Keeping it simple at Carmelo Patti
When you’re visiting multiple wineries in a weekend, it’s always nice to switch it up. That’s why we thought Carmelo Patti would make a nice counterpoint to the slicker Vistalba and Ruca Malen, especially after seeing it on the Vines of Mendoza must-see list.
Carmelo himself is just a guy from Italy who wants to make his wines. He doesn’t care about marketing or sales, although he’s happy to share his passion with visitors. This was the selling point of the vineyard, as I thought we’d get into some in-depth discussions of artisan wine-making and be able to shoot the breeze. That was the impression I had from others’ stories online.
I don’t know if it was the hot weather or the size of the group, but Carmelo didn’t seem particularly enthused when we visited. That’s not to say he wasn’t friendly or hospitable, and he gladly answered all questions. Frankly, we may have been the low-energy ones bringing him down. But for whatever reason it wasn’t quite what I’d envisioned.
The wines were good, although they were way too complex and big for my taste. Unlike the dialogue, these were exactly what I expected: big, spicy reds with a lot of Italian influence that are meant to be stored for years and savored. We tried a Malbec, a Cabernet Sauvignon and a red blend, all of which could compete with the Old World wines Carmelo’s relatives back in Italy are surely making.
If you’ve only got a couple days in Mendoza, I wouldn’t say that you have to pay Carmelo Patti a visit. In a region with so many options, I think there are ways to keep it interesting without going to such a small-scale operation. But if you’re sick of the organized tours or your tastes tend more toward the complex, it may be worth a stop.
Just keep an eye out for the ice cream shop. Carmelo Patti is across the street, behind a plain white wall with no sign at all to bring in the tourists. If you happen to find him, Carmelo’s happy to pour you a glass or two. And sometimes a welcoming glass of wine is enough.
More in this series:
Vistalba: vines and views in Mendoza
Vines of Mendoza: your guide to Mendoza wine
Lunching in luxury at Ruca Malen
It’s a shame that sometimes the host has an off day and it sours your experience of a place a bit. The great thing about Mendoza is that there’s always another winery just down the road =)
Exactly! And I definitely wouldn’t say that no one should visit Carmelo, I just didn’t have the great experience people seemed to talk about in a lot of the online reviews.
Nice blog! Maybe my situation is similar to yours… chileno, starting a blog.. haha!
I will read more when I have time! thanks
Thanks for commenting, Lisa!
Oh well, at least you got the opportunity to taste some good wine…
I am certainly not complaining about that!
Hopefully he was just having an off day. Worst case scenario, you got some wine, and that’s a pretty good day in my book.
Agreed! And like I said, I would not blame this man for not being chatty in thousand-degree heat at 5 pm. I certainly wasn’t at my most energetic!
Love the honesty, lady. I’m not sure I’m all about the big complex flavors. I’m still getting used to reds and those are pretty hardcore.
I can definitely tell how my palate has changed over the past few years, so it wouldn’t surprise me if I grow to enjoy the big reds. But for now, I’m not going to pretend to be all sophisticated when I’m not – give me something I can drink without feeling challenged by it!
I love reading/hearing stories about those who do it for the passion, not for the money. Too bad the tour was more “warm”, but oh well. Like you said sometimes a glass or two of wine is enough
I definitely respect Carmelo’s passion and dedication, even if those didn’t spark a deeper interest in us this time around.
Emily, We loved your postings. A small addition, if you want another off-the-beaten-path, yet more structured vineyard, I loved visiting Weinert. On my first trip (10 years ago) I had one of my still favorite wines, and now I just went for more. As you said, it is refreshing to quit for a second the structured commercial tours.
Thanks for sharing this tip! I looked at their website in my extensive research but didn’t end up visiting…next time I’ll know better. I’m glad you’re enjoying the blog!