Argentina was the first stop on our world-wide wine adventure and we fell in love with country’s cosmopolitan chaos. From the mega-lopolis of Buenos Aires, to the hikers haven of Bariloche to the vineyards of Mendoza, Argentina is chock full of fun experiences. Here are the links to our favorite places that we absolutely recommend visiting!
Buenos Aires:
Grand Bar Danzon: Amazing, super posh, supper-club style restaurant and lounge with arguably the best wine list in the city
Park Hyatt Vinoteca: Hands down the best wine tasting experience in Buenos Aires. Pricy, but the Sommelier Marcelo, his wine selections and the cheese pairing make it worth every penny.
Ibero Spanish School: The most affordable language-learning option I found with fantastic teachers. Ibero is the perfect place to learn Spanish and meet fellow travelers…they organize lots of promotions and events within the city for students too.
Buenos Aires Pub Crawl: Cheap, fun way to eat, drink and party with travelers and locals alike.
San Telmo Loft: Listing of swanky, well located places to stay in San Telmo, but don’t miss their blog…it offers great insight into the food, drink and lifestyle of BA and Argentina.
Bariloche:
Hostel Achalay: The best hostel we have ever stayed in. Inexpensive, chill vibe, clean facilities, substantial breakfast and the incredible staff will help with any travel planning or recommendations you need.
Cordillera Bike Rentals: Great place to rent bikes for the 18k bike circuit through the lakes and mountains of Bariloche. $50 AR (or 12.50 US) for half day (6 hours)
Refugio Frey: All I can say is hike up here, stay the night and you will never forget it. Free space and facilities for tent campers and hikers with their own food and bedding; beds and cooked food available for a fee for those without.
Antares Brewery: You can find this brewery in BA, Bariloche and Mendoza, and it’s fun in each place, but we liked the Bariloche brewery best. It was a bit more low-key and cheaper than in BA or Mendoza.
Mendoza:
Mendoza Wine Camp: In our opinion, the funnest and most innovative wine tour company in the city. Guests get to do everything from mastering the Argentine Asado, to blending their own wine, to mingling with winemakers….who knew learning could be so fun!
Vines of Mendoza: We loved the inexpensive weekly wine tastings: Wednesdays: meet the winemaker, Thursdays: Tasting and Tapas…doesn’t get much better!
Gauchezco Wines: Torrontes is off the charts and the Oro Malbec is heaven, but its the beautiful property and Eric, the energetic, young owner who make this place really special.
Giminez Rilli: Under construction, but one of our favorite visits. The 2008-2010 Malbecs are some of the best we’d tasted, and Pablo, the Oenologist, is full of knowledge and happy to share it!
Sol y Vino: Great little wine shop and tasting salon. Its right on the main pedestrian street, so it’s easy to find too!
Catena Zapata: This is a must visit! The staff is super friendly (and bilingual), the architecture is stunning and the wines are fantastic, especially the Angelica Zapata Cabernet Franc. There’s a reason this place is hugely responsible for Argentina’s rise in the wine world.
Argentina Rafting: We went zip-lining and white-water rafting here, but they offer lots of different activities. The guides were very knowledgable, safe and fun, and the included lunch is amazing. They even pick you up and drop you off at the end of the day! Check out their promotions for the best deals.
3 comments
PostcardFromBK
November 20, 2011 at 6:54 AM (UTC -7) Link to this comment
These are great leads for our trip to Mendoza. Wine Camp looks a little pricey, but zip lining and mountain biking with Argentina Rafting looks right up our alley. Thanks for the info!
Brittany
November 20, 2011 at 11:39 AM (UTC -7) Link to this comment
The rafting/ziplining day is incredible and a great value too! When are you guys heading down there?
PostcardFromBK
December 2, 2011 at 5:21 PM (UTC -7) Link to this comment
We just arrived in Mendoza yesterday after four weeks in BA. Opted for the mountain biking and it was fantastic. Great views, great exercise, great guide. Couldn’t have asked for a better day trip.