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Wine and Art at Vendimia en Boedo
(Photo by KimberlyGauthier)
Throughout the week, until Sunday the 29th of April, there will be a special festival celebrating the Argentine grape harvest and wine industry. The event, Vendimia en Boedo, will host wine tastings and conferences as well as exhibiting different artistic expressions related to viticulture.
This year´s theme is regions, with a special focus placed on terroir.
The festival will be taking place in the neighborhood of Boedo in Pan y Arte, Av. Boedo 880.
The program is as follows:
Tuesday
7pm: Conference about the Mendoza terroir by Gustavo Choren.
8.30pm: Wine tasting by Adriana Huck of Trapiche wines.
10pm: Live folklore music by Grupo Tinaja.
Wednesday
7pm: Wine tasting of 7 Vacas Reserva Malbec.
8.30pm: Conference ¨Territorios paralelos¨el mundo está en tus sentidos. (¨Parallel Territories¨ the world is in your senses).
10.30pm: Live music and Milonga.
Thursday
7pm: Wine tasting.
8.30pm: Poetry reading.
10.30pm: Live music- Latin Jazz.
Friday
7pm: Conference ¨El barrio como primer territorio¨(The Neighborhood as the First Territory), followed by a wine tasting.
9pm-11pm: Theatre- ¨El Vino Secreto¨ written by Liliana Moreno and directed by Clodet Garcia, and ¨Trinchera de Palabras¨ written by Germinal Marin and directed by Fagner Pavan.
Saturday
7pm-9.30pm: Theatre- ¨Siesta¨by Nerio Yela,”Al ritmo de Tina” by the Compañia Internacional Faro Luciale, Teatro Errante, “Mar de Fondo· by Laura Valencia. In between each play there will be wine tastings from different wineries.
11pm: Live Tango by “La Siniestra Quinteto”.
Sunday
Midday: Harvest menu.
3pm: Conference about new Argentine terroirs by Alejandro Iglesias.
4.30pm: Live tango music and dancers.
5pm: Live painting by a group of artists.
8.30pm: Clown show by “Payasas de mundo”.
9.30pm: Live music and closing performance.
This Week in Buenos Aires
Monday
(Photo by Patricia Turo)
If you’re in the Recoleta area, visiting the cemetery or the MALBA, stop by the Centro Cultural Recoleta where x200mas, an art exhibit of predictions for the next 200 years, is being showcased. Junin 1930, Recoleta. 4803-1040
In the evening head downtown to the Centro Cultural Borges for a tango show starting at 8pm. Tickets 70 pesos. Viamonte 525, Downtown. 5555 5358
Tuesday
(Photo by robert ostmann)
Anyone who has been on the graffitimundo, or Juanele AR tours has had the chance to see that the local urban art is booming. Don’t miss the last days of Palermo art gallery Hollywood in Cambodia’s special sale of some of the best local stencils, graffitis, and illustrations by some of the most active urban artists of the Buenos Aires scene. Bellow the gallery is the Post Street Bar, which is decorated with graffiti and stencils and is a good place for a quick beer. Gallery opens from 5pm-9pm. Sale from 8pm-9pm. Thames 1885 1st floor. hollywoodincambiodia@gmail.com.
For a great meal in the area, just four blocks away try Las Pizarras. Thames 2296, Palermo. 4775-0625
Wednesday
(Photo by Diego3336)
Take a free tour of Buenos Aires with Jonathan, an Englishman in love with the city. Tours start every day at 11am at the center of Plaza Italia by the Garibaldi Horse monument and cover the areas of Almagro, Congress and the Plaza de Mayo using local transport to get around. More information here.
Later on head to Doppelganger Bar in San Telmo for some of the city’s best drinks and atmosphere. Juan de Garay 500, San Telmo. 4300 0201
Thursday
(Photo by derekGavey)
Head to the Carlos Gardel Museum to see the special exhibit on Tita Merello, a famous Argentine actress and singer. Jean Jaures 735, Abasto. 4964-2015
Book your place for the Fierro Hotel’s Thursday wine tasting and sample some great Argentine wines, chosen by the president of the Argentine Sommelier Association Andres Rosberg and in-house Sommelier Martin Bruno. Tastings cost 25 USD per person and are limited to 7 people. Soler 5862, Palermo. 3220-6800.
Friday
(Photo by Lu Monte)
Every Friday the historical San Francisco Basilica in the Monserrat neighborhood hosts an arts fair where paintings, sculptures and photography can be bought. Adolfo Alsina 380, Monserrat.
