Our third stop on the winery tour of the Lujan de Cuyo is Bodega Melipal.

It’s the high point of the day in more ways than one. The first way, we’ve been expecting. More than expecting–looking forward to. We’ve been drinking wine all morning. We’re hungry, and behold! It’s lunchtime!

The lunch is beautifully presented, and each course is accompanied by a delicious wine pairing. The dessert and its accompanying dessert wine are a fine finishing touch.

There was a problem with the lunch for me, and perhaps me alone. The lone vegetarian in the group, I was given a main course of roasted or sauteed vegetables. It was beautiful to look at, and tasty, too.

But between the cheese it was covered with (and I with a degree of lactose intolerance and no lactase with me) and the oil (perhaps olive oil) it was swimming in, I ended up with a terribly upset stomach that stayed with me for the rest of the day.When I could barely even sip a taste of wine at our next vineyard, I knew the situation was bad.

I don’t blame Melipal for this. The place, the service, and the wine were all excellent. Just my poor luck.

The other delightful surprise about Melipal was the landscaping. This was far and away the most beautiful of the vineyards we visited–perhaps anywhere, ever.

After lunch, we move on to Bodega Sottano in the next post.