Touring the Wineries of Mendoza – Luigi Bosca
Warning: strpos() [function.strpos]: Offset not contained in string. in /var/www/blog/wp-content/themes/ISOMagazine/functions.php on line 317
If you’ve never heard the name Luigi Bosca, don’t worry, it’s only a matter of time before you do. Having already reached superstar status in Argentina, Luigi Bosca’s signature Malbec Reserva is frighteningly good, and already so popular domestically that some wine stores have sold out. This is the kind of wine that will garner approving nods from (typically picky) Argentineans when you order it in a restaurant.
If you can’t find it and are looking for something similar (or want something...
August 19th, 2008 | Brendan | Read More | Comments: 0Filed under: argentina, culture, Destination Overview, drinking, Luigi Bosca, Mendoza, wine tour
Touring the Wineries of Mendoza – Bodega Norton
Warning: strpos() [function.strpos]: Offset not contained in string. in /var/www/blog/wp-content/themes/ISOMagazine/functions.php on line 317
I’ll start with probably the most mainstream winery I’ll cover here: Bodega Norton. Although Norton makes lots of good wine, we know it best as the source of our favourite Argentinean “cheap and cheerful:” their Norton Classico retails domestically for about 3 bucks, and is embarrassingly drinkable. (as long as you don’t expect too much.)
Norton is a good place to start because 1) it’s easy to find 2) it’s pretty large, and so offers fairly typical, frequent tours 3) its wines are...
August 16th, 2008 | Brendan | Read More | Comments: 0Filed under: argentina, culture, Customs & Rituals, drinking, Mendoza, Norton, wine tours
Touring the Wineries of Mendoza Vol. 2
Warning: strpos() [function.strpos]: Offset not contained in string. in /var/www/blog/wp-content/themes/ISOMagazine/functions.php on line 317
To keep this organised, I’m going to review my Mendoza favourites in the following order:
wineries we love for tasting
must-do wineries for gourmet lunch (naturally with wine pairings)
restaurants best for a splurge dinner, most of them in wineries as well, or at least for the serious wine drinker (or aspiring oenophile!)
Salud!
...
August 15th, 2008 | Brendan | Read More | Comments: 0Filed under: argentina, culture, drinking, eating, Mendoza, wine tasting, winery tours
Touring the Wineries of Mendoza Vol.1
Warning: strpos() [function.strpos]: Offset not contained in string. in /var/www/blog/wp-content/themes/ISOMagazine/functions.php on line 317
So, the first thing you need to sort out it transportation. Given there are hundreds of places spread out over a huge area, it’s best to focus: choose one area per day, so you can spend more time tasting and less time travelling. Not sure which to start with? Try the best-known and most concentrated (it’s impossible to go wrong with Lujan de Cuyo or Maipú), shadow a tour itinerary, use the Vines of Mendoza’s notes, or—revolutionary—ask a local! They all have their favourites.
Next,...
August 12th, 2008 | Brendan | Read More | Comments: 0Filed under: argentina, culture, drinking, Mendoza, wineries
La Bomba de Tiempo – percussion in the city
Warning: strpos() [function.strpos]: Offset not contained in string. in /var/www/blog/wp-content/themes/ISOMagazine/functions.php on line 317
A cool live music experience in BA is to attend the now-legendary Bomba de Tiempo concert/live improvised jam sessions.
Performed in an open-air art space (but closed with a modest entry fee) the Bomba de Tiempo sessions are basically huge percussion jam sessions that have grown and developed over the years. The musicians sit on a huge staircase rising from the middle of an open square thronged with people drinking, passing the occasional joint, dancing, socialising or just nodding their heads....
July 23rd, 2008 | Brendan | Read More | Comments: 0Filed under: argentina, Buenos Aires, culture, La Bomba de Tiempo, music, Partying
Ayres de Español
Warning: strpos() [function.strpos]: Offset not contained in string. in /var/www/blog/wp-content/themes/ISOMagazine/functions.php on line 317
One of the most rewarding things to do when travelling (and perhaps the most useful) is to take local language lessons. This goes extra for travelling in Latin America; seeing as Spanish is so incredibly useful, it’s easy to justify the time, effort and cash. Spanish is spoken in more countries than any other country in the world, including the vast majority of South and Central America.
As in much of the Latin world, there are plenty of Spanish schools in Buenos Aires, some better than others....
July 19th, 2008 | Brendan | Read More | Comments: 2Filed under: argentina, Buenos Aires, culture, drinking, Partying, Spanish School, transportation
Paragliding Argentina!
Warning: strpos() [function.strpos]: Offset not contained in string. in /var/www/blog/wp-content/themes/ISOMagazine/functions.php on line 317
The sleepy town of La Cumbre seems an unlikely adventure sport capital. Nothing seems to move very fast, and it is terminally laid-back.
However, thanks to some cooperative geography and near-perfect conditions, parapente as it is known in Spanish, has become the thing to do here. La Cumbre has become for Argentinean paragliders what Rio has to hang gliders.
