Antares is the national micro brew. Started by a couple of dudes on some beach town south of Buenos Aires (BA). The scotch ale pictured here was pretty good. We tried a couple of others without much success. But the guys at Antares seem to have hit on something with their people as they have opened over a dozen brew pubs in the country.BA was the official start of our wine journey. And what a better way to do it than to hit up a retail shop in the tony part of town. Grand Cru in Recoleta was our first of two retail shop visits once we actually sorted out our map and guide book. After entering the premises via the secure entrance (a buzzer just to let us in the door), we were warmly greeted by the staff. They promptly gave us a run down of the layout so that we could peruse. The shop offered a vast selection of Argentine wines along with a small selection of imported wines. As a side note, a bottle of 2004 Argiano Brunello di Montalcino was going for USD150 which is more than 3 times what you pay in the US and Italy. As far as our Argentine selections, we went for the middle of the road to start.
Riglos Gran Malbec 2007 for USD30
Dona Paula Seleccion de Bodega Malbec 2006 for USD49
Not much to say on these wines. In fact, we think the Riglos was skunked or about to be. Dona Paula was evolved beyond pure red fruit with a hint of earth. Neither were memorable but I did promise pictures!
When travelling with baby, some things we just can't or don't want to do. In particular, I prefer for her to sleep through the night and keeping her up too late creates some discontent. So we opted for lunch spots rather than dinner spots. Unfortunately, our friends at Fodor's have not updated their guide in about 5 years which led us to non-existent spots on a handful of occasions. Might as well have bought a Michelin Guide! Anyway, we did manage to find a French bistro as noted by Fodor's in the Monserrat barrio (north of San Telmo). Go figure, a French joint (Brasserie Petanque) in an aptly named French neighborhood. But we were in luck. Good food (rabbit in a dijon mustard sauce), good atmosphere (French owner and with a nice demeanor - must not be Parisian), and a nice bottle of wine.
Fabre Montmayou Grand Vin 2006 for USD46: Malbec, Cab Sav, and Merlot blend.
After lunch, we continued on our self-guided tour of the barrios near the center of BA. On our way to Puerto Madero (think Dublin docks), we came across our second wine shop, Winery Vinoteca. This is a chain but it does offer a fairly good selection and though I did not compare prices with Grand Cru, I was happy to find a nice bottle of Pinot Noir from Patagonia. For those who read Wine Spectator, the November issue (I think) had a write up on Bodega Chacra. This is a winery in Patagonia owned by an Italian family which produces high-end Pinot Noirs. Naturally, they come with steep price tags (north of USD100 - if you can find it). But they do produce an introductory label, Barda.
Barda Pinot Noir 2008 for USD35: Not a California and not a Red Burgundy but somewhere in the middle.
So this was a quick write up with pictures for you to enjoy. The final picture below comes from one of the many mausoleums at the Recoleta cemetery.
Recap:
Beer
Antares - national micro brew
Quilmes - national Budweiser
Otro Mundo - micro brew
Wine
Riglos Gran Malbec 2007, Grand Cru, USD30, No QPR
Dona Paula Seleccion de Bodega 2006, Grand Cru, USD49, Low QPR
Fabre Montmayou Grand Vin 2006, Brasserie Petanque, USD46, High QPR (available retail for USD38 - Moore Brothers Wine Co)
Barda Pinot Noir 2008, USD35, High QPR (when faced with the choice between the first label, Chacra)
Wine Shops
Grand Cru, Recoleta
Winery Vinoteca, Monserrat
Restaurants
Brasserie Petanque, Monserrat
