Not every meal needs to be beautiful, but once in a while a plate appears in front of you and looks as if it should be featured on a postcard. Your eyes widen when it is placed on the table, you “ooh” and “aah”, you admire, and eventually you start to eat.
So is it at Bodegas Salentein, a vineyard located in Valle de Uco on the eastern slopes of Argentina’s Andes mountain range.
Floor to ceiling windows ensure that natural light floods the restaurant of Bodegas Salentein, and with the Andes looming in the distance, it is a stunning setting to savour your three-course lunch.
Be sure to start with a first course of salt and herb-cured salmon, served on delicately toasted countryside bread, together with avocado cream and lime mayonnaise. Baby leaf lettuce and chives add an injection of colour. The salmon comes from Argentina’s own rivers and is a match made in heaven when paired with a Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc (Vintage 2010) from Bodegas Salentein’s own vineyards, naturally.
Avocados and limes are also grown in Argentina and their flavours, together with the oaked Sauvignon Blanc, push the salmon to be the star of the show.
After lunch, there is another show to be enjoyed. In addition to the aforementioned grapes and great food, Bodegas Salentein is also home to the Killka Art Gallery.
The gallery changes exhibitions with each new season and is a showcase of local, national, and international artists. The collection brings together contemporary art and sculptures with 19th and 20th century Dutch painters.
If you are sleepy after your beautiful lunch and a few glasses of wine, the bright and lively contemporary pieces throughout the Killka Art Gallery are certain to perk you up
Tanya is an avid traveller who is happiest when using her camera to discover what delights the world has to offer. She originates from Canada, currently makes her home in the Netherlands, and is on an everlasting journey to visit all corners of the world. 
