36 hours in Mendoza: Life as a gaucho
Part of the real charm of Mendoza is its authentic rural vibe. You just need to get out of the city a bit to enjoy the real beauty of gaucho(cowboy) life: the air, the mountains and feel the wind on your spurs! Written for 36hrs.in Friday, 6:00pm Before you get ready for a gaucho weekend, you need […]
36 hours in Mendoza: Minding your pesos
Written for 36hrs.in Itâs certainly true that Argentina is not the bargain it used to be. Money smart travellers rushed here in their droves following the big economic crash of 2001 when it was cheaper to buy a litre of beer here than a pack of chewing gum back at home. However after 10 years […]
Taming Torrontes, Argentina’s volatile grape
© Amanda Barnes | Marcos Etchart’s boutique winery, Yacochuya, in high-altitude Cafayate Just like an adolescent, the torrontes grape is unpredictable, idiosyncratic, and has yet to settle on a permanent style. By Amanda Barnes | Written for Wine-Searcher When wine lovers think of Argentina, it’s usually the malbec grape that springs to mind. But that could be set to change, […]
Sicily: A rummage through Godâs larder
Written for the Circle Update, Circle of Wine Writers Some people call Sicily âGodâs kitchenâ and its not hard to see why. A bountiful coast filled with sea creatures coming from the Mediterranean Sea and coast of Africa; an agriculturally rich land with sunny climes with cool coastal areas as well as sub tropical heat; and a […]
Touring Sicily’s vineyards…
Written for the Circle Update, Circle of Wine Writers Tasca dâAlmerita âYou are home!â Conrad Maurigi said as we arrived. âIf only!â would have been my response, not from being tired on last stop of the week but because Tasca dâAlmerita is a place of sublime beauty. Lolloping hillsides striped with green vines and studded […]
Mapping out Chilean wine and gastronomy
 Written for The International Wine & Food Society There arenât many places that can boast the prodigious geographical diversity of Chile: deep forests buffeted by creeping glaciers; sun cracked deserts and white washed salt flats; snowcapped mountains, smoking volcanoes and the dizzying heights of the Andes; fertile valleys with rolling hillsides; and an enviable expanse […]
How to survive Friend’s Day…
If you are living in Argentina and donât know what Dia del Amigo is, youâve been living here with your head in a barrel. If you live abroad and have no clue, you are forgiven and you can read all about Dia del Amigo (20th July) here. As one of the biggest days on the Argentine […]
Capital of Cool
Written for WinesofChile.org Casablancaâs elevation to Wine Capital status comes not only on the back of its awesome wines but also its capital of cool, Valparaiso. This funky port town shows the world Chileâs wild side: arty, edgy and plenty of parties. A favourite of backpackers, Chilean students and beach lovers, Valparaiso is a mecca […]
Argentina’s dog eat dog world…
Written for The Vines of Mendoza A dog is supposedly a manâs best friend, and in Argentina you would be forgiven for thinking itâs a manâs, a womanâs, a grandmotherâs and even a gauchoâs best buddy. Dogs rule supreme: in every street corner, every park bench and every handbag. You only need to see the […]
Southern Cone Harvest Report 2013
Written for The Drinks Business With most of Argentina experiencing outstanding quality and Chile encountering one of the strangest harvests in their recent history, this year’s harvest has been remarkable. Across Argentina the flowering period and harvest went by almost without a climatic hitch. In Mendoza, where the sun shines on average more than 300 […]
