Buenos Aires City Tour

The Sybaritic Pleasures of Argentina

One cannot write about Buenos Aires without discussing the enjoyment of its wines and meats, an important part of the culture for the porteños, along with their tangos and the elegant women that are part of this beautiful city.

Wines

Following their European ancestry Argentineans enjoy wine at every opportunity. Argentina is recognized for its wines, having reached the fifth place worldwide as a wine producing country. In recent years, the great marketing efforts and the economic growth of neighboring Chile has made a significant impact in the international wine market making the presence of Argentinean wines small by comparison. However, the high quality of the Argentinean red wines is still well recognized and respected. There is nothing like sitting at La Biela in Recoleta in a crisp fall afternoon and enjoying a good bottle of the local tinto.

The history of the wine industry in the República Argentina goes back to the arrival of the Spanish colonizers. Already by the end of the XVIII century, grape growing had become an economic activity of importance in the area of Mendoza & San Juan. As years went by, the activity evolved spreading to other areas of the country. In the present, four main wine producing areas can be noted: Salta, San Juan, Mendoza y Río Negro.

Currently, all regions produce export-quality wines. The Salta region produces typical regional wines of excellent quality. The Andean regions south of de Mendoza & San Juan enjoy great climate and soils that allow excellent maturation of the grapes, producing wines of exceptional quality. The Patagonian region of Río Negro & Neuquén constitutes the southern limit of the growing regions producing fine wines of appreciable quality.

The following estates are noted for their quality and continued improvement:

Salta


Bodegas Etchart S.A. & Michel Torino Hnos.




Mendoza


Bodega Luigi Bosca, Bianchi, Cavas de Weinert, Escorihuela, Finca Flichman, La Rural, Bodegas y Viñedos López, Navarro Correas, Norton, Proviar Chandon, San Telmo.



Río Negro

Bodegas y Viñedos Humberto Canale


Recommendations

My recommendations in order of personal preference and as a sugestion for wines to taste during your stay:

Tintos (reds):

For most palates:

Bianchi Particular of Bianchi

Clos Du Moulin from the house of Proviar Chandon

Colección Privada of Navarro Correas

For wine conosieurs

Enzo Bianchi de Bianchi

Whites :

Bianchi Cinta de Plata of Bianchi

Others worth trying during your visit
Tintos (Reds):

Syrah of Luigi Bosco
Pont L'eveque of Escorihuela
Caballero de la Cepa of Finca Flichman
R.F.N of La Rural
Chateau Montchenot of Bodegas y Viñedos López, C.A.
Pinot Noir of Navarro Correas
Cuesta del Madero of San Telmo
Fond de Cave Cabernet Sauvignon of Trapiche

The experience of sampling a good wine in their country of origin where they had not been subject to stress from shipping, harsh storage conditions and overseas travel is an opportunity you do not want to miss. The variety and quality of the Argentinean wines and the atmosphere of Buenos Aires will insure you a unique experience.

posted by Rafael @ 3:33 PM