In the evening head to Centro Cultural Konex for the Plop party featuring theatrics, quirky entertainment and a lot of dancing! Sarmiento 3131, Almagro. 864-3200
Saturday and Sunday
(Photo by scrambldmeggs)
Take a day trip to the San Isidro neighborhood in the outskirts of the city and visit Quinta Los Ombues, one of the oldest homestead in the city where a small historical museum is displayed overlooking a beautiful viewpoint of San Isidro. Close by is the San Isidro cathedral and an artisans fair in a shaded park. Also in San Isidro is the Casa de Victoria OCampo well worth visiting and worth stopping in for some tea with scones.
Top 5 Places to Taste Wine in Buenos Aires
Duhau Vinoteca and Cheese Room: The Hyatt’s wine and cheese room where you can taste local and foreign wines and a wide selection of premium cheeses served with fresh baked breads, chutneys and dried fruits is the perfect way to flavor savor and relax. Open Sun- Wed 6.00 pm – 12.00 am and Thu- Sat 6.00 pm – 1.00 am. Av. Alvear 1661,Recoleta. 5171-1234
Gran Bar Danzón: This trendy lounge bar offers a wonderful variety of wines and is usually full of people vouching for its quality and great atmosphere. Their wine happy hours, Mon-Fri from 7pm-9pm and Sat-Sun from 8pm-10pm present exciting new wines in the market and are a great way to try something new. Libertad 1161, Downtown. 4811-1108.
La Cava de El Querandí: Set in a gorgeous restored 1800´s house, this wine bar, with an adjacent restaurant and tango show, offers unique wine tasting options that explore different regions and varieties of Argentine wine. Peru 322, San Telmo. 5199-1771
Algodón Mansión: Located in an classy petit hotel from the early 1900s, the posh Chez Nous restaurant features a fantastic Wine and Cognac Bar, as well as an elegant Cigar Lounge which accommodates private parties for up to 16 people. 3530-4444 Montevideo 1647 – Recoleta
Fierro Hotel Buenos Aires:The hotel’s intimate wine cellar showcases some of the country’s most interesting wines, with a selection curated by Andrés Rosberg, President of the Argentine Sommelier Association. Wine tastings are held every Thursday and include complimentary snacks from the Hernan Gipponi Restaurant upstairs, private dinners may be arranged for up to eight people. Soler 5862, Palermo. 3220 6800
Wine Regions of Argentina: La Rioja
(Photo by pablodf)
Although Mendoza is Argentina’s top wine region, La Rioja, is one of the oldest and has the longest continued history of wine production in the country. The Spanish-named province was planted with grapes by Jesuit missionaries who settled there in the 16th century, and is the main producer of our white, crisp Torrontés Riojano, an indigenous grape from which truly local wine is made.
The main winemaking area in La Rioja is Chilecito where the Famatina Valley is located. The high altitude, low humidity, the sandy loam soils and sunny weather make this an ideal place for viticulture with Torrontés Riojano and Bonarda as the main cultivated varieties, although Muscat of Alexandria, Pinot Grigio, Malbec and Syrah are also thriving in the area. Other interesting wine producing areas are Nonogasta, Vichigasta, Anillaco, and Famatina, representing roughly 3,7% of the total area with vineyards in Argentina.
For a special sample of Argentine wines, accompanied by snacks from HG Restaurant, don’t miss our weekly tastings every Thursday starting at 7PM at Fierro Hotel. Soler 5862, Palermo. 3220 6800. recepcion@fierrohotel.com.
Argentine Wines: Torrontés
It is perhaps our meat eating culture that conjures the rapid association of red wine with the local viticulture, however, and despite the Argentine Malbec’s superstardom, there is a white wine that is 100% Argentina and it is the Torrontés. Bred from a cross between Muscatel and Criolla Chica (brought by Spanish missionaries to South America in the 16th Century) this national gem is produced solely in Argentina’s North West region, in the provinces of Mendoza, La Rioja, San Juan and in Salta where allegedly the Torrontés is best.
The pale yellow-green or golden colored wine has an intense fragrance reminiscent of roses, jasmines, and tropical and citric fruits, complementing poultry, seafood and creamy dishes to perfection. It is also often paired with spicy food or enjoyed alone as an aperitif.
For a special sample of Argentine wines, accompanied by snacks from HG Restaurant, don’t miss our weekly tastings every Thursday starting at 7PM at Fierro Hotel. Soler 5862, Palermo. 3220 6800. recepcion@fierrohotel.com.
Argentine Wines: Bonarda
(Photo by Jorge Lorte)
Next to Malbec, Bonarda is one of the most popularly cultivated grapes in the country, and also one of the most traditional. Its origins are disputed as some say Argentine Bonarda was brought from one of three regions in Italy, others say its a not really Bonarda but French Corbeau, and yet others suggest it is actually Californian Charbono. Perhaps, it is the ambiguity of its origins that make this grape so local in the end.
Originally this grape variety was used to make ordinary table wine until its potential for fine wine began to be explored. Since then, the Bonarda market has expanded and now produces both table and premium wines, which are awarded and consumed internationally.
