Discover Argentina: Culinary, Culture, and Adventure Awaits, Ole!

Our Latin America Team has just returned from one of my all-time favorite countries Argentina! We are keeping them busy with our multiple Mexico City and Oaxaca Journeys. I would return to Argentina in a heartbeat… extraordinary dining, striking Gauchos, delectable wine, art… a long list of compelling reasons to visit. When I first began this Professional Travel Journey, all of our clients visited Argentina, I’ll never forget a call from our VIP Team, on taking our Household Name client to the hospital when he sliced off part of his finger in a cooking class. I adore this client, he sends quick sweet notes and videos from their travel – he sent a brief note – finger fine, at hospital! Last week, he sent a video from his rooftop penthouse in Rome…it’s the little things! It’s always nice to be appreciated by clients or really, anyone!

Colome, Argentina

Argentina offers a wide range of diversity of experiences and locations. It isn’t just a country, it’s a continent’s worth of landscapes packed into one wild, beautiful place full of generous and warm people. One afternoon you can be sipping Malbec in Mendoza, the next you’re off-roading through otherworldly canyons in the northwest. We can organize perfectly civilized Journeys or go natural and visit funky family-owned wineries, neighborhood eateries, and smoky backyard asados.

Argentina  spans such a large area of the Southern hemisphere that a trip here could have you huddled up close to native penguins on Martillo island on the Southern tip, sipping on high-altitude wines in Mendoza or Salta, bamboo-bicycling through the busy streets of Buenos Aires, or staring in awe at the immense power of the Iguazu Falls, or for those with more time, all of the above. From the very north to the extreme south, Argentina delivers adventure and culture on every latitude. Each time I’ve visited, a Tango show is always on my dance card!

Most trips begin and end in Argentina’s stunning capital, Buenos Aires, but from there it’s up to you depending on your interests, travel style, and how long you’re able to travel.  A short list below of areas, possible combinations – with follow-up posts of unique itineraries, with interesting mixtures for longer trips, but if you’re limited to a week, we can still combine Buenos Aires with another amazing area of this one-of-a-kind destination.


You might agree that the best way to get to know a city is by eating your way around it. Dive deep into historic neighborhoods like Palermo and San Telmo with a local culinary guide, sampling an array of iconic and traditional dishes, as well as unexpected fare. Tear through sourdough Argentine-style pizza, corn-filled empanadas, and a chickpea-based dish called faina reflecting the influence of Italian immigrants.

Bear in mind, Buenos Aires is not just for carnivores. We try at least one new plant-forward restaurant, because even avid meat eaters need a green break! Contemplate a delectable mushroom Milanese, a vegetarian version of a popular Italian favorite. Save a few nights for a perfectly cooked grass-fed ribeye followed by thirst-quenching gelato. Working with locals guarantees that we identify the IYKYK places you will love sharing with your foodie friends!  

Shop Buenos Aires with Our Artisan Insider. One of the dear friends of our VIP Team is a stylist with serious local cred ready to take you straight to the good stuff. Think hand-stitched leather, designer fashion, textiles, jewelry, even expertly crafted knives to step up your asado game. These aren’t souvenir shops; they’re ateliers and studios where Argentina’s top designers are excelling at their craft. Return home with pieces you’ll not only use but cherish. I have a gorgeous set of chunky bone handled forks and knives in a leather case; they come out for an all-meat centric meal! I collect silver accessories and my small footed silver dishes are perfect for Chimichurri.

Mendoza Boutique & Wineries- You haven’t truly experienced Mendoza until you’ve tasted wine with the winemakers themselves, preferably while staring straight at the snowcapped Andes.

At SuperUco, Agustin and Matías Michelini pour bold, biodynamic wines that are as wild and honest as the land itself. It’s a tiny family project with big ideas and zero ego. And then there’s Finca El Paraíso, the Arizu family’s original estate, where guests wander the vineyards and olive groves before sitting down to a long, leisurely lunch cooked by their in-house chef. The wines are legendary, the setting’s serene, and the stories run deep.

Mixing it Up in Mendoza- If you also love spirits, we’ve tracked down a small-batch distillery that’s only just opened its doors to the public. They’re quietly producing some of the best whiskey and gin in Argentina. It’s tucked away, run by passionate locals, and the tasting room feels more like a secret club than a tourist stop. 

