Country Article / Postcards
Tasting the Good Stuff
Date: 03/14/2006
Salta Province, in the wilds of Argentina, is where the Torrontes grape--unique to this country--is grown. Makes good wine.
The Argentine Sommelier Association in Buenos Aires now offers weekly wine-tastings in English (mainly for tourists, but locals--whether they can speak English or not--come too; it’s good fun). The tastings begin at 6 p.m. every Thursday at Arguibel, a restaurant in the upmarket Las Canitas district. Andres Rosberg, President of the Sommelier Association, personally conducts the tastings of five Argentine wines.
The night I went, we started with a white Torrontes from Salta province, in the north. Torrontes is unique to Argentina--no other country works with this grape--and I was surprised by how good this one was. Then we moved on to four reds, each from a different region in Argentina, each with different characteristics. This is the good stuff and, in Argentina, that means it's top class.
The tastings cost $25 per person; for $10 extra, they'll pick you up at your hotel and escort you to the restaurant. If you know you'll be here on a Thursday, you can make an advance reservation at buenosvinos@arnet.com.ar or, once you're in Buenos Aires, tel. 4826-5097 or 15-5022-1624. If you're coming with a group, you can arrange for a private tasting in your hotel, a restaurant, or wherever you want.
The Thursday tastings run until around 8 p.m., so you still have time to catch a tango show, meet with friends, or eat at one of the trendy restaurants in Las Canitas.
Paul Terhorst
For International Living
P.S. Argentina is the fifth largest wine producer in the world, behind only Italy, France, Spain, and the U.S.
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