If there’s ever a hotel where you feel inspired to rush home and redesign your house, it’s this wine hotel in Argentina. SB Winemaker’s House & Spa Suites is a new hotel in the Mendoza province, one of the world’s most renowned wine regions. SB stands for Susana Balbo, the country’s trailblazing female oenologist. As if being the first female winemaker in Argentina wasn’t enough, Balbo diverged from the norm to specialize in luxury white wines. Together with her daughter, Ana Lovaglio Balbo, the “Queen of Torrontés” has expanded her kingdom with a wellness hotel celebrating all things Argentinian: wine, gastronomy, art, nature, and buon vivere.
Photo courtesy SB Winemaker's House
Mendoza's Most Unique Wine Hotel Comes From Argentina's First Female Winemaker
Just as Balbo strayed from what was expected of her, Susana Balbo ‘s property is far from the typical wine hotel. For starters, it’s almost unheard of for a winemaker to run their own hospitality venture. Sitting on the lush grounds of the old family home in Chacras de Coria, the design borrows from elegant residential interiors and carries an air of cozy exclusivity. All seven suites have integrated spas, making SB Winemaker’s House the first and only wine hotel in Latin America of its kind.
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Seven wellness suites and wine-inspired rituals
Photo courtesy SB Winemaker’s House
Seven luxe chalets dot the garden, each with a secluded private patio two hops from the gorgeous pool – a savior during Mendoza’s piping-hot summers. Stepping into my suite, Templo, a gigantic cement tub drew my eye first, almost outshining the dry sauna (four suites have this luxury, all seven have a steam shower) and sun-drenched terrace.
Creating unity between the hotel and the bodega, these “Eggs” are carved by the same artisans behind some of the tanks used for fermentation at the Susana Balbo Winery. The Egg will be drawn with an infusion of sea salt and fresh sprigs of lavender and rosemary ready for your return from mountains and vineyards. Coupled with the complimentary turndown service and little vials of handmade herbal tea pouches, it does feel like staying with a relative.
Any treatments are performed in the privacy of your personal spa. There are two signature rituals: one uses wine-inspired ingredients, the other incorporates mate (more on that later). I indulged in the Frutos de la Vid (Fruit of the Vine). Following an initiation steam bath and sauna, my entire body was polished with an aromatic grape seed exfoliant and then hydrated with a creamy red-grape emollient. The experience was completed with a full-body massage combining Thai and Hawaiian techniques while my bathtub filled. Safe to say, I spent the rest of the day in a trance.
No two suites are the same at SB Winemaker’s House. Each is named and curated as an extension of Susana Balbo. Huella (Footprint) represents her legacy, Audacia (Audacity) stands for her daring, and Templo (Temple) – the seventh chakra – symbolizes balance. Besides bespoke bathrooms and handpicked art, these mega-modern suites have Bluetooth surround-sound speakers and an intuitive lighting system. The wine cellar is filled with premium Susana Balbo Wines to sip under the stars, fireside.
Seven sensory courses from Flavia Amad
Executive Chef Flavia Amad. Photo courtesy SB Winemaker’s House
La VidA Restaurant is headed up by the Michelin-recommended chef, Flavia Amad, who also oversees the winery gastronomy at Osadía de Crear. Amad’s seven-course tasting menu celebrates Mendocian produce and intertwines with the statement piece of art in the lobby. Just as Sergio Roggerone’s Tree of Life (El Árbol de la Vida) calls upon natural elements to symbolize growth, Amad’s menu plucks inspiration from the seven fundamentals of roots, trunk, flowers, birds, branches, fruits, and insects. Vegetarians and vegans are catered to and no actual invertebrates are served.
My seven-course meal started with a smoky pisco cocktail infused with jarilla, an evergreen shrub emblematic of Mendoza, served on a nest alongside a hors d’oeuvre of grapefruit and duck in a chocolate casing. I was almost surprised to see pork and fish in place of the typical Argentine steak. But then again, nothing about SB Winemaker’s House is the ordinary. In place of a cut of beef, Amad’s soup course recreated Argentinian asado as a soup (blended, crucially, with chimichurri). I still can’t stop thinking about it.
Although La VidA’s wine cellar stocks wines hand-picked from local bodegas, the wine pairings hail from Susana Balbo’s portfolio. Trying a Torrontés white wine is a highlight – these are the grapes that catapulted Balbo to success in a country dominated by Malbec. I tried the Susana Balbo Signature Barrel Fermented Torrontés which was sweet on the nose but surprisingly dry to the taste. Balbo dedicated three years to perfecting its fermentation, ensuring that the sweetness comes from the oak rather than sugar. Two sips was enough to convert me from my usual leathery reds.
A 14-course open flame Chef’s Table transcends the dining experience. If the thought of 14 courses overwhelms, rest assured that sobre mesa is alive and well in Argentina.
Morning mate and Argentinian art
Mate at SB Winemaker’s House. Photo courtesy of the hotel.
Wine isn’t the only beverage at the heart of Argentinian culture. It’s rare to spot an Argentinian without their mate, a caffeinated beverage made from the leaves of the yerba plant. Besides the Yerba Mate Ritual, Mate Sessions are complimentary for guests of SB Winemaker’s House. Servers in La VidA will suggest toppings as per your taste and teach you all you need to know about mate etiquette. Mate is a communal affair where companions take turns to add water to the gourd of leaves and sip from the same metal bombilla straw.
Do ask the team for an art tour, too. In addition to Sergio Roggerone’s Tree of Life, the hotel exhibits work by Mendocian and Argentinian artists. Regional botanicals painted by Fernando Jereb decorate La VidA while his trio of maps reflecting the country’s wine regions accompany the tasting room. In the cocktail lounge, Martín Villalonga’s playful ink sketches capture the spirit of socializing over wine – and share a glimpse into Susana Balbo’s sense of humor.
A luxury lodge between vineyards and mountains
Photo courtesy SB Winemaker’s House
SB Winemaker’s House & Spa Suites is a 30-minute drive from Mendoza’s international airport in El Plumerillo (round-trip airport transfers are complimentary) and 20 minutes from downtown Mendoza. The city is worth a visit for a lap around General San Martín Park. However, Chacras de Coria is far more convenient for experiencing the region’s wineries and mountains.
The hotel’s Experience Curator is on hand to design a bespoke itinerary. A sustainable hotel, SB Winemaker’s House urges guests to explore the immediate area by bicycle while drivers are there for adventures further afield. Susana Balbo Wines in Agrelo is a 20-minute drive and other wineries will be personally recommended in line with your tastes and interests.
Unique experiences at SB Winemaker’s House
Photo courtesy SB Winemaker’s House
Guests looking for something extraordinary can enquire about experiential packages at SB Winemaker’s House & Spa Suites.
Mendoza Through the Elements is the pinnacle, inclusive of an air safari, horse trekking in the foothills of the Andes, and a private asado at the hotel. Air, earth, and fire culminates with water: cat skiing at El Azufre. Any of these activities may be booked separately through the Experience Curator.
And, if that home revamp isn’t on the agenda just yet, pick up a bottle of Signature SB Home Fragrance from the hotel boutique. Not only does Susana Balbo craft exquisite wines but she’s also turned her hand to perfumery. Infused with cedar, violet, and lemon, it’s one way to recreate the feeling of zen back home.