Gaucho 100K
Thank you very much

First and formost, thank you Gaucho 100K for this great thread and the information that it has provided.

My friends and I have booked rooms at the Marriott Plaza Hotel could you please suggest some restaurants within walking distance from the hotel?

Thank you,
dan1431

Im not sure of your definition of walking distance (this varies from person to person). In any event, taxis are very inexpensive. You are close to the area of Puerto Madero (over 30 restaurants to choose from), and also San Telmo is within striking distance. What types of cuisine do you favor? Some names for you to consider are:

- La Brigada San Telmo
- Parilla 1810 (unpretentious, very local)
- El Mirasol
- Happening

Airfare from New York to Buenos Aires
 

I'm sure this question has been answered before, but I'm having a difficult time searching the threads for information pertaining to reasonably priced airfare to Buenos Aires from New York. Do you know of any particular airlines or websites that offer better prices than those that I might find on Expedia, Travelocity, Orbitz, etc?

Thank you kindly,
Mick

I'd start by using http://www.zuji.com.sg/web/content/sg/zuji_index2.html and looking under "flexible dates" to get an idea of the lowest published fare. Then from there I'd start seeing if some of the local travel agencies either in New York or Miami that focus on the Argentine market can better the deal on a ticket/airline that earns miles.

Anything less than the standard $900 (including taxes and fees) is about as good as it routinely gets. If there is something in the 550-750 range (all-inclusive for the roundtrip), I'd jump on it.

Hotel near EZE
 

I have a 7AM flight from EZE. Is there a reasonable place to stay near the airport? Or, should I just stay in town and get up early (or stay up all night)?

I'd stay in town. No great options around EZE.

As usual, GUWonder is on the mark. Stay in the city, you will have plenty of things to do here even if you only have a late afternoon & evening.

I've been happily lurking and picking up tips for my first trip to Buenos Aires next week. I'm staying at the Marriott Plaza hotel and was wondering if I need to be concerned about walking around that area on my own. Obviously nobody can guarantee anything, but want to make sure it's not a really bad idea! I don't have much time while there, but would like to get out and about as much as possible and walking is always a great way to see a city.

Also, I would appreciate any recommendations on what wine to bring home with me? I've had some terrific Argentine wines in the past, and am definitely planning on bringing some home.

Walking around that area is perfectly fine, in conjunction with common sense applicable to any of the world's great cities' safer neighborhoods (e.g.,, walking around by yourself at 3 a.m. is not the best idea in the world; busy areas sometimes have pickpockets, etc.).

... and cabs are cheap and generally plentiful if your feet get tired or you find yourself at any unease.

The following is better answered by our resident Argentine wine expert and other FTers:

I assume you have had a good number of Malbecs...?

There are plenty of domestic market only labels that are not available outside of Argentina, so there would be an obvious first area of interest for you. I would also suggest you not only look of Malbecs, but also consider a few white wines, sparkling wines and dessert wines. Some great QPR wines are to be found in especially the latter two segments.

For more specific recommendations, it would be helpful to know what style of wines you general prefer.

We've certainly tried some Malbecs, with mixed success, which is in part why I'm asking for suggestions. I'm always interested in trying something different, so I'm intrigued by the sparkling wines idea. I'm not much for dessert wines, but I'm always happy to explore the world of sparkling wines, so any suggestions would be appreciated. I will happily sample a few while I'm there to, just to make sure i'm bringing back a good one! ;)

I dont mean to be repetitive, alas, its very hard to draw up a list of suggestions if I dont know what styles of wines you usually prefer. Despite sharing the same grape varietal (or blend thereof), wines may be very different depending on the area they come from and/or the style of wine that the winemaker wish to create them with in the first place.

It you favor bigger, more structured and concentrated wines, I suggest you look into the following:

Clos de los Siete (Mendoza)
Pura Sangre (Mendoza)
San Pedro de Yacochuya (Salta)
Yacochuya Rolland (Salta)

For wines that are not as "big", with a more old-world infuence, here are a few names to consider:

Benegas Blend (Mendoza)
Escorihuela Gascon Pequeñas Producciones (Mendoza)
Enrique Foster (Mendoza)
Phillip Schell Reserve (Mendoza)
Noemia A Lisa (Patagonia)
Marcus Gran Reserva Merlot (Patagonia)

In the sparkling wine department, here are a few names (all wines from Mendoza):

Baron B Rose
Baron B Nature
Alma Negra Blanc de Blancs
Eternum 1999
Baron B Unique

Please feel free to PM me should you have any additional questions.

Hope this helps,
Alex

Yes, it definitely does, thank you. The lack of details was in part because I'm quite happy to try something new or completely out of my usual range, which typically tends to stay with the bigger and more concentrated wines. As for the sparkling, I prefer not too sweet, but again one can always be pleasantly surprised. Thanks for the suggestions, I'm looking forward to my trip this week!

Glad the info was helpful. Please note all the sparklers mentioned above are dry or extra dry.