For those of you who may not be familiar with the sport, paragliding involves taking off from a cliff or other stationary object, wearing...
June 13th, 2008 | Brendan | Read More | Comments: 0Filed under: adventure, argentina, culture, La Cumbre, Paragliding
The Estancia
Warning: strpos() [function.strpos]: Offset not contained in string. in /var/www/blog/wp-content/themes/ISOMagazine/functions.php on line 317
Rural Argentinia is heavily influenced by estancia (ranch) culture, and this influence trickles down deep in the Argentinian psyche, from the urbanite’s taste for beef and all things leather, to the gaucho (cowboy) music cranked on long distance buses. So it goes without saying that if you want to understand the Argentinian identity a little better, it helps to get thee to an estancia.
Like the Mexican hacienda and the Brazilian fazenda, Argentinian (and Uruguayan) estancias have their roots in...
May 25th, 2008 | Brendan | Read More | Comments: 0Filed under: argentina, culture, estancia, Sleeping
Caipirinhas and Cachaça, vol. 2
Warning: strpos() [function.strpos]: Offset not contained in string. in /var/www/blog/wp-content/themes/ISOMagazine/functions.php on line 317
Like cane liquor around the world, Brazil’s cachaça comes in all strengths and qualities, depending on the goals and skill of the distiller.
In my extensive research I have identified three main varieties:
1) Fine crafted, barrel-aged to a mellow smoothness. A pleasure to drink, high-grade cachaça comes in beautiful bottles and packaging, and each has its own unique character like a single malt scotch or high-grade tequila. Drink neat. This was the kind my house guest and his drunk friends quaffed...
May 2nd, 2008 | Brendan | Read More | Comments: 0Filed under: Brazil, Cachaça, culture, drinking, Partying
The Favela: Rocinha, City of God
Warning: strpos() [function.strpos]: Offset not contained in string. in /var/www/blog/wp-content/themes/ISOMagazine/functions.php on line 317
It may seem a strange suggestion to spend an afternoon in a slum. How about one of the largest slums in the world?
Favelas, the slum areas of Brazil, dot the countryside – in fact, there are 350 of these impromptu villages in Brazil, many of them within Rio’s city limits. Run by (often rival) drug lords and gangs, the favelas are a side of Brazil few tourists venture into. Going to visit a place like this may seem like madness, but it can be both educational and safe. Just don’t go on...
April 29th, 2008 | Brendan | Read More | Comments: 0Filed under: Brazil, culture, favela, Rio de Janeiro, Rocinha
Footie Time
Warning: strpos() [function.strpos]: Offset not contained in string. in /var/www/blog/wp-content/themes/ISOMagazine/functions.php on line 317
As any Brazilian will tell you, Catholicism is only the country’s second most important religion. Number one? Futebol. And this coming from the largest Catholic population in the world.
There’s no question that when it comes to the world’s most popular sport, it’s hard to beat the Brazilians, on the field or in the stands. So what could be more Brazilian than going to a soccer match? And if you’re going to do it, you might as well do it right: go to Rio’s Maracanã stadium.
When Maracanã...
April 10th, 2008 | Brendan | Read More | Comments: 0Filed under: Brazil, culture, football, maracana, Rio de Janeiro, soccer
Got Maya?
Warning: strpos() [function.strpos]: Offset not contained in string. in /var/www/blog/wp-content/themes/ISOMagazine/functions.php on line 317
The area that corresponded to the world of the Maya extends from present-day southern Mexico, through Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador and northern Honduras.
After running seemingly countless tours of the Mayan World, I definitely have my favourite ruins. Here are the GlobalNomad’s top 5 Mayan Ruins list, and some tips for seeing each.
Tikal – Peten region, Guatemala. The mother of all Mayan sites in my opinion. Truly huge (lots of walking), with some of the tallest temples in the Mayan world...
March 1st, 2008 | Brendan | Read More | Comments: 0Filed under: archaeology, Coba, Copan, culture, maya, Palenque, Ruins, Tikal, Uxmal, Xunantunich
Recent Top Features
-
The United Nations Headquarters in NYC
The New York City Traveler—March 1, 2011
-
5 Great Los Angeles Hikes
The Los Angeles Guide—February 28, 2011
-
A Memorable Visit to the Saguaro National Park
The Phoenix Traveler—February 28, 2011
-
Five Reasons to Get Up and Go With Go City Cards
Rest of the World—February 28, 2011
-
What’s Stonehenge Like in Person?
The London Traveler—February 27, 2011
-
Visit Haunted London
The London Traveler—February 26, 2011
-
A Trip to Limelight Marketplace in NYC
The New York City Traveler—February 25, 2011
-
Family Fun At British Columbia’s Sun Peaks Resort
The Ski & Snowboard Guide—February 25, 2011
-
Where to Eat: Venice, Florida
The Culinary Travel Guide—February 24, 2011
-
The Beatles & More in Liverpool
The London Traveler—February 23, 2011