Argentina & Uruguay

Culinaria and Hands On Gourmet invite you to join Executive Chef Stephen Gibbs on a gastronomic adventure to Argentina and Uruguay.  During this 10-day voyage you will receive hands-on cooking lessons, indulge in the tango, delight in one incredible dining experience after the next, visit breathtaking wineries at the foot of the Andes, and much, much more!

Day 1

Upon your arrival in Buenos Aires you will be taken to your hotel in the city.  We already know what you want to eat so we’ve arranged your welcome dinner at one of the best places in town for grilled beef. 

Day 2

After breakfast at your hotel, you will receive your first cooking lessons at Manos de la Tierra (Hands of the Earth).  Here you will find experienced Chefs who will teach you authentic argentine dishes prepared with original ingredients.  During the lesson you will learn from one of 3 Chefs how to bake typical breads and how to prepare a main course and a dessert.  For lunch you will enjoy your own creations paired with some fine wines of the Luigi Bosca Winery in the Mendoza province.  In the afternoon after resting at your hotel you’ll enjoy a wonderful tour of beautiful Buenos Aires, a vibrant European-style metropolis that is truly one of the best cities in the world.  The evening is a real treat.  You will have dinner at Justo Corrientes in the beautifully restored port area known as Puerto Madero.  Justo Corrientes is an old style restaurant devoted to capturing Argentina’s home style cooking, just like if it were straight out of Mama’s kitchen.  Here you will sample several dishes made with age-old recipes.  In short, this is the food the locals grew up on.  When you are done eating, you will wish you grew up here.

Day 3

After breakfast at your hotel, you will embark on a 1-hour ferry ride across the Rio de La Plata for a day trip to Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay.  Colonia is beautiful town, the oldest in Uruguay, renowned for its historic quarter, a World Heritage Site.  Lunch is included as part of the tour.  After returning to Buenos Aires, we will once again take you to the old San Telmo district for a night you won’t easily forget…a night of Tango.  The Tango is a living expression of Argentina’s passion and you are sure to be moved by it.  There is nothing like it in the world!   Dinner and wine are served with the show.

Day 4

After breakfast at your hotel, you will visit the Argentine Institute of Gastronomy (IAG), Argentina’s premier culinary educational center.  With its Chef Instructors having trained in many of the world’s top culinary schools, its state of the art training facilities, its own wine cellar and over 4,000 professional alumni to its credit, the IAG is arguably the most prestigious culinary school in Latin America.  But you need not be a culinary expert to attend.  Our tour is specifically designed for the “amateur foodie.”

During an initial 2-hour session, IAG Chefs will make a meat cutting & cooking demonstration where they will start with a side of beef and meticulously work their way down to all the wonderful cuts that Argentina is known for.  This is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to observe and learn from true beef masters.  The Chefs will prepare a variety of traditional beef and side dishes you will sample together with different Argentine wines which are to be expertly paired by the IAG staff.

Afterwards, it’s “hands on” time.  During the next two hours a Chef Instructor will put you to the test and teach you how to prepare argentine favorites such as ‘empanadas’ (stuffed pastry) made with a variety of fillings, ‘matambre’ (a tender beef cut made in traditional Argentine fashion), ‘pastelitos de membrillo’ (quince pastry), ‘alfajores’ (shortbread biscuits), and other delicacies made with ‘dulce de leche’ (caramel-like jam made from milk).  You will have a wonderful time and you will get to enjoy all your own creations as well.

There is so much to see and do in Buenos Aires, that we will let you have the afternoon to yourself to explore, shop, have coffee and pastry at a corner café, or simply take in the wonderful sites the city has to offer.  For dinner you will return to Puerto Madero to dine at La Parolaccia, where Italian fine dining meets Argentine flare.

Day 5

After breakfast at your hotel, we’ll take you to a beautiful Estancia (a country estate) on the outskirts of Buenos Aires. You can enjoy many activities here or simply take the time to kick back and relax in this beautiful country setting.   Lunch and dinner are included.   

