El Cerno

http://mendozavino.blogspot.com/We sneakily wandered onto the property of El Cerno Artisan Bodega to snoop on our soon to be neighbors. We were quickly spotted by Christian as he drove up the gravel driveway. He pulled up beside us and greeted us in English, noticing we were tourists-like looking for, none other than, a tour. He parked his beater of a car and asked us to wait a moment while he searched the Bodega for his buddy Pedro, whom I assume was meant to be on the look out for meandering tourists. We stood at the back of the bodega and waited while his fruitless echoes bounced around the corridors of the cement vats. Pedro! Pedro!

Pedro-less, Christian agreed to conduct the tour solo, he lead us to the front of the winery where we discovered a confused group of sightseers who were waiting to be guided through the wonders of wine making as well. A Dutch couple and two young glob trotting backpackers joined us. We all happily shelled out the menial fee of 15 pesos per person and we began.

Christian started by telling us that Cerno means heart wood, the hardest most center part of a tree that has been wrapped in layers of age. He brought our attention to the opposing entry of the small and rustic bodega and explained that the grand doors were salvaged, by the owners, from an old bank in Buenos Aires.

The two ornate wooden doors stood proud and tall, slightly ajar casting light into the dark and narrow passage where small gate like valves lined the concrete fermentors walls at about knee height. Christian explained that behind the thick concrete walls were the epoxy lined cement tanks where grapes were transformed into a magical liquid. Describing the wine maker’s, preferred method of pumping the clear sweet fermenting juice over the dense mash of skins and pips every six hours for two days to extract the desired colors, aromas and tannins before raking of the clear wine leaving the deflated skins behind.

The smell of over sweet grape juice and wet pavement filled the air, and we proceed to the next portion of the expedition. “Beneath us is the cellar or cava in Spanish” he told us as he escorted the group down a steep flight of stairs that were slick with condensation. The cellar is exactly what you would imagine a wine cellar to look, smell and feel like. Dark, dank and dimly lit in places, low ceilings, with heavy stone archways lead you from each damp cool room to the next. Oak barrels marked by numbers staked in a corner to be forgotten until the winemaker deems them ready. Other small cavernous closet like spaces were filled with unlabeled bottles locked behind heavy iron bars to age further.

Christian gathered the group at the furthest end of the dungeon, where he mindfully answered the crowd’s questions. He explained that an oak barrel infuses its flavor into wine for up to three years, and that El Cerno used both American and French oak. He told us of barrique makers who were developing square barrels for easier stacking, and taught us the term micro-oxygenation, the process where each barrel bleeds tiny amounts of air into the aging wine morphing the drink into something divine.

At the other end of the cellar Christian informed us of all the wines El Cerno proudly releases and how they were tiered. The Philosopher their most limited bottle, only 900 released this vintage, is a meritage of the best grapes from the best vineyards, “and when you drink it you become a philosopher of course” chuckled Christian. Wyana, El Cerno’s version of a vino joven, or young wine which was a bright and fruity blend meant to be poured down your gullet within the year and line of “vino roble” or oak aged varietal wines in Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. He showed us how each bottle is labeled by hand with some primitive looking apparatus by two ladies who sit in the darkness and eyeballed the placement of each label.

He directed the group back upstairs to the tasting hall and wine shop. A large barn like room with hand crafted chunky wooden furniture lacquered in a honey glisten. A grand wine alter displayed all the wines of El Cerno, and charming hand painted plaques featuring common descriptors adorned the wall behind it. He explained the tasting process while demonstrating it himself. He then handed out two samples to each person.

“In the big glass I’ve poured you cabernet sauvignon, and in the little one I’ve poured Malbec” he told us while swirling his wine into a purple whirlpool. He inhaled the vapors that were released from the centrifugal force, and exhaled words describing his sensations. “Plum and red fruit are gifts from the sacrificial grape, chocolate and leather are given to us for our patience during the aging process” he explained.

You were easily captivated by his deep Antonio Banderas voice, and shinny shoulder length locks. His eyes were closed and he was swept up in a sensory moment. Many people have been on this journey with Christian, and still I felt caught in his moment. Time had stopped, except for us. I was entirely in his now. I was inspired and intrigued and found not only him but the entire operation fascinating.

Elated to learn that our neighbors had a porthole to another world, I gladly obliged when they offered me a second drink. I have been over there since seeking enlightenment from the intoxicating beverage it’s self. I have converted and my faith is growing stronger. Like a Zen master I am beginning to understand the mantra, living in the now. There is a place where stillness exists, and it is levitating as an invisible force in the space between you and the wine in your glass. You can find your perfect self here. Peace in wine is my new peace of mind.