This news has been brought to light yesterday in Burdeos, France, during the Great Wine Capitals ceremonial gala, hosted by the network bringing the 10 most important wine regions on a world scale together.
On top of that, the Golden Awards of the Best of Wine Tourism 2020 contest were announced, during which the Rosell Boher Lodge restaurant – in the recent past weeks awarded with the regional prize to best winery restaurant in Mendoza -, has been crowned best winery restaurant in the entire world.
Located in a winery with over 40 hectares of vineyards, facing no less than the mighty Andes mountain range, the lodge has a 3 bedroom guest house, and 11 “Vineyard Houses”, each with their very own fireplace, jacuzzi hot tub and individual bonfires in their terraces. The restaurant under the leadership of chef Lucas Olcese is working inside the guest house, with the capacity to host 30 eaters. Based on all local and seasonal produce (some of it even originated in their very own organic orchard), and with artisanal pastries, all lunches and dinners are three and six course meals, paired with their own winery labeled wines (Casa Boher); and there is also a special five step menu paired with the five sparkling wines offered by the Rosell Boher brand.
LATA EXPO London Business: Leisure – High-End From June 8th to 10th 2020 https://lataexpo.travel/ Attendee: Sergio Pizzagalli
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Eminence Canada Trade Show Business: Leisure – High-End June 2020 http://www.eminencecanada.com/ Attendee: Melina Russo
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USA Sales Calls for MICE Business: MICE July 2019 Attendee: Verónica Deges
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FEEL Latin America – Australia-(Melbourne – Sydney) Business: Leisure – High-End From August 4th to 6th 2020 https://www.feellatinamerica.com/ Attendee: Sergio Pizzagalli
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OTDYKH International Russian Travel Market Business: Leisure – High-End From September 8th to 10th 2020 http://www.tourismexpo.ru/en/ Attendee Alexander Belov
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IMEX Las Vegas – MICE Business: MICE From September 15th to 17th 2020 http://www.imexamerica.com/ Attendee: Sergio Pizzagalli
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Luxperience – Australia Business: Leisure – High-End From October 12th to 15th 2020 http://www.luxperience.com.au/ Attendee: Priscila Mills
Meet Carlos Melia, ALCHEMY DMC new Sales Partner for the United States and Global LGBTQ+ Sales Partner
A native Argentinian, with over 28-year career as agent and supplier to travel agents across the globe, Carlos is an ideal partner as ALCHEMY DMC expands into the USA.
After many years of working with the region, Carlos has a great understanding and comprehension of the South American market. His well rounded knowledge of luxury and experiential travel services, combined with solid key relationships with suppliers and experiences, makes him a true destination expert on Argentina and Chile.
Carlos holds a BA in Hotel & Restaurant Management. He is a founding member of Belmond Hotels, Trains and River Cruises LGBT Advisory Board; a founding member of the Travel Agents Luxury Advisory Board for Bürgenstock Selection first class Swiss hospitality; and will be joining the VIRTUOSO Preview Advisory Board for Cheval Blanc Hotel Paris, part of the LVMH group.
With Carlos’ addition to our team and his proven expertise in catering to the Global LGBTQ+ segment, ALCHEMY DMC is proud to join him on welcoming LGBTQ+ travelers to the region. In 1990, living in Buenos Aires, Carlos launched the first openly gay inbound travel agency, promoting Argentina, Chile and Uruguay. In 2008 Carlos moved to the US and founded Luxury Gay Travel Network, a site and network connecting mainstream luxury travel and hospitality suppliers to leading LGBTQ+ travel professionals and press around the world. Visit www.lgtnetwork.com
Today Carlos is a citizen of the world living in New York City. He travels extensively, curating the world of Luxury Travel & Lifestyle, one destination at the time. His Instagram, and blog, CarlosMeliaBlog, are ranked among the “TOP 100 Luxury Travel Blogs”.
For many exciting opportunities in the South American market, contact Carlos Melia: E-mail: carlos@alchemydmc.com / US Phone: +1 917 754 5515
The Palacio Barolo opens the doors to one of
its most mysterious sections in order to offer a new proposal to add to the
list of the many it already has.
Covering more than 1800 square meters, Bajos del Barolo offers multiple spaces for the possibility to host an extensive catalogue of events.
Versatility and
adaptability.
The spaces Bajos del Barolo has allow
configuration for several different layouts adaptable to different surfaces and
distributions.
Functionality
An auditorium + stands + shows
Bajos del Barolo holds 5 spaces that can either
work independently or ensemble partially and totally.
