ARGENTINA: Meat, Dinosaurs and Wine 17 MAR 2014: Argentina has become a destination of choice for savvy Canadians for several good reasons. Their weak peso makes travel in the country a bargain. Beautiful Buenos Aires has colourful neighbourhoods that are safe and fun to explore. In the countryside amazing scenery, tempting wine routes and tasty meals abound. Here are my tips on the delicious, the one-of-a-kind and the exotic in Argentina. Buenos Aires may be a big city of three million (13 million in Greater Buenos Aires), but the neighbourhoods make it also village like. Each area has its own style evident on the streets and in the eateries. I stayed in two different neighbourhoods the tony Recoleta and the bohemian Palermo Hollywood. I loved them both for different reasons and wandered the streets solo without fear. The culture is an interesting mix of Italian and Spanish with other foreign influences. As one local told me only half jokingly, We’re Italians who speak Spanish who were educated by the British but wish we were French. The restaurants reflect the various influences. Favourite foods are Italian, Spanish, the asado (meat barbequed over wood coals) and offal (because Argentineans believe in eating all parts of the animals). Native and Inca influences show up in dishes such as api (dark corn flour mixed with cinnamon and sugar) and humita (creamy grated corn). In fancy Recoleta, famous for its Parisian architecture, the cemetery which houses Eva Peron among other luminaries, five star hotels and high class shops, the restaurants are upscale too. I stayed at the Casa Sur, a boutique hotel in a great location that had large, comfortable rooms at a value price. The best meal I had there was at the Nuestro Secreto in a glass pavilion tucked away on the pool level of the Four Seasons. Lucila Pescarmona, brand ambassador for Lagarde Winery and I feasted on blood pudding croquets, sweetbreads with preserved lemon, humita and a juicy flavourful steak cooked over a vine and blackberry wood asado. Matched with this were a crisp, brightly fruity Lagarde Blanc de Noir Rosé 2013, a deep plush Lagarde Cabernet Franc 2010 and a big lush Primera Vines Malbec. (H.H. Drung Imports represents the winery in Ontario, Bon Vida in Alberta for those who might want to score some terrific wines.) In Palmero Soho and Hollywood, where artists, musicians and film industry people live, the vibe is bohemian. Sidewalk cafes, bistros, pubs and bars abound. At La Cabrera our table had blood pudding, chorizo and asado grilled steaks still sizzling on rustic cast iron pans accompanied with salads, and potato dishes (with onion and with egg) all served family style. I stayed at the coolly laid back Fierro Hotel which I heartily recommend. The bedrooms were large, bright and well appointed and the staff most accommodating. The Sunday brunch at Hernán Gipponi, the hotel’s renown restaurant, is a happening thing. The parade of small tasting menu dishes included Asian snacks, empanaditas, local trout, mini-hamburgers and veggie shots as well as fresh squeezed juice, a specialty cocktail and coffee. Thanks to Damien Rubin, area manager for Finca Flichman winery, I learned about the food writer Pietro Sarba who’s written numerous restaurant guides to Buenos Aires. His popular Bodegones de Buenos Aires book recommends bodegon restaurants, local eateries which serve local food well. He’s also written about parrillas (grills), pizzerias, the new cuisine styles and more. Well worth searching out his books. My next stop was Argentina’s Patagonia region: a place that’s much more than mountains and glaciers. In the northwest province of Neuquén along with the highest peak in Patagonia (the Domuyo), volcanoes and thermal waters, three rivers meet (the Neuquén, Negro and Limay) creating perfect conditions for growing all kinds of fruits including grapes. Just north of the city of Neuquén is the tourist Route of Wine, Apples and Dinosaurs. The Neuquén basin is a paradise for palaeontologists where the bones of the biggest carnivore and largest herbivore dinosaurs in the world have been found. This part of Patagonia is also home to the southernmost vineyards in the world, producing wines of intensity and strong character. Vineyards have been here for a hundred years and some wineries have very old vines still in production. When Bodega Familia Schroeder dug the ground to build their winery they found dinosaur fossils dating back 75 million years. Visitors to the winery can view the fossil find, sip on Saurus wines named in honour of these ancient creatures and dine at Saurus restaurant. Bodega Fin del Mondo offers guided tours on an elevated walkway especially built for tourists and an experience your own harvest during harvest season. Not to be missed is a tasting of the Fin del Mondo Extra Brut Pinot Noir, a fleshy, creamy champagne method sparkler. At NQN, the Malma restaurant under Chef Matías Nuñez serves up Patagonia specialties such as local trout and lamb paired with their champagne method Malma Extra Brut, strawberry scented Finca La Papay Pinot Noir and rich, bold, ripe berry malbecs from Fin del Mondo and NQN. neuquentur.gob.ar South of Neuquén near the Rio Negro is Humberto Canale winery. Built in 1909, it has a small museum of wine artifacts from the past. Their Old Vineyard Pinot Noir which comes to Canada on occasion has elegance and savoury sweet notes. Next column I’ll write about Mendoza – by far the most famous and prolific of Argentina’s wine regions. JustTravelDeals.ca
Posted on: Mon, 17 Mar 2014 22:09:06 +0000
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