South American Travels

I just got home from an amazing trip to Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay. The main reasons for this trip were to visit my dear, lovely sister and to drink good wine with my dear, lovely sister! And, we definitely consumed a lot of vinho!

Somewhat ironically, the most vivid moments from my trip are those that took place over glasses of wine! I love how wine can bring you back to that very special moment in time. Three particular varietals made a lasting impression on me: Malbec rosé, Malbec, and Tannat.

1. Malbec rosé: It was my second day in Brazil, and after being at the beach all day, nothing sounded better than a nice dry, crisp, glass of wine. My sister and I ended up ordering a bottle of Malbec rosé from Argentina at this little Italian bistro in Ipamena. The wine had the color of ruby red grapefruit and the smell reminded me of strawberries and the sea. It was the perfect wine to sit and catch up with my sister whom I hadn't seen in seven months. We laughed, we cried, we drank another bottle. Enough said.
2. Malbec: It was seriously cold in Buenos Aires, and the best way to warm up was with a huge piece of red meat and a full glass of Malbec. My absolute favorite cut of meat was the Lomo. Think beef tenderloin but better, and wrapped in bacon. The meat melted in my mouth. Then after taking a sip of Malbec, I was left with a rich velvety texture that I have never experienced before. I was in a food coma and the only thing I could think was, "I just consumed some of the world's best beef and wine".

3. Tannat: A friend of my sister's recommended that we stay at this cozy bed and breakfast right outside Colonia del Sacramento in Uruguay. La Casa de los Limoneros is located in the place they call the "Tuscany of Uruguay." We stayed right next to vineyards that produce the nation's most popular varietal, Tannat. Coming from California, I was excited to learn about a varietal I was completely unfamiliar with. Apparently, Tannat was brought over by the Turkish, and now Uruguay is one of the only places in the world where the varietal grows and thrives. Tannat will forever remind me of the wonderful stay we had at La Casa de los Limoneros.


I know that the next time I am able to savor my new friends--Malbec Rosé, Malbec and Tannat, I will instantly be whisked away to South America with my dear, lovely sister.