Wake up to the world of wine tasting in Buenos Aires, the city that never sleeps.
With wine recently pronounced as the national drink of Argentina, there hasn’t been a better time to take a wine tour of Buenos Aires – one of the most exciting cities in South America, if not the world.
Argentina’s capital carries heavy European influences, characterised by the fading colonial architecture, expressive culture and innovative cuisine – which has led the city to be sometimes referred to as the ‘Paris of South America’. As a consequence of its European upbringing, wine has been cultivated in Argentina since the Spanish explorers arrived in the early 16th century. Originally, production was preoccupied with quantity but escalating quality in more recent times have earned Argentina wines international acclaim.
The high-altitude terrain of the Andes mountains and volcanic soils complement wine making, with European varietals such as Malbec from Mendoza, and Argentina’s own Torrontés from the Salta region among the most renowned exports. Elsewhere, distinctive wines are also produced in Patagonia, Catamarca, La Rioja and San Juan.
The best way to experience the selection of wines that Argentina has to offer is to attend a wine tasting. While these opportunities are commonplace in the rural wine estates, Buenos Aires wine tours were once rare – although that is now changing with numerous places in the city embracing wine culture.
Argentina wines have been heralded as the ‘next big thing’ by wine industry experts. In 2011, the country was bestowed with more Wine of the Year awards than anywhere else in the world by the influential Decanter magazine – while international sales to Europe and the US have soared in recent years.
Wine tours in Buenos Aires have unlocked the creative potential of degustación (wine tasting) by offering experiences that are deliberately removed from the conservative hotel-and-wine-club circuit with a greater emphasis on fun and the informal elements of urban wine tasting. A Buenos Aires wine tour will typically take visitors to various chic wine bars in interesting neighbourhoods across the city, including the fashionable districts of Palermo and Soho, together with a local sommelier to guide tastings, which are often accompanied by pairings with regional cuisine.
Our Argentinian local experts can arrange exclusive wine tours of Buenos Aires that can be tailor-made to your exact requirements, ensuring every detail is taken care of.
Since Buenos Aires’ nightlife usually only awakes after midnight, be prepared to explore the city into the early hours. The district of Palermo is especially popular for creatures of the night, featuring bars and clubs with more upmarket establishments found in the neighbourhood of Las Cañitas. But, Palermo isn’t the only barrio in Buenos Aires’ exciting metropolis that has something to offer: Retiro is scattered with hip bars; Almagro is the preferred haunt for witnessing the passion of tango; and San Telmo’s Avenue Caseros is a hub for food enthusiasts – Argentina was designated the Ibero-American Capital of Gastronomy in 2017.
The cuisine in Buenos Aries is extremely eclectic, but any travel to the city would not be complete (provided you are not a vegetarian, of course) without tasting succulent cuts of steak from the parrillas (steakhouses) that line practically every street. And the ice cream is equally exceptional, especially the prefered-by-locals dulce de leche flavor (caramel).
Meanwhile, culture and architecture enthusiasts can explore the city to marvel at grand French and Italian style palaces or the colourful murals painted on buildings as part of Buenos Aries’ vibrant street-art scene.
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