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A wine lover’s guide to Bolivia

by Amanda Barnes June 29, 2016

The heart of Bolivian production is in Tarija – the country’s wine capital and home to 95% of the country’s wine production. There’s no mistaking the wine capital on arrival, as Tarija proudly promotes its wine production symbolised by a big glittering wine glass sculpture towering over the town.

The town of Tarija is nestled in-between the hillsides of the wine valley. Although the hills looks the same height as the city, Bolivia is the highest altitude wine region in the world. Vineyards can reach up to 3,000 meters above sea level, and are never less than 1,800m above sea level, giving Bolivia’s wines a very unique character.

June 29, 2016 0 comment

By Region Wine

What Wine, Which Glass?

by Squeeze Experiences July 14, 2015

written by Squeeze Experiences

Enjoying wine is not just about drinking. It is admiring the colour, the aromas and the individual and unique flavours. To make the most out of these qualities you will need the right glass.

Red Wine

The “Tulip shape” made from thin glass is ideal. The shape traps the aromas inside the glass and directs them towards your nose. The tulip style also allows you to swirl the wine to really bring out the aromas.

White Wine and Rosé

The tulip shape is also great for white and rose. However a slightly smaller size is better as it keeps the wine cooler for longer. A larger glass is better for red wines as it allows the wine to breath.

Champagne

The wine world is currently in a fierce debate regarding which glass is ideal for Champagne and other styles of sparkling. Below are the 3 styles – from most traditional to the most modern

(Let the debate begin!)

1.The Marie Antoinette

This old fashioned glass has seen a resurgence in recent years due to films such as The Great Gatsby. The glass does look great, however the down fall is it is very shallow. This means the wine tends to go flat much quicker. Also you need to be careful not to spill your bubbly!

2.The Flute

The Champagne flute is the most common glass for all types of sparkling wine. It is tall, elegant and the shape keeps the wine fizzy for longer. The Flute has become synonymous with celebrations.

3.The Small Tulip

There are many experts calling for the end of the classic Champagne flute. They believe that regardless of its elegance, its thin, tubular shape does not allow the drinker to enjoy the incredible complex aromas of the wine. The small tulip shaped used for white or rose is being hailed as the “New Champagne Glass”.

However, the downfall of the style is – it doesn’t have the elegance nor the association with celebration.

…the debate goes on.

By Bertie Goddard

Bertie discovered his passion for wine while studying Hospitality Management at University. He has worked as a sommelier in Manchester and London and is currently a sommelier in Buenos Aires. If you want to taste wine with him in BA, contact him at [email protected]

July 14, 2015 0 comment

Features By Region Argentina Features Travel & Culture

The Art of Argentine Slang

by Squeeze Experiences June 30, 2015

written by Squeeze Experiences

It began as a whisper among prisoners, homesick immigrants and some of the first tangeros, but lunfardo, or Buenos Aires slang has now permeated popular culture to the extent that porteños of all ages and social classes use its thousands of words and phrases. Much lunfardo is accompanied by hand gestures, a true porteño shows no emotion without waving their hands around, and can be roughly divided into categories regarding the most important aspects of Argentine life. But how can you master the art of Argentine slang?

Saying hello. –Che is the word Argentines use to call each other, a bit like ‘hey’ in English, and is usually used at the start of a sentence. It is often followed by boludo, which can mean friend, mate or idiot, depending on the context.

Booze and partying. There are lunfardo words for life’s essentials: morfi – food, birra – beer, pucho – cigarettes, boliche – nightclub and bondi – bus. Perhaps you might wait for the bondi as you smoke a pucho, and think about the birra you’re about to have with your morfi, before going to a boliche.

Girls and boys. Mina, pibe and chabón are slang for boys and girls. A male can be a pibe, or a chabón, a female a mina, piba or chabóna.

Being cool. If someone refers to you as a grosso/a, capo/a or copado/a you should definitely not be offended, these words mean a person is cool and are the highest of compliments in lunfardo.

Making excuses. Tengo fiaca literally translates to ‘I have laziness’ and is often used as an excuse to get out of engagements. Another useful word is colgado/a, which means flaky, and me colgué means ‘I flaked,’ another acceptable excuse as to why you didn’t do something.

