Anyone who has known me for six minutes or more knows that I love Europe. The food, the wine, the people, the ease of train travel, the sunny piazzas, the astonishing art, the endless inspiration. Coffee. Cobblestone. Tiny islands in Greece and charming towns in Spain and the energy of capital cities: Paris. London. Lisbon. Brussels. Athens. Rome. Stockholm. Berlin. Madrid. I have been all these places in the last few years and it does not take much to call me back.
And while I have an ambitious four months of summer planned in Europe, my first major trip of the year is somewhere else.
It’s Argentina, and if anyone can tell me what the hell kind of adapter I’ll need, that would be great. Internet searches are contradictory and at least three reviews of every potential purchase say “didn’t work in Buenos Aires.”
Super.
Anyway, why Argentina? Allow me to break it down.
Well, Wine
I’m a wine writer. Yes, there’s plenty of wine to keep me busy in Europe, but I want to explore a different wine region. So you’ll find me in Mendoza, doing a deep dive into Malbec and the expressions of this grape in the Uco Valley, Luján de Cuyo, and Maipú. You’ll find me at the foothills of the Andes, reflecting on what high-altitude wines really mean.
South of the Equator
I’ve never been to South America. There was a birding trip in Colombia I was meant to take in 2020, but I don’t have to tell you what happened to those plans. South America is a brand new part of the world for me, and as much as I love all things Europe, it’s time to step outside of my comfort zone a bit. And I’ll definitely be uncomfortable while unleashing my horrible Spanish on unsuspecting locals. What I love about discovering a new place is figuring out what the normal coffee order is in a café. What time do people eat dinner? What do they wear out on the street? I’ll be in the Southern Hemisphere if you need me.
Buenos Aires is a Literary City
Oh, my literary heart is going to be happy prowling the bookstores and libraries in Argentina’s capital. Do you know that Buenos Aires has more bookstores per capita than any other city in the world? There are about 25 per 100,000 residents. Oh. My. Gah. I’m only in Buenos Aires for a handful of days before flying off to Mendoza, but you will find me writing from Biblioteca Nacional Mariano Moreno (National Library) and roaming the stacks of books at El Ateneo Grand Splendid, a huge bookstore that was once a theater and Walrus Books, famous for its English titles.
Pope Francis
I’ve always been a Catholic, but Pope Francis brought me back to the church in a meaningful way a decade ago, and Argentina is where he came from. I want to see what Catholicism feels like in Argentina. I’ll be there over Lent, which means daily mass, sacramental adoration and probably confession. Pray for me, Papa Francesco.
Mendoza
Buenos Aires is exciting, but I’m a big fan of visiting the place that isn’t THE PLACE when it comes to travel. Mendoza is ideal not only for its proximity to the best vineyards in the country, but also because it’s clean, modern, and largely regarded to have a high quality of life. I’ll be there for a month, which is hopefully enough time to get a sense of the city’s rhythm and whether I’ll leave with plans to come back.
That’s what’s happening at the start of my 2026. I’ve had a great few months in Florida, but I’m ready to fly away again.
Fun fact: Before my Argentina journey, I’ll be taking my WSET 2 exam in Miami. Send all good vibes, please.
it’s fine…i’m fine.
Cheers, friends.
Leave a Reply