, much of the property’s furniture, furnishings, and accessories are produced by female entrepreneurs. My suite’s décor incorporated local leather and natural materials, a highlight being the traditional blankets of dyed llama wool made by rural Argentinian women.

I was over the moon to discover that the suite contained a sauna, a steam room (that doubled as an experience shower), a massage table, and an enormous egg-shaped bathtub surrounded by glass walls. The bathtub overlooked a private garden with a café table, two heated tile-embossed recliners, and a fire pit.

Once settled, a masseuse arrived for the 15-minute “welcome massage.” Unlike the cursory welcome neck massages offered at many luxury hotels, this was a full body massage including my head and feet—a dream greeting for the weary traveler.

ADVENTURES

The property offers a myriad of activities from cooking classes to spa treatments to in-suite workouts to lazy poolside afternoons and is a short stroll from the charming town of Chacras. With the help of the Experience Curator, we also discovered a bevy of off-site adventures.

Our first outing was to Susana Balbo Wines in the heart of Luján de Cuyo followed by a picnic on the winery’s picturesque grounds. While admiring the views of the vineyard and its backdrop of snow-capped mountains, we enjoyed traditional Argentinian dishes that were paired with a selection of the finest wines in Balbo’s portfolio, which includes four outstanding labels—Crios, Signature, Nosotros, and BenMarco. A surprising array of exotic birds joined the party; their animated chirps provided a chorus to our leisurely picnicking.

For our second adventure, we explored Argentina on the hotel’s private seaplane courtesy of VisionAir VIP a company Balbo founded with Patrick Schmidlin, a Swiss visionary, entrepreneur, and pilot. VisionAir VIP’s 8-seat Cessna Grand Caravan-Ex Amphibian C208B, the only one of its kind in Latin America, allows guests to reach the most remote treasures of nature in the lap of luxury—taking adventure to new heights.

While VisionAir VIP offers multi-day adventures to Patagonia to the south and Cafayate to the north, we opted for the one-day tour. After take-off, we flew over Mendoza’s vineyards and headed deep into the Andes for breathtaking vistas. Our flight continued toward San Rafael flying over crystalline salt flats and bodies of water. We landed on a lake near a deserted island as a flock of pink flamingos took to the skies. With two darling wicker picnic baskets in tow, we deplaned for an island hike and toasted our arrival with champagne and a gorgeous spread of fruit and cheese.

On the next leg of our journey, we flew low over Argentina’s sand dunes and mirror lakes and deep inside one of Argentina’s largest canyons before landing at La Riveria. La Riveria is a residential development spearheaded by Schmidlin, who dares one to “experience the uniqueness of paradise.” I have my eye on a La Riveria homestead surrounded by vineyards in the shadow of the Andes.

SB Winemaker’s Experience Curator also arranged our third and fourth adventures—visits to two ranches owned by the Palma family. Located in the foothills of the Andes, Estancia El Totoral is a 90-minute drive from the SB Winemaker’s House. Ricardo and Analicia Palma have six gorgeous children—we had the great pleasure of meeting three— Agustina, Paula, and Clara, who each exuded warmth and hospitality. Our evening began with appetizers at the wine bar set high upon a hill overlooking the eight-bedroom ranch and surrounding vineyards. We then moved to the family’s dining room for a dinner punctuated by laughter and toasts.

The family’s second ranch, Rancho é Cuero, is located high in the Andes. An exhilarating, hour-long drive took us pummeling through streams, over bumpy terrain, and around switchback roads. Upon arrival, we encountered scenery so beautiful it seemed like a movie set. Quaint ranch houses stand on the edge of a rock-bottom stream beloved by fly fishermen. Golden grass peppers the rocky floor and billows in the wind, framing snow-covered, mist-shrouded peaks wearing a beard of shrubbery. Atop my Criollo, the native horse of the Pampas known for its long-distance endurance, I followed a gaucho through rivers, around a huge body of water, and up and up into the mountains. The gaucho explained that if we continued our trek, we would end up in Chile as the Palma property extends to the Chilean border and even contains a glacier! Donning wool ponchos, we rejoined our hosts for post-ride fireside appetizers followed by a feast of wine, salads, and barbecued Argentinian meats at the outdoor pavilion while serenaded by the rushing river.

SPA

After days of exploring Argentina’s incredibly diverse terrain, it was time for my “Frutos de la Vid,” a 3-hour SB Wellness Deluxe Ritual. The masseuse arrived at my suite and instructed me to begin the ritual with a steam bath and sauna to calm my mind and prepare my skin for the full-body grape seed exfoliation treatment. After a special restorative shower washed away the exfoliant, I enjoyed a luxuriant body hydration wrap. This extraordinary experience culminated with a divine 50-minute massage all while Nora Jones’ sultry voice softly filled my room. It was so lovely to have this entire experience in the privacy of my suite.

Another wonderful “spa touch” was arriving home from a day’s adventure, to find an aromatherapy bubble bath waiting for me— an exquisite end to a spectacular day.

CUISINE

The hotel’s culinary crown is La VidA, a restaurant developed by Ana and helmed by Chef Flavia Amad. Its Argentinian cuisine exudes bold flavors with high-quality, locally sourced, and organic ingredients.

A highlight was a gastronomic journey inspired by the hotel’s signature art piece, Tree of Life. The 14-course dining experience was influenced by the artwork’s seven main motifs, including roots, stems, flowers, birds, branches, fruits, and insects. Each course was a work of art paired with an outstanding wine. The pièce de résistance was Flavia appearing tableside to share her culinary interpretation of each element— it gave new meaning to a Chef ’s Table experience.

Our Experience Curator also suggested two local, off-site restaurants, evidence of Balbo’s sincere support of community businesses. Zappa is a farm-to-table eatery with Mendozan cuisine in Chacras, and Soberana is a culinary haven featuring Argentinean classics and global favorites in Mendoza. I highly recommend both!

A bit less local, but an absolute gem is Hornero—the main restaurant for La Morada Lodge, a small boutique hotel in the heart of the Uco Valley. Tucked in the foothills of the Andes, this meal was enjoyed mountainside with an extraordinary view and a six-course tasting menu, paired of course with spectacular regional wines.

Calling all well-heeled wine lovers and adventure seekers—SB Winemaker’s House & Spa Suites is No. 1 on my list. I am in great company as the hotel was highlighted on Condé Nast Traveler’s 2023 Hot List of Best New Hotels and Travel + Leisure’s 2023 It List of Best New Hotels.

Salud!

For more information, visit susanabalbohotels.com, visionair.vip, lariveria.com, estanciaeltotoral.com, laranchoecuero.com, lamoradalodge.com, and copaair.com.