This flexibility is an added value allowing the
space to adapt to the event, and not vice versa.
Auditorium mode
These spaces are design with double height,
transmitting the sensation of ampleness.
It is possible to configure it in different ways according to the event’s needs and the number of participants, on top of that the spaces have the possibility of installing simultaneous translation cabins.
Stands mode
The width of these spaces allows the
installation of tailored or standard stands.
It is also possible to assign spaces for stands
and auditorium simultaneously, either integrated or individually.
Simultaneous actions
Bajos del Barolo holds great capacity for actions hosting a big number or people. An example of this was the past “Noche de los Museos” (Museum Night) where during the 7-hour duration, over 9 thousand visitors shared the space for the six actions offered that day.
Palacio Barolo, a city icon.
The Palacio Barolo is the most visited private
building in Buenos Aires City, by local and foreign visitors alike. The history
of this building is centered around the year 1920 when Architect Mario Palanti,
under the request of Luigi Barolo, projected this monumental building in which
it is possible to discover an infinite amount of analogies and references to
Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy.
This building was granted during the twenties
the record for the highest building in the world built with concrete, later
replaced by the Kavanagh building in the thirties.
Another detail making this building so famous was the idea Architect Palanti had involving adding a beacon light in the top, now available for visits, creating with it a light bridge over the Rio de la Plata river. To bring this idea to life he created a project for a building with similar characteristics in Montevideo City, the Palacio Salvo, with the intention of making siblings out of the two cities.
Join me and my girlfriends in this
tour around Salta and Jujuy:
01 – ARRIVAL IN SALTA
We arrived after a 2-hour sleep in Salta ‘La Linda’
(the beautiful) to start this journey between us girlfriends through this
corner of our beloved country.
As it usually happens on trips, no matter how tired we were, the van picked us up at 8 o’clock to take us to Cafayate, and as in this kind of trip the stops along the way are almost the most important part of the whole journey, this is where I would like to start and show you a bit about what we saw in this first day: the breathtaking views from Tres Cruces.
Not to miss: ‘Garganta del Diablo’ (the devil’s throat), and no, we weren’t unfortunately able to make it all the way to the top! What a pity! It was still very much worth it.
As we were returning to Salta city to sleep the night, the stop at the ‘Amphitheater’ was done on the way back: please don’t hold back from screaming like crazy to enjoy its famous echo!
You must definitely stop once or more to taste some empanadas! For a little extra: you should eat them sitting on the sidewalk.
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02 – PURMAMARCA: SO MUCH MORE THAN SIMPLY THE 7-COLOURED HILL
The Argentinian Northwest is meant to be shown in chronological disorder, because sometimes one can go to the same place more than once, simply because I think the best way to do this trip is by driving a car (or in our case in a van), without a rush.
Stopping along the way as much as you want, allowing room for surprises and dedicating the necessary time for everything in this trip. As soon as you get to Jujuy, first thing that gets your eye is the famous Hill and the Welcome sign (it used to say simply “Purmamarca”, but they decided to eliminate all doubt and add “Jujuy” to it as well).
Get lost in its clay and dirt streets, sit anywhere
you feel like, lean on every wall and enjoy the atmosphere. The square where
you’ll find the artisan fair is a ‘must’, and in the surroundings you will find
museums, cafes and more crafts… 8 women trying to buy things (a blanket, some
pants, house decoration items, scarves, these few meters could easily have
taken us hours to walk).
Typical cuisine: the Diablada is highly recommendable, and it is very regional; of course, empanadas, ‘humita en chala’ and tamales.
Northern empanadas are designed to trick an empty stomach, I believe if we were to eat them exclusively for a meal, we would need at least 6, since they are usually quite small in size.
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03 – Some places are totally worth the cliché touristy photo: Salinas Grandes in Jujuy is MY MUST!
All shame aside, we climbed the more than 4 thousand meters, we walked around and we were blown away, only to then move on to the photography session where we felt free to do all the silly things we HAD to do in this place!!
The High jump (5 centimeters above ground counts, right?), heads in the pools, and other thousand ideas we came up with: everything’s valid!
Interesting tip: chew some ‘coca’ before going up, it really helps, and besides you can tick this northwestern ritual off your list. Along the ride, enjoy spotting some ‘vicuñas’ since they are not so easily seen anywhere as one may think.
