When I first moved here in 2005, one of the things I was surprised about was the lack of wine bars. While Argentines have long been among the biggest consumers of wine in the world, the idea of a selection of wines by the glass seemed to mystify them. You had a wine list, you ordered wine by the bottle, and if all you wanted was a glass or small carafe, you got the house plonk. Even among more sophisticated spots, that might have offered a half dozen selections, it was generally limited to the big, commercial producers, from whom the restaurant could get promotional prices in order to pimp out those wines.

Over time that’s changed, and here and there I’ve written about a wine bar, or a place that has a reasonably decent selection of wines by the glass. And while I imagine that the timing is more coincidental than not, with projects having been planned prior, there has been a spate of new openings over the last couple of years, several of them during the pandemic. Now, as with many bars here, most of them are only open in the evenings. But sometimes, you want a glass of decent wine during the day, with or without lunch. So that’s where I’ve started my explorations of the newer wine bars in town. Day drinking.

DOC Bar de Vinos, José A. Cabrera 4977, Palermo. Let’s start with the most basic of the three that I sampled for this round. It’s a small location, with a very few high tables and barstools inside, but a fairly ample space outdoors on the wide sidewalk with both small individual tables for two, and bigger counter-type tables with stools for up to six. I imagine that outdoor space had to be on their mind from the beginning, as the indoor portion doesn’t seem enough to sustain a business. At the back, a small bar where you place your order for a glass of wine and, if you like a sandwich or a picada (charcuterie and/or cheese plate). At the front, off to the side, there’s a small counter facing onto the sidewalk where you can grab a coffee, tea, and pastry.

A quite good sandwich of prosciutto, brie, and arugula showed up at the table in short order. Although you have to order inside at the counter, they do bring you your food and drink when they’re ready. The young man behind the counter offered the option to taste a couple of different wines (out of about a dozen) prior to picking one to accompany the sandwich, and I ended up with the Chañarmuyo Estate Cabernet Sauvignon – Cabernet Franc 2020 blend: “Dark garnet color. Muted nose, mostly milk chocolate. Fruit forward, moderate acidity, medium body, soft tannins. Sour cherry, green pepper, brambles, milk chocolate on the palate. Medium finish.”

Chalk this one up as a nice spot to just relax under the trees, have a glass of wine and simple bite to eat. Prices very reasonable – 450 pesos for the sandwich, and 330 for a generous glass of wine – I’d say that the wines are an interesting selection of low to moderately priced wines, chosen from lesser known producers.

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M Street Bar, Nicaragua 5935, Palermo. The casual sibling to Omakase Masuda (formerly Club M Omakase), just half a block away. Combination bar and wine shop, with numerous tables inside, and just as many out. At lunchtime (and, for the most part, at dinner as well), the menu is sushi. And, like its more elegant half, it’s quite creative. To drink, the choice is between any of roughly a dozen wines by the glass, well selected, “boutique” type wines. Minor negative on the service end of things – unless you go inside and look, you don’t see the bottle from the wine you’re being served – it’s all done at the bar and the glass is brought to the table. Even when I asked, I ended up having to go inside to the bar in order to see the bottle, they simply don’t bring them to the table. It’s also not a particularly generous pour. Not unacceptably small, but less than I’d venture most places serve.

At lunchtime there are three omakase offerings. Not really omakase, which is chef’s choice of what’s best at that moment, but three preset prix fixe lunches of different quantities of sushi and sashimi. I went with the smallest of the three (stated as 16 pieces, but there are clearly more than that – there’s a 10 piece roll and the sashimi, or tiradito plate, has 14 pieces of fish – maybe it depends which of the options you choose, as there’s a choice of three options for each plate). I also ordered a side salad of wakame seaweed and cucumber. All really delicious and delightful. There’s an a la carte dinner menu and you can request items from that (like the salad), which also includes a couple of non-sushi items for those who want something else.

The wine, Bodega Otronia “45 Rugientes” Corte de Blancas 2017, a blend of Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris and Chardonnay. “Light gold holding to rim. Very floral nose. High acidity, fruit forward, medium body, long finish. Green apple, lemon, honeysuckle, green almonds.”

Service is efficient, but I wouldn’t call it friendly or warm. The food is great, the wine selection is excellent. It’s a pricier place to grab lunch, with the three prix fixe options ranging from mid-2000 pesos to almost 4000 (though, that, I’d venture, is enough for two to split), and wine by the glass ranging mostly from about 400-600 pesos a glass, and again, not particularly generous pours. Even with a 10% cash discount it came in at 3600 pesos with tip. Still, very enjoyable, and for a bit of a treat, I’d definitely recommend it.

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Verdot Wine Bar, Quintana 465, Recoleta. The latest restaurant to grace the space in the Mio Buenos Aires Hotel, on the main floor, above the restaurant and bar Rufino Argentino. Being close to home, I’ve visited this spot twice, and thoroughly enjoyed myself both times. Standard restaurant setup indoors, and a nice patio garden with four low tables out back. Great selection of wines, and at a range of prices, from inexpensive to ultra pricey, and a really interesting selection of a couple of dozen by the glass, plus an entire cellar of wines by the bottle.

On the first visit I sampled each of their three types of empanadas and an avocado toast. Good on the former, excellent on the latter. There aren’t a lot of “orange wines” yet produced in Argentina, and I thought it would be interesting to try one. Also, like the first spot above, I was offered the opportunity to taste a couple of different ones before deciding. I thought this would pair well with what I was eating, and it did. Sparring Pedro Gimenez, N.V. – “Butter yellow color, unfiltered haze. Peach, underripe pineapple, almonds. Fruit forward, high acidity, medium body, long finish, hint of dry tannins.”

On the second visit, tended more salad-y, with a lovely half of a burrata cheese over arugula, roasted tomatoes, and prosciutto, followed by a caesar salad with chicken, sans croutons at my request (trying to cut down on bread type stuff the last couple of weeks). Both excellent, actually one of the better caesars I’ve had here. The wine, Paso a Paso “Las Criollas de Don Graciano” Field Blend Rosé 2021, a blend of Criolla and Bonarda. “Pale rose gold color, clear rim. Fruit forward, strawberry and red cherry, with notes of cola and green wood. High acidity, light body, medium finish.”

Not surprisingly, for both Recoleta, and a hotel restaurant, it’s a trifle pricey, though not as much as the previous place. With a glass of wine and two courses, I spent right around 2000 pesos on each visit.

More to come!