Day 6

After breakfast at your hotel, you will be transferred to Aeroparque Jorge Newberry where you will board your flight to Mendoza. Upon your arrival at the Mendoza Airport you will be taken to your hotel in nearby Chacras de Coria, which is on the outskirts of the city and in the heart of Mendoza’ wine country.  That evening you will dine at renowned Chef Francis Mallman’s 1884 Restaurant, located in a historic winery called Bodega Escorihuela.  This beautiful restaurant, which has been rated among the top ten most desirable restaurants in the world by a London Times list, will immediately set the mood for the next stage of your culinary voyage.

Day 7

After breakfast you will receive your first cooking lessons with Federico Ziegler, Chef of La Bourgogne Restaurant at Finca & Bodega Vistalba de Carlos Pulenta (Carlos Pulenta’s Vistalba Vineyards and Winery). This place will take your breath away. Here, at the foot of the majestic Andean mountain range, you will find vineyards in practically every direction, a gorgeous winery, a world class restaurant, a stunning club with an underground lounge specifically designed for wine tastings, and an inviting lodge with views that will leave you speechless.  For lunch you will enjoy your own creations paired with some of the wineries finest selections. In the afternoon we will take you on a city tour of Mendoza and in the evening we’ll take you to dinner at Azafrán Restaurant.  The checkered floors and old wooden tables will bring home style cooking to mind.  But with innovative and creative twists in traditional recipes and over 300 wine labels to choose from, you’ll have to admit your Mom never cooked liked this.

Day 8

You’ll really enjoy this day!  After breakfast we will take you on a 1.5-hour drive to the Uco Valley, a spectacular place at the foot of the Andean mountain range.  There you will visit the Andeluna and Altus wineries, a sensory extravaganza.    Your eyes will take in breathtaking views while your palate goes for a ride.  “Ahhh” is generally the word of choice here.    You will receive your next cooking lesson at Altus with Chef Lucas Bustos and enjoy lunch based on your own creations again.  Upon your return you will probably appreciate some down time.  Thus, dinner is on your own.

Day 9

After breakfast at your hotel, we will take you to visit Bodega Benegas, a beautiful historic winery that produces some of the finest wines in Mendoza.  Afterwards, you will visit Almacen del Sur, a beautiful working farm that produces its own gourmet products and also boasts a great restaurant, which features all of it own products.  Lunch is included and weather permitting a tango exhibition as well.  The rest of the afternoon is free.  To top things off we will take you on a very special wine tasting and farewell dinner at La Cava de Cano.  This restaurant is set in the old residence of Don Guillermo Cano, a Governor of the Province of Mendoza from years past.  The combination of history, a cozy atmosphere, great food and fine wine will be a perfect finishing touch to your vacation.

Day 10

Breakfast, hotel check-out and transfer to the airport.

Program Prices

Price: US$4,150 per person, based on double occupancy.  
Non-Cooking Participants: US$ 3,800.00 per person.
Single Occupancy:  Add US$900 per person.

Included:  Airport transfers, lodging (double occupancy) in Buenos Aires at: 5 Buenos Aires, Legado Mitico or Home Buenos Aires (depending on availability). In Mendoza at: Robles de Besares, Lares de Chacras or Club Tapiz (depending on availability), 4 cooking lessons, all meals as indicated on the schedule, tickets for any attractions listed on the schedule, and ground transportation during the tour.  Soft drinks and a reasonable amount of wine are served with lunches and dinners included in the program.

Not included:  Airfare, airport taxes, gratuities (tips), travel and medical insurance, alcoholic or other specialty drinks not included with program meals.

* As noted in our terms and conditions, circumstances may arise that will require Culinaria, at its own discretion, to make changes in program schedules and itineraries and/or in service providers, including Chefs and other guides that may accompany participants on a tour.  In such cases, Culinaria will seek to minimize any changes and to substitute services and service providers for ones of equal or similar value.