Food and wine: Vineyards of Argentina and Chile

Buenos Aires is undoubtedly one of the world’s great urban destinations. Vibrant and invitingly cosmopolitan, it’s a 24-hour whirlwind of culture, cuisine and sophistication. If you’re wondering where to begin, we’d suggest a city tour which introduces all of the capital’s most important neighbourhoods and attractions.

Cast an eye over the imposing Plaza Lavalle with its many historic buildings, stand beneaththe Obelisco – the emblem of the city – and walk or drive down the remarkable 16-lane Avenida 9 de Julio, the widest avenue in the world. Some tours include a guided tour inside the Teatro Colón, a magnificent turn-of-the-century auditorium considered among the best 5 concert venues ever built.

A highlight is a visit to the Casa Rosada, the seat of government, and the neighbourhood of La Boca. Originally built by Italian immigrants, the barrio is full of corrugated iron houses painted in bright primary colours, and is now a centre for artists and craftsmen.

Palermo is a fashionable area with charming pavement cafés and bars. Similarly chic are the leafy, mansion-lined boulevards of Recoleta, recalling the belle époque. Recoleta is home to the extraordinary cemetery favoured by élite porteño society, including the surprisingly modest tomb of Eva Peron.

The fertile soils of Cafayate harbour a patchwork of sun-drenched vineyards. Many specialise in Torrontés, a native white grape variety with distinctive peach and apricot aromas.

This is an established wine region with a rustic charm that tempts you to linger. The area’s many wineries, some of which still cling to traditional methods of wine production, open their doors for bodega tours and tastings; we can show you our favourite places to compare vintages and see the winemaking process first hand. There's plenty of temptation to linger in Cafayate itself (altitude 1,700m), a relaxed and attractive small town with a sunny climate.

With its laidback pace, convivial Salta is a great place in which to wander. The Spanish legacy remains obvious in the city’s attractive squares, cathedrals and convents, while here in the country’s northern reaches you can also detect an affinity with neighbouring Bolivia.

The sunlit eastern flanks of the Andes, the westernmost region of Argentina, shows off glorious landscapes of crinkly mountains and bountiful valleys, which host the country’s best respected vineyards. Economic and social life here revolves around Mendoza, a cheerful and most agreeable city with stately boulevards linking attractive squares lined by sophisticated restaurants and night-time entertainment venues.  

The city is well worth a visit in itself but is most importantly an excellent base for a tour of the many nearby wineries, especially those producing one of the world’s most fashionable wines of our day, Malbec. Imported from France over 150 years ago, the Malbec grapes have now evolved a distinctly Argentinian character and you can savour them on a visit to one or more of the nearby wineries, where you'll be introduced to the wine-making process by a sommelier followed by tasting.

Chilean food and wine is gradually increasing in sophistication and popularity. There's no better way to explore Santiago on a guided tour sampling local specialities as you move between the city's blend of historic, bohemian and modern neighbourhoods.

La Vega Central is a food market stuffed with locally-produced Mediterranean style fruit and vegetables tumbling over the stalls in a riot of colour while Mercado Central is dedicated to showing off the delicious marine products of the Pacific. Having sampled a traditional Chilean empanada (pie), head to Cerro Santa Lucia, a popular romantic rendez-vous for couples  on a steep hill close to the city centre. Continue to the main square, Plaza de Armas, where you’ll find many elegant buildings dating back to the colonial era, including the Presidential Palace, La Moneda.

Hungry?  Enjoy lunch at a traditional restaurant in Providencia, an upmarket residential district. Starting off with a pisco sour cocktail, move on to a traditional menu with options for every taste and preference, all of this washed down with a glass of fine Chilean Carmenere:  a variety of wine with a growing international reputation. Continue to the neighbourhood Barrio Italia, with its boutiques, antique shops, art galleries and, a few blocks down, savour your dessert: a pastry, to be enjoyed at a traditional dulcería. 

Do you relish the cut and thrust of an authentic market with the sights, sounds and aromas that go with it? If so, head off on a guided tour to the Feria de Mataderos, the most traditional market in Buenos Aires. Mataderos is a gritty, working-class neighbourhood and home to the main cattle auction in Argentina.

The Feria was created to celebrate and preserve gaucho culture and traditions. On market day gauchos wearing their traditional outfits converge on the market from their ranches in the pampas to present typical dance, music, customs and handicrafts and you may catch a performance of the sortija - a classic gaucho horseback sport. To add to the revelry and rustic atmosphere, there over 300 stands selling artisania and delicious things to eat – you may well be tempted by tasty creole street food, or unable to resist a fragrant steak sandwich from the open air barbecue.

To carnivorous Argentines, the asado is as central to the national identity as tango and football. It can be compared to a barbecue, but this jovial social occasion isn’t just about the food: no meat-eater should leave Argentina without having tried one.

The cooking is done on a parrilla (grill) or over an open fire and the menu consists of beef, pork, chicken and sausage, accompanied by lashings of malbec. Yours is an asado with a twist, taking place at one of Buenos Aires' sociable closed-door venues in the company of an expert chef, who will explain his culinary methods.

Your meal takes the form of a tasting menu, each course thoughtfully paired with national wine. Kick off with crusty empanadas, followed by a succession of traditional dishes: cheese fondue, chorizo sausage, glazed pork belly, and, needless to say, a fine cut of beef.  Hopefully you’ll have room for that ever-so-Argentine dessert of pancakes with sticky dulce de leche.

Although known for long lunches and dinners which run into the small hours, the Argentines' love for traditional snacks and sweets runs deep.  Your cookery class in upmarket Palermo Hollywood – bulging with bars and restaurants -  is a sociable occasion hosted by a chef and sommelier. Learn all about the national addiction to empanadas, savoury pastries filled with chicken, beef or vegetables, which can be cooked using different techniques.

Prepare your own from scratch. As an added bonus and to load up the calories, learn to make the national dessert sauce dulce de leche whilst sampling some of Argentina's delectable wines, from Salta, Mendoza and Patagonia.

Alternatively, get to grips with some of the other Argentinian mouth-watering snacks. You'll be introduced to the national bond with street food and prepare your own choripán of homemade bread and fine quality local sausage. It's the nation's most popular filler, delicious when accompanied by chimichurri or salsa criolla.

Shunning smart restaurants and pretentious menus, instead this culinary-themed lunchtime walking tour showcases Buenos Aires' best off-the-beaten-track eats tasting authentic Argentine dishes, including from the city's traditional hole-in-the-wall parrillas. Tours take place in San Telmo or Palermo neighbourhoods and are a great way to get acquainted with what’s on a typical local menu. You’ll visit several venues, sampling traditional street foods choripan, provoleta and empanadas; a variety of classic parrilla cuts of meat; wines; and artisanal 'heladeria' ice creams. Chances are you’d never find these hidden gems by yourself during your short stay in Buenos Aires.