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Our inaugural GastroNomad trip took a small group of connoisseurs to taste the unique flavours of the southern hemisphere. We return with pleasure to Chile and Argentina on a trip that visits some of the finest boutique wine producers in the Andes. Starting in Santiago, we quickly head south to the Maipo and Colchagua Valleys, visiting and tasting at, among others, Casa Lapostolle and Perez Cruz. Next we move to bohemian Valparaiso for Pacific Ocean Sauvignons and a fabulous cooking experience with our favourite chef who is active in Chile's Slow Food movement. He'll take us to the market and then into the kitchens to cook together and learn about avocados, olive oil, blue eggs, merken, sea weed and salt. The ramshackle, sinuous streets of Valparaiso are filled with tin-walled buildings clinging to steep hillsides and painted with colourful and creative wall art.
Then, after dipping into the narrow, steeply sloped Aconcagua Valley we take one of the Americas' most spectacularly scenic drives across the Andes. Argentina's loveliest city, Mendoza, is filled with cafes, plazas and wonderful restaurants. Famous worldwide for its Malbec, the heart of Argentina's wine industry offers a myriad of other great wines and some of the best barbecues on the continent. The roads are as enticing as the wines, winding through tunnels of trees to vast dry valleys dominated by breathtaking views of the snow-capped Andes. The Uco Valley is compared by many to the Napa Valley 25 years ago. Excellent high-altitude wines are produced from vineyards up to 1400 metres high, at the foot of the Andes. Our trip ends with steak, wine and tango in vibrant, complex, sophisticated Buenos Aires. |
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| FACTS: |
| • | 11 days |
| • | Maximum 16 participants |
| • | Start in Santiago, Chile and finish in Buenos Aires, Argentina |
| • | Includes a cooking class |
| • | Includes wine tastings |
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| HIGHLIGHTS: |
| • | Tasting the Viña Montes Syrah Colchagua Valley Alpha Apalta Vineyard 2005 |
| • | Picnicking amidst the vines at Las Vinas |
| • | Finding your favourite graphic art in Valparaiso's colourful winding streets |
| • | Preparing lunch with Francesco in a private kitchen |
| • | Driving across the Andes |
| • | Lunching a the Altus boutique vineyard |
| • | Tango in Buenos Aires |
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| ITINERARY IN BRIEF: |
| Day 1: |
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Arrive in Santiago |
| Day 2: |
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Maipo Valley |
| Day 3: |
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Colchagua Valley |
| Day 4: |
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Drive to Valparaiso |
| Day 5: |
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Valparaiso |
| Day 6: |
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Aconcagua Valley; drive to Mendoza, Argentina |
| Day 7: |
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Mendoza |
| Day 8: |
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Mendoza, Uco Valley |
| Day 9: |
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Fly to Buenos Aires |
| Day 10: |
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Buenos Aires |
| Day 11: |
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Depart Buenos Aires |
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 A chef and sommelier based in Valparaiso, Francesco is active in the Slow Food movement in Chile.
416-633-5666 / 1-800-387-1483
 Argentina
Mendoza, Buenos Aires and Salta
• Private Journey •
Length: 10 days
Start: Mendoza, Argentina
Finish: Salta, Argentina
 A Walk in Patagonia
The End of the World
• Private Journey •
Length: 8 days
Start: Punta Arenas, Chile
Finish: El Calafate, Argentina
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