Disaster. In the early 1900s, quilombo was used to refer to Argentine whorehouses; nowadays the term means mess or disaster. ¡Es un quilombo! is slang for: ‘It’s a total mess’. This will still raise the eyebrows of some grannies on the block though.

Flirting. The art of chamuyo or smooth-talking, is a skill that seems to come naturally to most porteño men. Useful related phrases are: sos un chamuyero – ‘you’re a smooth-talker’ or dejá de chamuyarme – ‘stop trying to fool me/chat me up’. Other useful flirting phrases include tirar onda which means to flirt of send someone good vibes, and touch and go, a phrase for a one-night stand or casual sexual relationship.

Balls. A lot of lunfardo relates to a man’s balls, yet men and women alike refer to their pelotas or bolas with phrases such as rompe bolas – ball breaker or hincha pelotas – a ball itcher, or someone annoying. ¡Que hincha pelotas! translates literally to ‘how you make my balls itch’, or ‘What a ball breaker!’

Money. There are several words to talk about cash. Mangos are Argentine pesos, guita is money and a luca, one thousand pesos. No tengo ni un mango, would mean ‘I’m totally broke/I don’t even have one peso’ but it is more fun to think about said person being sad about not even having one tasty mango.

Farting. Pedo means fart, and lunfardo is littered with fart-related vocabulary. En pedo (in a fart) means drunk, ni en pedo (not even in a fart) – translates to ‘not even if I was drunk.’ Other phrases include estoy al pedo (I am at fart) – ‘I’m not doing anything’ and vive en un nube de pedos (he/she lives in a cloud of farts) – meaning ‘they have their head in the clouds’.

While silly words might be a Porteño’s forte, do not underestimate the power of the gesture either. Here’s a quick fire guide to getting yourself understood with the ultimate BA body language:

Quickie – to suggest that someone is scared, or has quickie, press your fingers against your thumb repeatedly, with your hand at waist height.

Ni idea – The Argentine equivalent of the shoulder shrug, to say you don’t know something, place your right hand under your chin and then move it away from your body.

Montoncito – to say, ‘what the hell are you talking about?’ press your thumb and fingers together and move your hand up and down around waist height

Tacano – to call someone a cheapskate, touch your right elbow with your left hand repeatedly.

Ojo – to say ‘watch out’ place your left index finger under your right eye, and pull the skin down.

By Rosie Wilder

June 30, 2015 0 comment

Chile Features Features By Region Casablanca and Valpo Travel & Culture

A guide to the best beaches in Chile

by Amanda Barnes June 29, 2015

written by Amanda Barnes

Chile has one of the longest coastlines, of over 6500kms! With so much rugged coast to choose from it can be tricky finding the most alluring sand. So, here’s a look at some of the best beaches in Chile for when the Southern Hemisphere summer rolls round again:

Viña del Mar

Arguably Chile’s premier beach resort, Viña is a hotspot for tourists with cash. Though the icy water makes for a teeth-chattering swim, it also allows for a coastline brimming with delicious seafood restaurants and a good amount of shoreline shopping.

Beach bag essential: Enough pesos to shop the boardwalk and come away with a Chilean treasure.

Zapallar

Where the more tasteful moneyed crowd go, Zapallar is a handsome and rather exclusive beach resort with large weekend houses and fancier apartments lining the small coves. The fishing port is perfectly picturesque though and you’ll find some of the freshest seafood delivered from the sea bed straight to your plate.

Beach bag essential: A credit card with no limit.

Reñaca

This 1.3km stretch of beach resort coastline can scarcely accommodate the evenly-tanned prepsters that perch in its sands. If ever a beach could be ‘hip,’ Renaca would be it. Though the waves are a bit too much to handle for actual swimming, beachgoers take quick dips in the chilly water before continuing their rotisserie sun-tanning regimen.

Beach bag essential: A shnazy pair of rip-off Raybans. Don’t have any? Lucky for you, every stall along the boardwalk will be happy to sell you a set – for gringo prices, unless your Spanish accent is up to par.

