New Years Eve Wine in Argentina: Taste, Taste, Taste drive New Years Eve in Buenos Aires Wine Choices

I love to read the wine blog Vintrospective and follow Vintrospective on Twitter because Joel's earthy advice about the art of wine tasting and enjoying the grapes translates nicely to the art of living well too.

Wine, life, people, relationships, food, culture - important stuff integral to the art of living well that may be as complicated or as simple as we mere mortals choose to make them. I like to cut through the clutter to find simple truths.

Joel's wine blog today struck a cord with me because as we turn the new year my wife and I will continue our resolve to simplify all things that life is, including our wine choices. I consider it a sin to not have a glass of wine with every meal. Some may sense this a very complex feeling. But actually its not, even when we have 15 FAMILY members coming for New Years dinner all with their own opinions about the best wine, best tango, best parilla, best pasta, even where to buy the best fresh vegetables.

How do I, an in-law, survive choosing the wine for what for many son-in-laws, nephew-in-laws, cousin-in-laws may find such an intimidating task better to just exit the vintner's store through the back door, hop a plane, and go back home? Well, actually, it's easy if you follow, to quote Joel's Vintrospective blog, "taste, taste, taste."

Tonight we're in Buenos Aires entertaining 15 aunts, uncles, & cousins. When I bought the wine this morning I decided to go with what I know I enjoy, if not love, rather than worry about what my wife's uncle, wife's father, wife's aunt, wife's mother, wife's cousin may think of my choices.

The wines I picked taste great because they are wonderful wines that all include qualities inherent to great wine. To quote Joel's blog today, "Taste Taste Taste also quietly implies a triplet of perspectives. Let’s look at it another way with word cues to highlight the point:

Taste: local tradition, culture, people, food, history, community
Taste: earth (place), soil, varietal, microclimate, altitude, exposure
Taste: actual taste, i.e., aroma, color, touch, finish or aftertaste"

Bang - it's all there. And when it is it can be tasted. Nice work Joel.

So tonight we'll be savoring Alamos Pinot Noir, Naverra Correas Pinot Noir, and my favorite Trapiche Roble collection Malbec. I love the roble because there is no question in my mind wood is the best tradition in wine making. Its history goes back to the Etruscans.

All three wines come from fabulous rich earth, a microclimate within Argentina that will remind the Italy traveler of Montalcino in Tuscany.

Finally, even if you know nothing about the first two of Joel's tastes upon seeing, smelling, tasting, savoring and contemplating these wines you'll know there are great wines.

Thanks Joel for simplfiying once again the art of great wine and the art of living la dolce vita - simply. Buon Capodanno!

La Parolaccia - Buenos Aires Classic Italian Restaurant

La Parolaccia is an authentic Buenos Aires Italian restaurant that is a no brainer. La Parolaccia is an Italian restaurant institution in and around Buenos Aires many fashionable neighborhoods so should you find yourself hungry in Puerto Madero, Barrio Norte, Belgrano, Palermo, or San Isidrio needing an authentic Italian food fix but do not want to take a chance with an unknown tratorria, which by the way would probably be just fine, you may head to a close by La Parolaccia for what surely will be a comfortably scrumptious Italian meal.

La Parolaccia is a classic Buenos Aires Italian restaurant decorated in old world charm style with dark wooded walls adorned with detailed moldings and punctuated by authentic Buenos Aires art work. Our favortie part of the decoration is the plush leather chair-couch to sit back in to relax while preparing for service in style.

The waiters in tuxedos should not intimidate, even a corner coffee shop in Buenos Aires includes professional waiters dressed in tuxedos prepared to serve you in style. The traveler should know, however, that in Buenos Aires the portions are big so order appropriately. For me, on this night, that meant a stater of a penne arrabiata half order followed by a steak pizziola. But for my wife it was lasagna Mamma Mia, which has kept her smiling to this day with just the thought of it, and a salad for good ediquette, while my father in-law decided to take it easy with a full order of spinach gnocchi with tasters of both my wife's and my order.

I am not going to get into the finer details of the penne as everyone knows an excellent penne arrabiata means the pasta was cooked just right meaning aldente while the arrabiata was not too angry, but not too soft either. Further, for me, a fine Italian meal is capped by the company and on this night is was just right, which heightened the taste of this fine food to beyond tasteful to inexplicably delicious.

