Bodega La Azul

Pull into La Azul's simple yard after visiting a few of its big-league neighbors and marvel at the sheer range of producers in the game on Mendoza's wine frontier. The tiny facility here, which could pass for a glorified garage, is the smallest winery in the area and the only one funded entirely with Argentine capital. For years the proprietors cultivated plums and peaches and sold their grape harvests to major corporations like Trapiche and Catena, but in 2003 they struck out on their own, calling their venture "La Azul" ("the blue one") after the color of the ribbon drawn in the family lottery to determine which plot of land each child would inherit. For what is probably the least pretentious wine-pairing lunch in the valley, head for a table under the pergola at the winery's folksy restaurant.