One of my romantic notions was to meet a Gaucho. There are few people in Argentina as romanticized as the Gaucho. The nomadic and colorful horseman and cowhand of the Argentine and Uruguayan Pampas who flourished from the mid-18th to the mid-19th century and has remained a folk hero similar to the cowboy in western North America.

Upcoming Journeys or call to inquire! Numerous itineraries can be curated in Argentina: Buenos Aires and Mendoza. Patagonia, Buenos Aires and Wild Patagonia. Buenos Aires, Iguazo Falls and Rio. Wine Tasting through Argentina.. Northwest Argentina Road Trip. Best of Argentina.

Summer (December-February): Ideal for Patagonia, but can be very hot in the north. 
Shoulder Seasons (September-November & March-May): Offer pleasant weather and fewer crowds in many areas. 
Winter (June-August): Good for skiing in Bariloche, but some Patagonian areas are snowed in. 

Highly Recommend!

From Colome, Argentina


Getting here can be a challenge, as Colome Estancia and Bodega is perched at 7500 feet in the Andes. A 5 hour car journey on a mostly one lane winding dirt road is spectacular and rewarding, cresting at 12,000 feet, the vistas are unlike no other.

There are two routes from Salta, each about the same drive time, although the scenery could not be more different. Soaring peaks, wide valleys, or enormous windswept volcanic rocks, which make the Grand Canyon, seem ordinary! If you have the time and enjoy driving, I would recommend renting a 4-wheel drive or have one of my drivers deliver you and enjoy the spectacular scenery. Helicopter & small plane into the valley is also easily organized.

The native population who were excellent stewards of the land farmed Colome for thousands of years. The original Indio language in the Calchaqui Valley was “Kakan”; but at the end of the 15th century the Incas entered the valley. In the late 1500’s the Spanish conquistadors gifted the Incas with vines, the old Colome winery was founded in 1831, most likely by the Spanish governor of Salta. Three vineyards dating from this time still produce grapes, Colome is considered the oldest existing winery in Argentina, and some areas of the vineyards are the highest in the world.

Situated within the majestic backdrop of the valley and foothills of the Saltena Andes, Colome Estancia is an oasis of luxurious green, fields of lavender, native cactus, vineyards and forest. The setting could not be more impressive, the nine beautiful appointed rooms are accessed from a central courtyard and each room has an outward facing balcony overlooking stunning vistas. The organic food is served in the peaceful dining room dotted with marvelous art; sommelier Pedro Aquino is eager to share his knowledge of wine. Colome Malbec has become one of my favorite wines. There are numerous opportunities for hiking or exploring the mountains and valleys with regular guided tours and a well-posted set of routes for those wanting to go on their own.

Other amenities include a tennis court, putting green and bocce court. Mountain bikes, scenic trail riding on Peruvian Paso horses and shuttle transfer to local sites are always available. The scenic pool affords uninterrupted views of both valley and mountains; linger and read or just doze, I cannot imagine a more restful location, a week here would be oh so restorative and quite divine.

Bodega Colome has it’s own horse whisperer, Ernesto Gonzalez. I rode with my Gaucho, Ruben Belazquez, on two occasions, an afternoon ride and an early sunrise trek up and down very steep foothills, through the pampas, traversing streams and up a huge boulder on the gentle natured Peruvian Paso ponies- Ruben who doesn’t speak much English, watched carefully to ascertain my proficiency on these gentle horses- and pronounced me to be: es muy bueno! after I confidently made it up and down a few challenging cliffs – then I galloped past him upstream, magnificent morning! Even if you have never ridden a horse, this naturally gaited breed inspires confidence and makes riding marvelous fun!

The first museum entirely dedicated to James Turrell resides at Bodega Colome- a sunrise or sunset visit is an absolute essential experience. Lying on the floor for 45 minutes viewing the sunset in this extraordinary museum is worth the drive on the winding long road leading to paradise! Turrell manipulates light in many of his installations, challenging the viewer’s perception through light and space, creating illusions of shapes and objects. His Skyspace piece, Unseen Blue, an enclosed room with an aperture in the roof through which one can observe the sky above is thought provoking and if one is of a certain generation, produces memories of 60’s light shows, which were of course not created by a sunset- an amazing experience.

Gauchos are indeed a reality; Tango masters are in short supply and are mostly romantic notions in Buenos Aires- however, to my amazement in my first class row journeying from BSAS to SFO, I met a Tango master who lives in Hillsborough and in BSAS- sometimes we find what we are looking for right here at home.

But then we miss the experience of the Journey.
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