Wine tasting

Learn to tell your Malbec from your Malvasia
Noteworthy for: The Malbec is the most popular grape producing a medium to full-bodied red. For whites it would be Torrontes, but with the amount of meat consumed in this country, it’s all about the reds.

Word to the wise: If you’re a real connoisseur, a trip to the Mendoza district is a must.
From once being considered a non-player in the global wine market, Argentina has reinvented itself as one of the world’s premiere producers of fine wines. You may have seen bodega names such as Norton, Catena Zapata and Luigi Bosca on wine shelves back home, which all hail from these verdant lands. But if you can't take the short flight to the wine district of Mendoza, then partake in a tasting session in the capital.

San Telmo's La Cava de El Querandi (Peru 322) has a wine club, and offers a contemporary yet welcoming wine bar to settle into. Anuva Wines, located in Las Canitas, has hugely popular and quintessentially Argentine tastings despite being headed up by an American, including five wines, five food pairings along with a complete history and presentation for USD 48 per person (reservations essential; +54 15 5768 8589).

The most boutique option is Autre Monde, a hip independent bookstore and vinoteca in Palermo Soho, where sommelier Victor hosts creative tastings in the cool loft space.