The deep colored Bonarda wines reminisce to red fruits like raspberries, strawberries and cherries. Aromatic, with moderate acidity and a slightly lower alcoholic content than Malbec, this velvety light-bodied wine is ideal to pair with pastas grilled meat and vegetables, and legumes.
For a special sample of 5 Argentine wines, accompanied by snacks from HG Restaurant, book your place at our exclusive weekly tastings every Thursday starting at 7PM at Fierro Hotel. Soler 5862, Palermo. 3220 6800. recepcion@fierrohotel.com.
Argentine Wines: Malbec
(Photo by scorbette37 )
If there is one wine that truly defines the local industry then Malbec is definitely it. The deep dark grape originally comes from the Bordeaux region in France where it is used mostly for blending. In Argentina however it has found its optimum soil at the foot of the Andes and the Rio Negro desert in Patagonia and it is used to make some of the country’s premium red wines.
The ruby colored wine with ripe fruity undertones of plum, and cherries is tinted with a sweet marmalade like flavor perfectly complimenting the earthy tannins and woody textures of the country’s signature grape. This of course makes it a perfect pairing for meat, which is why it’s usually present at asados. It also pairs well with hard cheeses and tomato based pastas, also present in the local cuisine.
For a special sample of Argentine wines, accompanied by snacks from HG Restaurant, don’t miss our weekly tastings every Thursday starting at 7PM at Fierro Hotel. Soler 5862, Palermo. 3220 6800. recepcion@fierrohotel.com.
Wine Regions of Argentina – Patagonia
(Photo by ARACELOTA)
The Patagonian landscape is well known for it’s beauty, and tales of dwarfs, gnomes and fairies. More recently however, the country’s Southern region is becoming increasingly known for brining promising new wines to the country’s viticultural industry.
Due a lower latitude and altitude, the area is very different from the northern Mendoza, San Juan and Salta regions and much cooler. Additionally many of the vineyards lie on the Patagonian dessert which receive irrigation from the a canal system providing water from the Colorado, Rio Negro and Neuquen rivers.
The two main wine making areas in the South, Rio Negro and the more recently developed Neuquen, are acquiring a name for producing the exclusive Pinot Noir grape, as well as other grapes such as Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, and Semillon which are also acquiring a great reputation.
This unique wine making area of Argentina is undoubtedly very different from the traditional viticulural regions, however and although it is still developing, it is proving to be a promising land for top quality wine production.
For a special sample of Argentine wines, accompanied by snacks from HG Restaurant, book your place at our exclusive weekly tastings every Thursday starting at 7PM at Fierro Hotel. Soler 5862, Palermo. 3220 6800. recepcion@fierrohotel.com.
Wine Regions of Argentina: Salta
(Photo by Tanenhaus)
Although Salta is most commonly known for its impressive landscapes and colorful indigenas, wine making in the region (as in most of Argentina) dates back to the sixteenth century, ever since Spanish Colonials inhabited the area. Despite producing a smaller percentage of the country’s wine than other provinces such as Mendoza and San Juan, the viticulture activity of the area has increased in the last years, producing top wines that have acquired great acceptance in the local and international markets.
The two main areas of viticulture in Salta are Cafayate and further to the north Colomé, both in the stunning Calchaquí Valleys. The dry warm weather, the irrigation from the valleys melt water and nearby rivers and the arid rocky soil are favorable for the cultivation of fine grapes. Additionally, the vineyards are at very high altitudes (they are amongst the highest vineyards in the world) and have a lot of exposure to sun, which increases the amount of polyphenols (antioxidants) in the grapes. (The large amount of beneficial antioxidants is generally recognized in all Argentine wine.)
The typical grape of the Salta region is the sweet Riojan Torrontes, for which it is internationally recognized, and other white grapes that also grow well such as Chardonnay and Chenin. There is also a large production of red grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot, Syrah and Tannat.
For a special sample of Argentine wines, accompanied by snacks from HG Restaurant, don’t miss our weekly tastings every Thursday starting at 7PM at Fierro Hotel. Soler 5862, Palermo. 3220 6800. recepcion@fierrohotel.com.
Wine Tastings at Fierro Hotel
Would you like to know more about Argentine Wines? Then you should come to our weekly wine tastings where Certified Sommelier Martin Bruno will take you on a journey through Argentina’s wine producing regions: Salta, San Juan, Mendoza, Rio Negro and Neuquen.
Designed by Bruno and Andres Rosberg, President of the Argentina Sommelier Association, six wines will be showcased with selections changing weekly. Light snacks and hors d’oeuvres from Hernán Gipponi will also be included.
Tastings are held in our cellar every Thursday at 7PM for the price of USD25 Per Person and are limited to 7 people. Book your place, both guests and non-guests are welcome!
Todays wines:
Soler 5862, Palermo
3220 6800
