July 10 (Bloomberg) -- Since opening in 2006, Jose Manuel Ortega's award-winning O. Fournier winery has lured tourists to its stark headquarters in the shadow of Argentina's snowcapped Andes. Now the former Goldman Sachs Group Inc. banker wants people to come for the food as well as the wine.

Ortega's glass-walled restaurant, Urban, is drawing acclaimed chefs from Latin America and Europe to this scenic region, about 130 kilometers (80 miles) south of the provincial capital of Mendoza.

``People come to Mendoza and they're blown away by the architecture, the views and the wines, but the restaurants are lagging behind,'' Ortega, 40, said. ``I want to upgrade the level of gastronomy here.''

As part of its ``Top Chefs'' program, which features guest culinary stars in the kitchen, the restaurant has hosted Juan Antonio Medina from Madrid's Zalacain, a Michelin one-star eatery that has served Spain's King Juan Carlos. Other guest chefs have come from Santiago's Astrid y Gaston and Buenos Aires-based Sottovoce.

In many countries, a five-course meal by a renowned chef, each served with matching wines from Spain, Argentina or Chile, might be a splurge best timed with an annual bonus. At Urban, the price is 150 pesos ($50).

Urban, part of a visitor's complex at O. Fournier that includes a private wine cellar, isn't the only place for fine wining and dining in the area. Chef Francis Mallman's 1884 serves a mustard-and-pepper encrusted steak that may be the best I've had -- no mean feat in a country where barbecues are a weekly ritual and the average person eats 66 kilos (146 pounds) of beef per year.

Still, Urban is raising the bar for local gastronomes.

Wine Cellar

As I savor a glass of tomato puree gelatin topped by a swirl of almond cream, I find myself seated next to Singapore-based painter Rajinder Singh, whose ``Faces'' exhibition is on display in O. Fournier's 2,800-barrel cellar. Mendoza Governor Celso Jaque dines at a neighboring table, chatting with the Spanish ambassador. We all tip back glasses of Spiga 2002, a peppery red Rioja from Spain.

We switch to white -- a 2007 Centauri sauvignon blanc, heady with peach and pineapple scents -- for the first plate, a tasty shrimp ragout with vegetables in a sherry reduction.

``We're trying to be a little counter-culture here,'' Ortega said of the unusual red wine/white wine/red wine turnaround. ``I want to have the wine focus on the plate being eaten.''

Soup in Shot Glasses

Our main dish of stewed beef with asparagus and raisins is flat and flavorless. Perhaps it was Medina's jetlag after his flight from Spain. The highlight of the main course is O. Fournier's 2005 Alfa Crux Malbec, made from Argentina's signature grape. The bottle was awarded 93 points out of 100 points from Wine Spectator.

Ortega doesn't need to import chefs to serve up great food. His wife, Nadia, normally oversees the kitchen. On a previous trip, my wife and I began a five-course, three-hour lunch by sampling a trio of soups -- zucchini basil, garlic cream and pumpkin -- poured into shot glasses. Ortega passed from table to table, chatting to all his customers and calling for more wine. We knew we'd be back.

From 1990 to 1995, Ortega worked in Goldman's mergers and acquisitions office and its corporate finance department in London. In 1997 he started Symbios Capital, Banco Santander SA's private equity fund, where he served as chairman until 2004.

He mortgaged his home, put up all his savings and took out five personal loans to raise $3 million in initial financing for O. Fournier. Then Ortega set about convincing colleagues at Goldman and Banco Santander to help him raise another $23 million.

Love, Not Money

Peter Sutherland, chairman of BP Plc and Goldman Sachs International, said he invested ``less than $1 million'' in the winery and restaurant.

``Jose Manuel is a man of infinite energy and enthusiasm,'' Sutherland said in a phone interview from London.

Ortega says he wasn't motivated by money when he opened the winery.

``I could have made more in the financial sector, but I like wine, I love the countryside and I always wanted to have my own business,'' Ortega said. ``Wine met those dreams.''

Urban, O. Fournier: Calle Los Indios, La Consulta, Mendoza. Information: +54-2622-451579; http://www.ofournier.com.

To contact the reporter on this story: Bill Faries in Buenos Aires at wfaries@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: July 10, 2008 00:01 EDT