Description: “Come back on Tuesday for the tango,” Club del Vino’s smiling security guard urged as he shook our hands and bid us adieu. “This is the real tango, not tango for tourists.” Alas, with our departure looming the next day, a return to Buenos Aires’ classiest venue for authentic music and good wine was not in the cards this time.
Club del Vino, located on a quiet, leafy street in Palermo, is a traditionally styled wine bar/restaurant/performance venue/museum that captivated us from the moment we stepped inside. Bottles of vintage wine sit on shelves that surround a small café near the entrance, with colorful stained-glass murals high atop the ceiling casting pleasing light into the front area. Wine-tasting sessions are led in a separate room that sits opposite a gorgeous open-air courtyard. Here, with a Bacchus fountain, hanging vegetation, and brick floors surrounding a few small, two-person tables, the stage is set for a romantic evening under the stars with a bottle or two of fermented grapes.
After peeping into the small wine museum, we made our reservations for a Sunday evening performance of “flamenco fusion” courtesy of Hector Romero’s Ensamble. Book your spot in advance because you’ll be able to reserve your table of choice—I recommend #24, which affords a slightly elevated, front-and-center view of the performance stage. Tango, flamenco, salsa, and jazz performances are held throughout the week; your best bet is to hightail it up here, check out the schedule, and pick a few performances. Admission price ranges from AR$10 - $20 per person.
The live venue brings to mind an old-time jazz club, with vintage prints, posters, and photos strategically hung on the walls and small, circular tables crammed into the stage-level seating area. Club del Vino’s menu includes
empanadas, cheese platters for two, various desserts, and, of course, a solid wine selection. We were surprised at the reasonable prices for wine; at AR$38, a bottle of 2002 Malbec Cabernet was the most expensive on the menu. Go ahead and “splurge” on this one if it’s in stock—it was the smoothest bottle of red we drank during the whole trip.
We picked a winner that night. With a seven-piece band at his command, Hector Romero led the troupe through a moving exploration of native ballads and dance. The unequivocal highlight came when a young guy no more than 12 or 13 years old thrilled the audience with a commanding flamenco tapdance routine. Shouts of
“Es el nino! Es el nino!” echoed through the venue. His older brother, who couldn’t be more than 20 years old himself, followed with a similar routine shortly after. The big brother/little brother connection brought a smile to everyone’s faces, including the performers onstage.
When the
security guard of all people stopped us on our way out to
shake our hands and thank us for coming, we were again reminded how great Buenos Aires is. For more information about the club,
visit their website.
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