Ken's Blog from Argentina
Thursday, September 4th 2006: Mendoza Wine Region 
Up at 3:45 to head for the airport. In BA there are two airports, one for domestic and one for international flights. That makes for interesting connections, by the way. For us, it was off to Mendoza. Wish we had time to stay for more than a day but we at least wanted to see the real location where these great big raspy Malbecs come from.
Where to start? The foothills of the Andes is where you are. We drew a day with some overcast and were only able to see the outline of the mountains but some of the photos decorating the walls of the vineyards filled in the blanks about why the vintners feel they’re working inside a post card. The stark beauty of white jutting up from what appears to be endless fields is different from anything in North America.
We had some great tastings including La Rural where head winemaker Mariano Di Paulo spent a great deal of time offering a variety of Malbecs from the Rutini label – different years; some 100 percent, others blends; some in new French oak, some in old French oak; new American…you get it. When presented the way Mariano did, the differences all make sense. He also explained their use of what they call “conical vats” for Malbec. After fermentation, they pump out the wine then inflate a balloon inside the vat to crush the skins. They then pump the wine back into the vats where, because of the cone shape (it looks like an oversized Gemini space capsule), the skins are forced to the top where they are collected.
More stops: Judith Di Tommasso received us at her winery and took the time to explain her thoughts on winemaking in Argentina and the fact that the growing season is much more predictable than elsewhere. They count on 200-250 millimeters of rain per year – about 8 to 10 inches. Definitely arid but consistent. Makes the little Malbec grape work hard but, according to Judith’s assistant, they do not stress the vines heavily. Another stop at Bodega Norton.
We had selected the Norton Privada as a wine of the week a few weeks ago so it was fun to actually meet the recipients – and to taste some of their other offerings.
We ate at a small and fantastic restaurant in Mendoza, shared a bottle of Rutini. We did a piece on “Vacation Wine" awhile back and I think that kicked in for this bottle which was, by far, the best of the trip.
Wednesday, September 3rd 2006: Tango!
So. We gave in to a couple of touristy callings: First, took a day trip to Uruguay. C’mon. Don’t shake your head. It was kinda fun. Went to Colonia to see, well, Colonia. If we were giving advice, it’d be to skip the trip – unless you’re collecting stamps in your passport. If the calling’s really there, this is one that you can do on your own. Book the fast boat; once you get off, it’s an easy walk into town. There’s not much to see – Uruguayan crafts mostly – and a few interesting sights. We did taste some Uruguayan Cabernet. I’d love to be able to say that we spotted a distinct difference in wines but other than the three we had being very spicy but with a shallow finish, there’s not much to say.
One of us couldn’t resist and bought a Gewurtztraminer Grappa to bring back. We’ll surprise ourselves. The truth be told, the best place to drink grappa is in one’s own home where, if you accidentally overindulge, you don’t have to worry about getting anywhere.
The second touristy thing was to go to a tango show. Collectively, we decided that it was worth the money. It was a great show and the musicians among us admitted that it was nearly impossible to track rhythms of the moves of the ladies as they danced. Decidedly more exciting than the street shows but to be expected. Remember, we’re about the real thing – down to earth with nothing snooty – and checking out entertainment is as important as swirling the glass. By the way, did you know that when you’re south of the equator, you have to swirl the other way?1
One tip about the dinner that’s often “included”:
If you have the option, decline the meal and choose a good restaurant for dinner before or, better still, after the show. We heard a couple of folks near us making less than flattering remarks about their included meal.
1 You do know we’re pulling your leg here, right?
Tuesday, September 2nd 2006: Art... and Wine!
A day of museum visiting. First to the Eva Peron Museum where, regardless of your politics, you see what charisma and fortitude can do to change the world. Truly a remarkable person and, in her 33 years, moved mountains.
We stopped for lunch at Nonito, a small diner and found, once again, that you can’t get a bad meal. Although we ordered a mix of sandwiches and pitas, everything was outstanding. The wine? Outstanding, as well. This time, we went with a Caberned-Merlot blend, Finca el Zorzal 2001 from Manuel Lopez (Maipu, Mendoza). As a cab blend, this one was much bigger than the Malbecs we had had.
Off to the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes. This is a terrific museum with important works from many of the masters – Picasso, Monet, Rodin, Degas, (OK, now we’re name dropping). An entire exhibit of Juan Carlos Liberti will keep you occupied for hours trying to interpret his feelings about love and music. They finally ushered us out at closing.
Monday, September 1st, 2006: Dining by Chance
Sometimes it’s a good thing to just book a tour and let someone show and tell you about an area. We did just that and got some great insight to the city – not only geographical but cultural, too. As we traveled from point to point, the French influence became increasingly evident. It’s amazing how you can look into a garden and realize that you could just as easily be in Paris or Cannes as in Buenos Aires.
Dinner turned into a pleasant fiasco! We had tried to book into Club del Vino for dinner but found that ownership had changed and that it would not be open for another month. Instead, we sought a recommendation from the concierge. Well, seems our taxi driver took a wrong turn (for everything we’re loving about this trip, have to say that, 100% of the time, our drivers didn’t know the city.) Well, we climbed out and began walking the streets in search of dinner.
About 10 we found what revealed itself as a real gem. Absolutely exquisite tapas. While some selected seafood, most of us decided on meat and vegetable combinations. The wines, St. Felicien Malbec 2004 and Altos Las Hormigas Malbec surprised us…in a good way. You need to know that, at the prices charged, it’s pretty easy to drink great wine.
Sunday, August 31st, 2006: Flavors of Buenos Aires
Great to arrive – even without baggage. Note to self: the new coat you bought for the emergency kept you plenty warm in the surprise 38 degree weather so nevermind that you really don’t need it.
Defensa Street is alive with outdoor antique as well as street performers of all types. Sax, singers, mimes, and plenty more. On more than one corner, you'll see demonstrations of the tango - like the one to the right.
We shared lunch at a long table with some local women who were shopping for a variety of antiques. We all tried the house malbec – St. Lucia – and it was just fine, if not a little too fruity.
Dinner was at Cabaña los Lilas. It's upscale and a bit touristy but well-appointed. The waitstaff was prompt and beyond friendly. If anyone guessed that we chose beef for the main course, well, you’re on the money. After all, what would expect for a first night in Buenos Aires.
The restaurant recommended Binachi Particular Malbec 2002 from Bodega Valentin Bianchi San Rafael, Mendoza. What a great choice. The wine is 85% Malbec, about 7.5% each Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot and, at $40 US, a great bang for the peso.
Vanilla and white chocolate plus spices! The flavor and aromas are attributed to the wine spending time first in French oak (the vanilla and white chocolate) then being transferred to American oak barrels where they pick up the spice flavoring.
We didn't finish dinner until 11:00 and definitely weren't the last to leave the restaurant. Florida Avenue was still bustling at that hour but we saved it for Monday.