Concón

The coastal resort of Concón, just north of Viña del Mar is a leafy green escape from the urban vibe of Viña. The 10 Km route connecting the two cities not only makes for an interesting bike ride, it also is home to some of the best stetches of beach in all of Chile. The three main beaches in Concón are Playa Negra, Amarilla and Boca. Playa Amarilla, a favorite among families with small children, offers calm waters, fine sand and (mostly) free parking.

Beach bag essential: Food and libations, as there is not an ample selection of restaurants and stores nearby.

Valparaíso

The Ying to Viña’s yang, Valpo – Chile’s primary sea port – offers a colorful, historical, charismatic alternative to the sometimes tiresome pace of the beach resort towns. The coastline that inspired Neruda and the rolling hills crowded with brightly painted houses make the setting idyllic albeit a little dilapidated. Out of over 36 beaches, only 5 are ok for a swim: Las Torpederas, Caleta Abarca, Las Salinas, Los Lilenes and Playa Amarilla. However, these beaches have steep drop-offs, something to keep in mind if you’re venturing far from shore.

Beach bag essential: Umbrella or a brimmed hat, as shade will be hard to come by.

La Serena

As the popularity of Viña and Valpo beaches grow, some visitors are breaking away from the herd and heading north to La Serena (conveniently located the other side of a quieter border control at San Juan). Waves and rip currents make conditions dangerous for taking a plunge, however beach bars and loungers suit land lovers. Closer to Coquimbo and south of Cuatro Esquinas, you can swim the warmer waters and they are a hotspot for water sports. Punta de Choros is another great beach to visit nearby.

Beach bag essential: Surf gear.

Bahia Inglesa

As you head up to the north of Chile, the waters get warmer, the sand gets whiter and the sea seems to get bluer! Bahia Inglesa is picture perfect. Warm weather year round and exquisite waters make it a beach heaven, however you’ll have to drive through hundreds of kilometers of the dustbowl Atacama region to get here. As soon as you dip your toes in that warm clear water though, you’ll forget all about the awkward journey.

Beach bag essential: An overnight bag, you won’t want to leave.

Playa Luna

Regardless of how earnest their argument, no one comes to Playa Luna for the birdwatching. At least, it seems unlikely. This bird sanctuary is also the only official nudist beach in Chile. Tucked into a secluded nook of coastline just north of Valparaíso, Playa Luna is reachable by hiking the shoreline from the cove of Horcón. Nude, partially nude, or bundled up in a parka, the atmosphere is relaxed and the waves are welcoming.

Beach bag essential: Ditch the beach bag and swimming costume, just bring yourself and a strong SPF.

Pichilemu

This busy sea town as a family beach close to the center, but most people come here to head the 6kms south of the town to Punta de Lobos – a world class surfing beach. International surf championships are held here each year and even surf fan Jack Johnson found the right excuse to shoot one of his music videos here… Swells can reach up to 15 meters!

Beach bag essential: A board and a seriously good wetsuit, the water normally hovers around 10C even in Summer!

Isla Negra

If you are a Neruda fan and want to feel poetic about the ocean waves, Isla Negra might be your spot. The name ‘isla’ is misleading, as this isn’t an island at all, but a bustling little tourist town with rocky and sand beaches with beautiful sweeping views across the jagged bay.

Beach bag essential: Neruda’s love sonnets.

Maitencillo

Another popular escape for Santiago folk at the weekend is the small fishing town of Maitencillo. This is a family destination (and much quieter than any of the beaches closer to Valpo) with a mix of teenage surfers, young families and older couples. There’s a lively fish market most days too.

Beach bag essential: Napkins to wipe your greasy chin after indulging on one of Maitencillo’s famous scallop empanadas.

Caleta Cóndor

One of the most picturesque beaches in Chile is in the deep south – in Osorno. The water is cold but it is a striking turquoise blue and sand doesn’t come much more golden than this. You’ll likely have the beach to yourself too – it is tucked away in the Huilliche indigenous reserve.

Beach bag essential: Hiking boots or a boat. The reason Caleta Cóndor is so pristine is that you can only access it by hiring a boat from Bahía Mansa or a two day hike through the native forest.

So, there you have it. The best beaches in Chile.

June 29, 2015 0 comment

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