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Feeling good after sampling, we checked into Hotel
Portal del Santo, a family-run boutique gem with pool
and gardens. The center of town was only about five
blocks away via tree-lined streets lined with winery
tasting rooms. (Many were closed for the day or didn’t
open until late in the evening). The plaza was ringed
with cafes, and we enjoyed a late lunch at one of
them.
That evening, we were determined to find a tasting
bar or restaurant that featured local wines. Fortune
smiled on us when we found Chato’s Wine Bar,
located a couple of blocks off the main square on
the street with modest homes. The building is a new
home, built by the owner whose name is Oscar, but
everyone calls Chato. A super friendly and knowledge-
able host, Chato, we discovered, is a full-time teacher
during the day and restaurateur by night.
As usual, we were the only customers when we
arrived at 7 p.m. when he opened. When we left over
three hours later, the small place was full. Knowledge-
able about the history of winemaking here, Chatto
enthusiastically shared some favorite wines, explain-
ing their origins and complexities in perfect English.
We shared a tasting flight of five local wines, along
with an excellent cheese and cold cut platter. As a
bonus, Chato served a pour of his own Malbec which
was one of the best wines we tasted in Argentina.
It was also one of the most expensive wines we
purchased on the trip. We savored it on our last night
in Buenos Aires.
By the end of the evening, we were chatting with
other customers about thier travel adventures. It was
one of the most enjoyable evenings of the trip. With
an early pickup scheduled the next morning, we bid
Chato and our new friends goodbye. We didn’t have
enough time to really experience Cafayate or Salta in
depth, but we did sample enough to know these are
places we would like to revisit.

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