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Blog special from the winners of the Harpers/ Wines of Argentina competition - Part 1

Published:  13 October, 2008

Our winners of the Harpers/ Wines of Argentina Steak Your Claim competition are now down in Argentina discovering Argentine wines for themselves, in the flesh as it were, for the first time. Each of our five winners will be enjoying a tour of each of the main wine regions and visiting key producers to give them a taste of what Argentina can offer the UK. Over the next few days, our five intrepid explorers will be sending back missives of their travels in a special Steak Your Claim blog. So if you can face reading about drinks colleagues enjoying themselves - and working of course - on the other side of the world, check out their blogs over the coming days.

Our winners of the Harpers/ Wines of Argentina Steak Your Claim competition are now down in Argentina discovering Argentine wines for themselves, in the flesh as it were, for the first time. Each of our five winners will be enjoying a tour of each of the main wine regions and visiting key producers to give them a taste of what Argentina can offer the UK. Over the next few days, our five intrepid explorers will be sending back missives of their travels in a special Steak Your Claim blog. So if you can face reading about drinks colleagues enjoying themselves - and working of course - on the other side of the world, check out their blogs over the coming days.

First up is Jake Crimmin, sommelier at the Gaucho Grill, who sent this blog from Buenos Aires.

So touching down in wet San Paulo it's a three hour flight to an even wetter Buenos Aires. But as we emerged from the airport to taxi across town the sun put his hat on and came out to play. Coming from the slightly somber tone of the Uk in autumn it was invigorating to be in Argentina in it's full, optimistic burst of Spring. The freeway imediately tells us that we're somewhere very different. The mish-mash of cars from vintage Peugeots to battered Cadillacs (often held together with string, a wing and a prayer) are the first indicator of the Europe-America hybrid nature of the country. And the elbows of cruising bearded hombres balanced on window sills gave an air of excitement for the coming summer.

Arriving at the Aeroparque for our flight to Neuquen we had a few hours to kill so Jenny wisely suggested we head across the road to the seemingly infinite river to soak up the sun. As it was begining to feel like we lived in airports we all eagerly agreed. A beer, an empanada and a dose of sun was just the ticket for these Brits (and
Canadian) abroad.

Taking off from Buenos in the sun, the full scape of this huge city was breathtaking. (a word I'll promise hard not to use again in this blog again but can't promise anything). Two short hours and we were descending into Neuquen, Patagonia of southern Argentina. From the sky it's arrid, sparce landscape could've been Mars if it weren't for the snaking Rio Neuquen and it's lush green banks ploughing through the land. A smiley, portly local named Jorge greeted us and whisked us through a seemingly never ending arrow-straight road of orchards and shanty towns. We then arrived at the Valle Perdido vineyard, winery and hotel. As we excitedly drove through the immaculate vineyard it became apparent that the vines were showing the same anticipation for the summer as Buenos Aires's bearded cruisers by showing their first vibrant bud-bursts of green.

The approach to the winery was breathtaking (whoops). The hotel sumptuous with a moodily lit luxury. Even the walk from the foyer to the room was an adventure with aging bottles lining the corridors and a gangway over the barrel aging cellar.

30 hours after leaving my house I'm very much looking forward to dinner with my new family (aka Forbes's Five) and raping the mini-bar.

Oh and tomorrow we might even get around to tasting some wines!

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