The steak pizziola was a perfect piece of lomo, otherwise known as beef tenderloin in the United States, cooked in a tomato, olive and red pepper sauce served with patata espanola - potatoes spanish style. For those of who think one cannot eat pasta and potatoes in the same sitting, well La Parolaccia will lay that old myth to rest.

My wife's Lasagna Mamma Mia was describer by her as [insert description here]














With dinner we enjoyed a Callia wine from San Juan. Although Mendoza is widely known around the world for its wine, San Juan's wines are sleepers Los Portenos are tightly holding close to the vest.

Whatever wine and accompanying food you choose at La Parolaccia, it is sure to be delicious served with a smiling style at this fine Buenos Aires Italian restaurant.

Justin Del Sesto is the co-founder of WebVisionItaly.com, the largest distributor of television programming about Italy travel, Italian culture, and Italian food. He is also the founder of WebVisionTravel.com and WebVisionArgentina.com, coming soon, and Buenos-Aires-Travel.blogspot.com. You may reach Justin at motorino@webvisionitaly.com.

Buenos Aires Fireworks TONIGHT!! - Map to BAires Fireworks

The Beautiful women of Buenos Aires are always dressed to the nines in sexy fashionable clothes. The traveler in Buenos Aires will notice immediately in the bustle of Buenos Aires' fashionable streets that Los Portenos take shopping seriously. Buenos Aires streets are full of boutiques which clothes attract even the worst shoppers inside for a browse. And what better way for the modern shopping malls in Buenos Aires to thank the shoppers that love to browse, buy and promote clothes from el suello di Argentina and celebrate the Holidays in Buenos Aires than with a Christmas Fireworks celebration from six locations in Buenos Aires.

The shopping malls of Buenos Aires inviting everyone to “Buenos Aires se Ilumina“, a show of fireworks and music, tonight, Sunday December 20th, at 9:30 pm. The events will take place simultaneously at 6 points in the city:

Buenos Aires Fireworks TONIGHT!! - Map to BAires Fireworks


Ver Buenos Aires Fireworks - December 20, 2009 en un mapa más grande

Los Portenos love firworks too - as it is noted that the Christmas in Buenos Aires is like a war with fireworks bursting from the city's high rise condominiums in every neighborhood. Look at above for falling fireworks is certainly a Christmas hazard in Buenos AIres.

But tonight is a more controlled display from six location accompanied by music. After the portenos will fill the shopping malls whoch will be open late right through Christmas Eve day.

Visit the Buenos Aires to the fireworks closest to you!

* Parque Thays (Terrazas Buenos Aires Design Center)
* Dot Baires Shopping (Panamericana and Gral.Paz)
* Alto Avellaneda
* Paseo Alcorta Shopping Mall
* Caballito (Avenida Avellaneda and Fta Sarmiento)
* Puerto Madero(Darsena Norte)

Corrientes Carnaval on Avenida Corrientes Buenos Aires

Avenida Corrientes is the Great White Way of the southern hemisphere, like New York's Broadway in the center of Buenos Aires, the theaters' neon lights shine light on the wide avenue illuminating even the darkest night to white. Running from the famous Buenos Aires Obelisk, Avenida Corrientes is not only full of theaters and lots of light, it also includes restaurants like pizza places and parillas serving the Portenos favorite foods.

Avenida Corrientes establishments do not include peep shows, instead book stores nestled between the theaters and restaurants open right onto the street 24 hours a day full of people browsing beautiful books about art, culture and history. The Portenos are known for loving their steaks and pizza, but it must be noted that a Portenos day is incomplete without the digestion of some cultural manifestation too.

And who would need a peep show in Buenos Aires, or Argentina for that matter, where the beauty and elegance of the human body is celebrated by its artists and tango dancers on every street.

Among other things, Argentina is known for its beautiful women who openly celebrate their beauty and sexuality by the way they wear the latest fashions and with the public displays of affection on the subway, in the streets, and between bites of pizza and steak. Last Saturday night the province of Corrientes, which is known as not only the home of Yerba Mate, but also the home of the most beautiful women in all Argentina, brought its cultural beauty to Avenida Corrientes for a pre-lude to Carnaval. And by the sights of the women dancing Carnaval, it may just be true that yerba mate is the secret to the beauty.

Corrientes is a province in northeast Argentina, in the Mesopotamia region. Corrientes means "currents" or "rapids" in Spanish. Corrientes is surrounded by Paraguay, Misiones in Brazil, and Uruguay. The popular Argentina tourist destinations Entre Rios, Santa Fe and Chaco provinces also surround the region of Mesopotamia, Argentina.