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04 – BODEGAPIATELLI FOR OUR FOODIE TOUR. Rated two
Sneakers and a Glass of Wine (‘Good’ and a ‘plus’). Here are my reasons why:
Why is it worth it: because of the environment, and the privileged landscape views of Cafayate, and because it is the perfect opportunity to eat outside enjoying a beautiful day filled with nature and sights.
Why it isn’t so much: the food and service are not exactly outstanding, you should be aware you are paying for the location.
So, is it in the end actually worth it? Adding it all in the equation, definitely yes. You should visit and relax, leave these couple of hours to enjoy in any way you want; in my case this being a girlfriend trip, but you could also go for the “love mode” booking the gazebo to having a private lunch.
Tip: don’t forget to book in advance, and ask for a table outside, otherwise you would be missing the highlight of this place’s charm.
Reasons why this is a “not to miss” stop, and list of the things I advise enjoying:
The Church: it is this spot’s classic. No less than a XVII century building, with clay walls and famous paintings by Angeles Arcabuceros, brought all the way from Cuzco around that time, so just imagine the rich history this place encloses.
The Artisan Fair: right on the square in front of the church. So basically, to go from spiritualism to consumerism in a few steps… but it is very traditional in this area of the country.
Dirt roads, clay houses and the welcome mural (look for it a block away from the church). Uquia is very tiny and easily walkable.
The Cemetery: I have already mentioned that visiting a cemetery is, for me, one of the Northwest ‘not to miss’. Uquia’s cemetery could be a great choice for this: walk a little bit inside, it is not very far. Obviously, what I’m telling you can seem a bit dismal, but in this region the cemeteries have two main characteristics: their amazing views, and the colorful picture since the tombstones are normally decorated with paper mache flowers.
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06 – WHERE TO STOP ON THE WAY TO HUMAHUACA : THE QUEBRADA DE LAS SENORITAS
IS A MUST
I have been to the Northwest several times, but this is actually a new discovery for me. After visiting the cemetery, walking from there not a long distance we arrived at this quebrada and it is definitely worth the walk. This was a super adequate tour specially for our friends’ trip!
You can leave the car close to the cemetery and walk your way towards this powerful landscape that gets stronger as you get closer: the dirt mixes several colors but red is predominant. Walk around half an hour so you won’t miss a thing.
On our journey we found a very local tribute to the ‘Pachamama’, being celebrated this month!
I took all the phrases I read on the murals on the way
very seriously: how to breath in the air and be completely free. Being very
honest, I took very few photos and I took the time to tour around my way, so in
this friends’ trip where photos were being taken by the thousands (we should
come up with a better system for it), most of the pictures were taken by my
friends. But let me tell you what to do in Humahuaca in one day: the Quebrada
de Humahuaca in Jujuy, Argentina, is very famous for its hard to believe
landscapes. It is Natural and Cultural Humanity Heritage as declared by the
UNESCO. Its quebradas, valleys and the kindness of its people lead you to
experiment true contact with nature, and without a doubt, will make you want to
come back. Apart from being totally picturesque, there is a whole lot of things
to visit, like the Independence Monument, outstanding because of its size, and
for being located in one of the highest spots in Humahuaca.
In the town Main Square you will find the Cathedral of Our Lady of Candelaria, and the Cabildo (honorary government building) of Humahuaca – currently open as a museum, and from the clock on the tower every day at noon, you can spot a moving image of Saint Francisco Solano to bless all the people present.
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08 – ANOTHER JUJUY MARVEL. HORNOCAL,
The starring landscape of the Quebrada de Humahuaca
Just as we thought the 7 colored Hill, the Pucará and other landscapes were the real ‘not to miss during this trip, just 40 minutes away from Humahuaca we found this amazing place!
The way to arrive is through a windy gravel road, featuring a balcony to stop and take in the views, that would leave your eyes absolutely in shock! Every color you can imagine, and the immensity of the landscape makes this a ‘must’ in your visit. Coquero tips: this spot is above 4700 mts above sea level, so chew some coca on the way over (the other coca, not me!), and make several stops on the way since there are plenty of panoramic views to check out.
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09 – MY FAVOURITE KIND OF ROAD: THE
MOUNTAIN ROAD!
As we were driving back to Salta from Jujuy (and obviously doable the other way around), we decided to take this incredible road. On this path there are plenty of things to see and enjoy: tiny towns like Vaqueros, La Caldera and El Carmen. This is a very windy road with dense vegetation, so it is very captivating to the eyes. The road goes through the Yungas area. It is very narrow so two cars can barely drive past (I definitely wouldn’t drive here myself since I would fall off the cliff almost inevitably), so if you are driving here, go slow and calm, there are a few falling rock zones and the visibility of cars coming from the other direction is almost nonexistent.
