Just when we thought that the fire season was over a lightning storm (with no rain) started a fire on the south side of the farm.
A quick reaction by all, including the fire fighting planes of the province, reduced the fire to a minor problem this time. Some fences and 50 acres of our farm were burned but all aminals were safe.
We are not sure what the army helicopter was doing though!
Well, Los Pots did not win this time round. However, fun was had by all. Eight guests accompanied us on the second day and lots of champagne was drunk to celebrate a 4-3 victory.
The next tournament is at Estancia Los Potreros on the last weekend of October! (weather permitting).
The rains have finally come. We had a huge thunder and lighting storm last night. Just at the wrong time!!! No play today. All matches have been rescheduled for tomorrow, Monday bank holiday, Christopher Columbus Day. 
A memorable victory!!! Lou´s team win 4-3.
And so finally the big day arrived!
Whilst Buenos Aires is the undisputed capital of the polo-playing community in Argentina, there is a thriving low to medium goal circuit in Cordoba, with 6 excellent sets of grounds within about half an hour of each other. It was at one of these, Pompeya Polo Club in Ascochinga, where the season has kicked off this weekend with a 3 day tournament of polo, pato and endurance riding.
This year it is Lou’s turn to represent the estancia, and so her and the horses set off early Friday morning. For the horses, it is a bit like going from playing football in the back garden to playing at Wembley stadium, but as usual they took it all in their stride - at least a bit more than Lou did!
There are two things that are particularly interesting about polo in Argentina. One is the low-key, non-fussy and non-pretentious approach to the whole thing. Ponies are delivered to the polo grounds in open-top cattle trucks (even at the highest levels), blankets are mde out of old feed bags and spectators will sit on the boards round the grounds.
The other thing of note is that polo here is almost entirely a male preserve, and so in the whole tournament only one female player other than Lou has been spotted . . .which makes for fast, furious and sometimes quite intimidating play.
So Lou and the intrepid Los Pots ponies headed into their game of polo ‘threes’ (3 a side) with knees a-trembling. Thence followed four fast and furious chukkas (that felt more like an hour each than 7 minutes - to Lou at least!) - 1-0 to us, 1-3 to them, 4-4 all square and finally 5-5 at the end of the fourth chukka. More than a little relieved that it was all over, Lou headed to the sidelines, only to find that because it was a draw there was to be a ‘golden goal’ in a fifth chukka. So back onto the ground to take up the battle once again. 3 minutes later and the oponents scored, so a final score of 5-6 to them.
Lou, the ponies and everyone else in one piece, and certainly not a drubbing, so all in all a successful day. Second game on Friday . . .watch this space!
DINA: Paso peruano Mare. Born in Salta. Lived most of her life on Estancia Los Potreros. Mother to Sol Nasciente, Major, Negro el Once, Lobita, Baston, Picasita, Chocolate and China. Grandmother to many. 
This month we feature the wines from the bodega “Nieto Senetiner”. The winery dates back to 1888 when Italian immigrants settled in Lujan de Cuyo in the province of Mendoza.
This weekend Kevin and Lou took some guests along to the local ‘Rural’, or agricultural show in Jesús Maria. Cordoba is one of the most important agricultural provinces in Argentina, with Jesus Maria being one of the main trading centres for a lot of this activity, and the town where our cattle go to auction. The show is a mixture of animals, machinery and agricultural support businesses, along with the obligatory dash of gaucho flare! We spent most of our time between the ‘gaucho games’ and the ‘chicken stand’, where Kevin ended up bringing away two pairs and 6 chicks of some rather exotic looking chicken breeds. Could have been worse . . .could have been a tractor!
Wine at Los Potreros
Argentina is the fifth largest producer of wine in the world. The vineyards are based almost entirely on European grape varieties. Vast vineyards stretch along the foothills of the Andes dotted with more than 2,000 wineries. The region is blessed with a combination of plentiful water, a dry climate and year-round sunshine which makes for excellent yields.
Cordoba has a wine growing tradition that goes back some time. Records show that 10,000 vines were planted the year after the foundation of Cordoba in 1574. The wine cellar of the Jesus Maria Jesuit farm was the largest in the Spanish colony. From this cellar the very first bottle of wine from the Spanish Americas was sent to the King of Spain. This wine was christened “Lagrimilla” which we still drink as a desert wine today!
Wine production in Cordoba had a second wind when immigrants arrived from the region of Friuli Venezia Giulia in northern Italy. They founded “Colonia Caroya” in 1878 only 50 kilometers from Córdoba City in the heart of Jesuit country. The spirit of those pioneers still continues as do some of their traditions and dialects.
Today riders, drivers, walkers and birdwatchers alike all enjoy the Cordoba wine produced by Bodega La Caroyense. Half a century ago Estancia Los Potreros had a small home wine production. Today Bodega La Caroyense produces and bottles the only private wine in their cellar for Estancia Los Potreros. The popularity of this “Malbec” is now spreading beyond the visitors of the estancia.
Regular wine tastings take place at the estancia sampling not only wines from Córdoba but also taking in the main bodegas and regions of Argentina. Every month we feature a particular bodega, grape variety or geographical region.
We do not need an excuse to uncork a bottle!
