I’m in Mendoza, Argentina. I just arrived, so the picture above is from my last visit, showing Catena’s high-altitude Adrianna vineyard.

Today started around 5 pm yesterday when I left for the airport. I flew overnight to Sao Paolo with TAM, then this morning flew to rainy Buenos Aires, and from there to sunny Mendoza.

I’m here on an interesting project with the Catena Institute of Wine, who over the last decade and a bit have been investing in research, on topics such as Malbec, high-altitude viticulture, the effect of UV light on vines and terroir influences. I’m here to interview the scientists who have been working on these projects, have a look at the vineyards that have been studied, ask lots of questions, and hopefully produce something readable and engrossing but which also does justice to the science.

So far I have had just a couple of introductory meetings (I didn’t get to Mendoza until late afternoon), but the packed schedule over the next three days should be really interesting. I’m so glad Catena are keen to get all the research they have been doing out there to the wider world, rather than keeping it all in house. I shall report back.