Nonetheless, this is a great road with a unique landscape, so you can both suffer and enjoy at the same time. This being a very moist area, the road is wet for the most part of the journey, and the green vegetation is great. This is a road I always try not to skip when touring around this part of our country!
Coquero tip: carefully, stop for a picture.
Listen to the right music and try to get sucked into your surroundings!
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10 – THE FAMOUS NORTHERN EMPANADAS, AS PER SOME AMAZING COOKS IN VOLCAN JUJUY
When in Jujuy, my advice is to drive back to Salta through the mountain road, but before entering the actual road, stop in Volcán: mainly head to the Artisan Market, and don’t skip a meal in its traditional, local restaurant!
We ordered a large quantity of empanadas so we could continue happily on our way. There are some differences between empanadas from Salta, Jujuy and Tucuman, so I went straight to the source, and while our order was being fried, I learned the difference.
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11 – WHAT TO DO IN SALTA CITY DURING AN ARGENTINIAN NORTHWEST TOUR
Don’t miss visiting the Americas Cultural Center, an amazing building dedicated to celebrating and communicating cultural events in Salta, such as concerts, art expositions and heaps of classes and courses. Even if you are not attending any of these specifically, go anyway because you will be surprised.
The building is French neo-baroque style, built in 1913 on formerly owned by the Jesus Company Church grounds. It worked as the Government House from 1940 to 1987, and then it was restored to become the cultural center it is today.
Artists from all over the globe come here to showcase their work. This is a shock from the moment you set foot inside: the stairway, the columns, the steel and bronze, venetian-style flooring and astonishing vitreaux work imported from Milano.
Advice: be curious, tour the whole place, you will find plenty of incredible details. Walk in every room, head upstairs, visit every showroom! There is a lot to have you entertained for a while, and you can also buy high quality crafts downstairs (and at a very reasonable price).
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12 – SAN FRANCISCO CHURCH, AN ICONIC
SALTA POSTCARD IMAGE
Also frequently called Basilica or convent, this is a definite must visit in this main city of the Northwest. Despite the first building being up all the way back in 1625, several fires lead the original temple to destruction and the current erected church was built in 1870.
This church belongs to the franciscan order. A key fact is that the bell tower at 54 meters high, is the tallest in South America. A super picturesque look thanks to the architecture and ornamentation.
The color contrast favors the columns to pop out and all other decorations. Right after taking the touristy picture and admiring all the exterior details (including the curtains in the main arches), you will find inside: thousands of paintings, sculptures and art pieces, naturally including the Saint Francis of Assis images.
If these aren’t enough reasons, pay it a visit, no matter your religion, bcause it was declared National Historic Monument in 1941.
Every October in PATAGONIA, the horizon becomes a magical tapestry of red, yellow, lilac, white, black and pink tulips with the mountains in the back of the scenery.
A unique and ephemeral spectacle, Tulips fill the valley with colours in Trevelin area (26 kms away from Esquel). Due to the favourable conditions of the climate and soil, the results are very. Currently, just over three hectares of its farm are dedicated to the cultivation of twenty-seven varieties of tulips that extend in rows of up to four hundred meters.
A local
producer decided to open his doors to show the world his initiative and welcomes
visitors that wants to see the amazing landscape. They can be seen preferably
in the second half of the month .
The production of these flowers is not simple and demands meticulous and almost handmade work all year round. The bulbs are planted in May with a special machine that deposits them at the same depth. In August the leaves of the tulips already start to appear and a control is made plant by plant, to detect any viruses and remove the tulips that have any disease. The first days of October, as if by magic, fragile and colourful open their petals to the sun. The postcard only lasts a month and a half, at best, if the strong Patagonian winds, some drizzle or frost, do not punish them before. In mid-November, the flowers are cut by hand one by one. In January, the bulbs are harvested with machinery brought from the Netherlands and taken to a storage plant. There they are separated according to their size and stored in a temperature-controlled storage chamber. The bulbs selected for sale leave for the buyer in special transports)
Destination can be combined with the most amazing National Parks of the Andes Mountain range. Images that will always be remembered. ..”
Miroslava is a dreamer and entrepreneur, she loves to explore and discover new places, cultures and customs. That is the reason why she is in Argentina today working as an administrative assistant at ALCHEMY DMC. She is characterized for being a happy, empathic, proactive person who works in an organized and responsible way.
