Buenos Aires: Anuva Wine Tasting

When we were first planning our trip to Argentina, I was determined to make it to Mendoza, Argentina’s wine producing region. However, with limited time, we decided to stay in Buenos Aires. I was convinced that even without going all the way to Mendoza, we could enjoy the best of Argentine wines. I found Anuva Wines through extensive research, and a little help from family and friends who were constantly saving and clipping articles for my upcoming travels (thank you!). What I loved about Anuva was their approach to bringing boutique Argentine wine to the general public: all of the wines they serve are only available through direct-to-consumer at the winery, or through Anuva. I got a group of 10 people together, and we tasted some amazing wines!

We started the night off my favourite way (with bubbly, of course!) This bubbly was deliciously paired with a crostini with pear, cheese, basil, and a walnut. The creaminess of the cheese was perfectly offset by the dryness of the bubbles.

Torrontes is the local Argentine grape. They call it the deceiving grape, because the nose is laced with huge floral aromas, and it tastes quite dry (not sweet). Either way, it’s a great wine at a great price, and can be interchanged with your favourite summer whites (think Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc).

Sorbet palet cleansers were the perfect thing to switch us from whites to big reds.

Bonarda is another local grape, so I was eager to try it! I would equate this to a fuller-bodied Pinot Noir, which is why I brought some home for some Pinot-loving family members! It’s an easy sipping wine, but still full of flavour.

This, in my mind, was the star of the night. You all know my love for Italy, and I couldn’t resist taking a bottle of this home for my boyfriend’s Italian family! Named after San Gimignano, one of the beautiful hilly towns of Tuscany, this wine had many remnants of Italy in its production: full, tannic, and perfect with steak!In my mind, there is nothing more fun, or culturally enriching, than tasting the local specialties. Sitting around with a great group of friends and learning about Argentine wine was one of the highlights of my trip.

 

Lately…

The last month has been so crazy! From travelling to South America, to flying to San Diego (and winning – GO TEAM!) a case competition for school, and celebrating a friend’s upcoming wedding, needless to say I’m ready for some downtime. This weekend might just be that! I can’t reveal it because it’s a surprise for someone special, but I promise I’ll let you know soon!

Here are some of the things I’ve been up to lately…

• checking out a cute bakery in LA
• tasting some 8th Generation wines
• taking the train from LA to San Diego has the most incredible oceanfront views
• brunch at Paper or Plastik in LA
• watching the sunset with my sorority sisters last night
• hanging out by the pool in San Diego
• getting some pink flowers for an event
• (finally) cooking in my own kitchen again

It’s good to be home

 

Wine Wednesday: 8th Generation Merlot

While the beginning of the summer tends to draw me towards light whites and roses, there is something really comforting about a delicious and not-too-heavy red wine after a long day. I especially find that on those unusually cool summer night, I like to eat something heartier and pair it with a wine that isn’t ice-cold. Enter the 8th Generation Merlot.

This wine is full of berry flavours: cherry and gooseberry being the most obvious on the tongue. With a little hint of plum, this wine is smooth, relatively light-bodied, and has a slightly sharp finish that makes your mouth water.

Since I’ve been travelling so much, I haven’t had a lot of time to cook, so I actually enjoyed this wine with my favourite Chinese take out – complete with beef and green peppers, and the result was surprisingly amazing! It shows that you can pair your favourite wines with your favourite foods, even if the pairing isn’t traiditional. I would also pair it with BBQ chicken and ribs for that backyard summer barbecue you’ve been dreaming about.

This wine retails for $22.00 and you can purchase it on their website, here.

Suika Izakaya

Last night I had the opportunity to try out Suika Izakaya thanks to VanEats, which has been on my list of restaurants to try for the longest time…kind of strange considering we live 5 minutes away from it! The experience, from entering the restaurant to paying the bill, was incredible. I loved the room, the service was friendly and welcoming, and the food was mouth-watering. When you walk into the restaurant, everyone from the kitchen greets you. It really makes you feel special.

With an inconspicuous entrance, Suika is located right near Broadway and Granville. You are immediately welcomed by their staff when you enter.

The coolest design feature had to be their saki-bottle chandelier, which I posted a picture of on my instagram.As part of the $35 pass, you get that massive pitcher of mojitos. We chose pomegranate and immediately made plans to come back on a hot summer day to sit on the patio and  try another flavour. They were amazing…as you can see below.

This was the crispy rice cake. It was somehow soft and crunchy at the same time, with incredible flavours. An instant favourite.

This steak salad would be a perfect dish if you were eating light, or as an accompaniment to all of their other amazing dishes.

I loved the presentation of the items, and the salmon dish above was no different.

We then ventured off of the set menu, and tried the tuna with avocado. The tuna was so fresh and delicious.This was one of the best dishes of the night – tuna sashimi with avocado, seaweed sauce and soy sauce. A great way to end an incredible meal.

Until May 12th, you can get the following menu for only $35. I highly reccomend it! Also, check out the video that VanEats.ca created below:

1. Salmon Battera, sockeye salmon, salmon caviar, spicy cod roe mayo, Japanese basil, avocado shiso
2. Magical Mojito Pitcher, choose from watermelon, pomegranate and aloe flavours (regular price $28)
3. Steak Salad, diced & marinated AAA beef filet steaks on organic greens topped with watercress and beets
4. Ma-Po Rice Cake, deep fried rice cake with spicy ground pork sauce

Buenos Aires Snapshots

It was sooo hard to pair down my Buenos Aires pictures to a few shots for this post. Let’s just say there will be a lot more in depth photos to come. We had an amazing empanadas cooking class outside of the city, a closed door dinner in our neighbourhood, lots of delicious steak and Malbec, and a personalized wine tasting for our group. Needless to say, I loved the city! The culture, the food, the wine…it was all great. Here are some of my favourite memories:

That’s all for now!

 

Chile

After two weeks of travelling through Chile and Argentina, I am back home! While it feels great to be back, I am so grateful for all of the memories I accumulated while I was gone. Friendships were strengthened, amazing food was cooked and eaten, and there were incredible nights of delicious local wines. Here are a few favourite moments from my travels in Chile.

It was an incredible experience to visit a country so different from our own, one that I will always remember!

I will be recapping the rest of the trip spent in Argentina on the blog this week, and will be heading to San Diego and Los Angeles this weekend for more adventures!