Corrientes beautiful women did not disappoint Saturday evening, who danced Carnaval down Avenida Corrientes dressed in nothing but feathers. And the Portenos who love to come out for culture were delighted by the drums, music and dancing down the Avenida Corrientes. Argentina continually celebrates all its cultures, as the Corrientes Carnaval shows is a testament to all the fun and excitement to be had when celebrating culture. Corrientes, like most of Argentina, is manifestly European in its customs and traditions.

Experienced Carnaval travelers and Carnaval tourists who have visited Carnaval in Brazil's Rio di Janiero and Italy's Venice often rank the Corrientes Carnaval as the third best Carnaval in the world.

Take a look at Motorino Man's video of Corrientes Carnaval on Avenida Corrientes. And if you are looking for a new Carnaval experience in the southern hemisphere, think about traveling to Argentina's Corrientes Carnaval.


To see the video of Corrientes Carnaval in full screen visit WebVisionTravel.com - Argentina Corrientes Carnaval.

Buenos Aires Travel - Sunday with Ravioli Casera & Malbec Roble

Sunday in Buenos Aires is reserved for homemade pasta - pasta casera - as homemade pasta is called in Buenos Aires. Many people in Buenos Aires have family who were from Italy 100 years ago. Today the Buenos Aires traveler will note all the Portenos enjoying a lovely Sunday Italian lunch with family, friends, and some famous Argentine wine.

We reserve the Canernet Sauvignon for the lomo and bife de chorizo when it comes off the grill while opting for the Malbec Roble with pasta.

Below is a picture of Bucatini, a long pasta like spaghetti but with a hole that runs right through the center like a straw. The bucatini is not only a Roman favorite pasta, it is a favorite of the Portenos too. In Rome the people love to eat Bucatini all'Amatriciana and in Buenos Aires the people also enjoy Bucatini too, but with a tuco sauce - the tuco being like a pomodoro red tomato sauce.















This Sunday we are opting for Ravioli casera, homemade Ravioli rather than bucatini. Portenos love their Ravioli, gnocchi, and pastas equally so be careful getting between a Porteno and their various pasta love affairs.

As for the Malbec Roble, the roble means the wine was aged in a wooden cast rather than in a copper container as is so common today among the mass wine makers. Roble preserves the true taste of the aged grape and if harvested correctly, during the full moon, then the chemicals harmful to the body of the wine and poison to the wine drinker is naturally extracted and the grape naturally creates chemicals that preseve it unlike the pressurized copper containers in which unnatural man made chemicals must be added to create the wine.

Travel to Buenos Aires with WebVisionArgentina to discover the real Buenos Aires. Call 305.914.0220 for the best Buenos Aires vacation package. In additionto the cheapest airfare to Buenos Aires you wil find, WebVisionArgentina will hook you up with your own Buenos Aires tour guide who speaks English so that you may experience Buenos Aires with a local like a local Porteno.

Buenos Aires Parillada: Where Los Portenos go to Eat and Meet

Buenos Aires is full of neighborhoods to explore. In each neighborhood (barrio) you'll find a local parillada, a restaurant that serves grilled meats, delicious pastas, and vegetables.

Motorino Man enjoys traveling to new cities but must admit that he finds it difficult due to his normal diet, which consists mainly of organic fruits, organic vegetables, and free-range grass fed meat and chicken. In North America it is difficult to eat in restaurants where most of the food comes from industrial manufacturers that loads the elements with chemicals, pesticides and other un-natural ingredients,which makes it very difficult to digest and does not make the Motorino Man's engine hum. In Buenos Aires, howver, Motorino Man finds the food easy to digest and finds his internal engine well-oiled.

Here we are in Barrio Norte, wearing short sleave shirts and enjoying the sun during what is supposed to be winter, at our families favorite parrillada that is like an extension of the family kitchen. Here the asador (grill master) and waiters ask about the family, know exactly what their customers like and how they like it cooked and are professional pleasant servers making it a joy to go see them as many as five times in a week, every week! And besides the hosts you'll typically run into the same people from the barrio day after day eating lunch and dinner.

A typical Parillada in Buenos Aires serves a hot plate full of all kinds of cow parts not commonly eaten by North Americans, as well as French Fries (papas fritas), sweet potato, wine, and salad. People from North America traveling in Buenos Aires who do not like the exotic tasty parts of the cow can enjoy lomo, which is beef tenderloin or filet mignon, and bife de chorizo, which like the New York strip.

