AnuvaBlog

Eventually after staying a in city long enough the question arises “Who has the best pizza?”

 

Hungry for the answer we gathered up a group of friends to go on a pizza tour. Av. Corrientes is famous for theaters, old cafes, book stores and pizza. Many of the city’s first and most famous pizzerias are tucked away in this bustling street.

 

We started in Micro center and worked our way past the Obelisk to 4 or 5 pizza joints.

In a traditional set up you can sit or stand. I prefer to belly up with a big slice and a cold beer. (Unfortunately the wine selections tend to be quite limited). During the weekdays you can see all the business men rush in for a quick bite, with plates pilled high of cheesy deliciousness.

 

1^st stop, Palacio de la Pizza. 751 Corrientes. I had been here before. The dough is thick…almost as thick as the cheese. I gave a high score, other members of the panel felt we could do better. I submitted only account on our poor beverage selection. Bruce the sommelier swears by the classic combination of Muscato and pie.  Taking his professional recommendation we committed to an entire bottle: 8 people, $15 pesos, 45 minutes lost attempting to down the sweet viscous fortified wine. 3 stars total (of 5).

 

2^nd Las Cuartetas, Corrientes 838. Had less selection of pizza by the slice than #1. Greasy crust, overly salty cheese and bad service left me leaving a lower score. The group had mixed reviews, in part because the pizza did have a thinner crust than Palacio. I think the ice cold Quilmes helped as well. 2.5 stars total

 

3^rd. Banchero, a classic in the city. Av Corrientes 1300.- I attempted to split a big slice of spinach and white sauce pizza which I liked a lot and wound up not sharing. Other in our posse went for traditional cheese and were not impressed. Once again cold icy beer. 2.5 stars total

 

4^th Guerrin Corrientes 1368- Now there is a reason why Guerrin makes every guide book. It is the best; great pie, great service and environment. We huddled in around the center island and worked to finish our final slices. Full and happy we gave Guerrin 4.5 stars.

 

We opted to quit while we were ahead.  #5 or Los Immortales- Corrientes 1369 is still on the list (and I hear it’s fantastic). Next time I plan to get my pizza to go or “ a llevar”. As a wine lover and a pizza lover I find the wine lists at each of these dinosaurs limited and I wind up getting beer, or in some unfortunate cases cheap Muscato.

 

But for me a good pie deserves a good bottle of wine. Pizza can be a difficult match; I tend to go by the toppings. A pizza with sausage or pepperoni goes great with a fuller body Malbec https://www.anuvawines.com/wine/malbec/naiara-malbec-2007/ or Sangiovese https://www.anuvawines.com/wine/sangiovese/callejon-del-crimen-sangiovese-2006/.  Another great combo is cheese, pineapple and ham (Hawaiian (sans tomato sauce!) with Torrontes.

 

If you visit Buenos Aires be sure to try the pizza. Keep in mind this city oozes Italian heritage and cellars some of the best wine in the world.

Americans are becoming more environmentally aware, and this holds true with their wine consumption as well.  Consumer attitudes to organic wines shows that there is a market niche for quality examples of the product (http://www.marketresearch.com/map/prod/1495556.html ).This trend bodes well for Argentine wine, because while the production of organic wine may have started in the old world, Argentina has eclipsed the export of the entire old world organic wine market many times over.  Argentina exported 3,500,000 kilo of organic wine in 2003, compared to only 500,000 kilos in the old world ( http://www.winesur.com/ver_nota.php?nota=19162 ). 

The questions “What is an organic wine?” and “Why does Argentina grow so much organic wine?”  are probably on the tip of your tongues.  The USDA requires an organic wine to be made with organically grown grape, and not contain sulfites.  Organically grown grapes means no pesticides, herbicides or chemical fertilizers ( http://www.theorganicwinecompany.com/basics.php ).  Sulfites are naturally occurring in wine, but adding more of them acts as a preservative to maintain the quality of the wine once bottled (http://www.wineintro.com/glossary/s/sulfites.html ).  While some bemoan to difficulties of creating an organic wine that is lasting with bottle consistency, other, like many boutique producers in Argentina, have seen it as an untapped market.

One reason that Argentina produces so much organic wine is that the climate and soil makes herbicides and pesticides much less necessary, as well as eliminating the need to watch for funguses.  It is much easier to grow grapes organically in Mendoza, San Juan and La Rioja because of this.

Many wines that contain organically grown grapes still add sulfites, and sulfites have been an addition to wine since the Romans, in Argentina and elsewhere, but there is not government recognized distinction to describe those wines yet.  So, if you are looking for a guaranteed organic product then Argentine wines offer a variety to choose from.