Buenos Aires: Quality of Life Practised Daily in Buenos Aires

One of the lovely parts of traveling in Buenos Aires is living with the Portenos, the people who are native to the city of Buenos Aires. A large segment of the Buenos Aires Porteno population are descendants of the Italian immigrants who came to the city in the late 19th century and early 20th century.

One observation the traveler will make immediately is that the Buenos Aires population loves its culture: art, music, poetry, literature, dancing, food, wine, history and authentic Argentine culture are an intregal part of the Buenos Aires lifestyle. People are absolutely working to live not living to work in Buenos Aires. And the people of Buenos Aires exude a sense that each day is another to strive toward the highest quality of life possible.

Portenos love their extra activities and their education. Buenos Aires offers classes in everything and the people love to become talented and share and interact with one another socially, be it playing music, dancing, cooking, singing etc. Buenos Aires is full of high quality human activities that are practised daily among all the people together in the streets, riding the subways, on the buses, and in the cafes and clubs of Buenos Aires.

Since the Argentine currency crisis that occurred in 2000/2001, Portenos have clearly picked themselves up, dusted themselves off, recovered and are back to creating and re-inventing what is a world class city full of people celebrating life today in Buenos Aires. There is, in a sense, a Renaissance going on right now in Buenos Aires.

On the Subways you'll find talented muscians playing all kinds of music, like these two we encountered tonight earning some extra money by entertaining the Buenos Aires Portenos during their daily commute. And as you'll see by the Portenos appreciation for the entertainers, clearly Los Portenos appreciate the effort and fine music of these two muscians. The Buenos Aires traveler will also note that the city is infused with a beat - an intrinsic beat that is the high quality of life in Buenos Aires.

How to Dance Tango: 7 Beginner Steps to Dance Tango

Learning how to dance the tango is in steps of 7. This video introduces the beginner to the first seven tango steps. And then three options for the beginner tango dancer. Motorino in Buenos Aires learns how to dance tango.

How to Dance Tango: Buenos Aires Tango Lessons

Everytime Motorino hits Buenos Aires he heads out at night to a local milonga club for tango lessons. This sensual dance is contagious in Buenos Aires and it is so much fun to learn the steps. Learning the steps is not easy, as Motorino can attest after years of coming to Buenos Aires he is now just graduating to the intermediate level. Tango, like the Portenos outlook on life, is about gracefully exercising options in order to navigate the dance floor without intruding on other's space and more importantly, on the dance partner's space. Enjoy this video of last night's Tango teachers doing a demonstration before Motorino's Tango lessons.

Today we off to the International Tango Festival running in Buenos Aires, which runs through August 30.

Passeggiata & Street Tango in Buenos Aires

Being in Buenos Aires for those of us who love traveling in Italy is very easy and comfortable because Buenos Aires is full of Portenos, people of Buenos Aires, whose families immigrated to Argentina from Italy at the end of the 19th century and early 20th century. In fact, many Italian immigrants from Campania and Sicily hopped on boats without regard to destination, New York City or Buenos Aires.

As in Italy Los Portenos love to stroll in the evening, a passeggiata. The art of taking a passeggiata is a time-honored tradition of strolling gently and slowly, maybe arm and arm, with family and friends. The passeggiata typically happens in the evening. During the passeggiata friends meet in the Piazza, children kick the soccer ball in the streets, and, on Sundays, entire families multiple generations gather for a glass of wine to talk about the coming week.

Passeggiata in Buenos Aires is especially unique as the milongueras come out to entertain the locals and tourists alike with their magnificient steps and sensual dance. Enjoy this video of street tango and milonga on the holiday of San Martin, the holiday which marks the early spring passeggiata direct from Buenos Aires.

What's New Buenos Aires

Wheels up at 7:22 it was beautiful flight, clear winter skies in southern hemisphere made views of southern cross and the milky way haze incredibly brilliant: a sky of brilliant diamonds.

No bumps - just smooth air all the way to wheels down in Buenos Aires at 4;55AM. Took about an hour to clear customs with another plane from Italy with us - I thought of whipping out my maroon passport but smartly went with USA, which saved about another 30 minutes as it seems they were checking all the Italians' bags but when I showed my blue they waved me through....

Family, friends, food, and of course leather shopping for jackets, shoes, and handbags will be the main activity when we are not tangoing down las calles of Buenos Aires.

We are off to the parillada for bife de chorizo, chori pan, sorrentinos, pomodoro, malbec, and then bailaindo while we discover what's new in Buenos Aires.