Who has the best beer selection in Buenos Aires? I claim that the best beer fridge in the city does not belong to a bar, a pub or even a specialty shop. It belongs to Martín Boan and Carolina Pérez, heads of the Centro de Cata de Cerveza in San Telmo.

When entering the Centro de Cata (Tasting Centre) you will see an impressive collection of beer books, bottles, and other memorabilia on the shelves that border the room. Inevitably, your eye will be drawn to the contents protected by two glass doors on the far wall. The two fridges are a densely packed library of styles from across the continent and around the world.

Amassing and replenishing their constantly revolving collection is all in a day’s work. Carolina and Martín are leading figures in developing the South American craft beer industry and their fridge is a testament to wide travels, influence and admiration. They are Argentina’s foremost beer educators, drawing students from across South America and colleagues from around the world to their classroom. They also have a hand in the malting industry and in founding the South Beer Cup, a beer competition and festival inaugurated last May in Buenos Aires.

I was recently lucky enough to attend a low-key meeting between Martín, some of his students, and Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) president Gordon Strong. Mr. Strong happens to be the BJCP’s most experienced judge and had passed through Brazil before lecturing and judging at a brewing competition in Santa Fe.

The stylistic variety and origins of the beers we shared and discussed was surprising. From out of the fridge came a Baltic Porter brewed in Scotland, a Brazilian Black India Pale Ale, an Argentine Pale Ale in the American style, and Argentine versions of Bock and Imperial Stout to name only a few.

Perhaps the most intriguing of the beers was a Brazilian ale inspired by the Belgian brewing tradition. Fermented using Brettanomyces (a unique strain of yeast that creates a distinct sour taste), it offered tart and refreshing sips. It would be at home in a Belgian café and is an ideal restorative on a hot day.

Mr. Strong had this to say when asked to characterize Martín and Carolina’s influence on educating hopeful beer judges: “The BJCP would not have a presence in South America if it were not for Martín and Carolina. They helped organize and proctor the first exams, and also helped start up the program in Brazil. They are exactly the right type of people to lead the judging community”. More judges means more beer competitions and more chances for brewers to be shaped by competent criticism and praise from their peers. Better beer is the inevitable outcome.

The beers in the Centro de Cata de Cerveza are for educational purposes. The Centro offers regular topical workshops for those looking to indulge their curiosity about beer appreciation, as well as technical talks for homebrewers. For the more serious student, several long-term courses are offered through the Centro (including distance education) and each involves many hours of sensory evaluation. Beer’s raw materials, brewing science and other key technical subjects are also on the syllabus.

In any case, signing up for a class means drinking beer will quite literally be your homework.

Aaron Brown is a Canadian beer lover and writer exploring Argentina one beer at a time. He writes for the Adventures In Alcohol blog and is frequently on Twitter. He hosts regular beer tastings in Buenos Aires. For more information please see the blog or Facebook.

I had never been to a wine-tasting session before, so any impressions made on me were definitely going to be first ones. I arrived at the event, tucked away in Palermo Soho, unsure of what to expect.

My preoccupations were quickly expelled by the warm greeting I received from the organisers and the glass of sparkling white planted in my hand.

The event takes place in a converted office. Wine and Design have free reign to it every Wednesday and Thursday, and the idea is to combine both concepts in an artistic way.

Heather Willens, 37, from the US, is a self-employed wine broker. She feels a real passion for wine, seeing the making and tasting of it as an art. Everyone takes a comfortable seat as Heather describes the wines one by one, leaving the participants to stimulate their pallet and discuss it with their neighbours. She explains that each week she will introduce one sparkling white wine, one white and three red. Each glass comes accompanied by a carefully selected cheese.

The host is extremely knowledgeable about wine and for the uneducated connoisseur a lot can be learned in a short space of time. This does not however isolate the more educated drinker. Guests are invited to ask questions and provoke conversation. Heather relates how one wine smells like a horses back underneath the saddle, and how two contrasting wines represent an extrovert man with sunglasses and slicked back hair and a grey-whiskered old man standing modestly in the corner.

She explains how wine consumption in Argentina had dramatically halved from 96 litres in the 1960s per head to 40 in the late 1990s. This began a move towards exportation, which coincidentally occurred at the same time as European investors from France, Spain and Italy arrived, bringing their expertise and style to Argentine wine. This saw a rise in quality and popularity, and in the US, Argentina has now overtaken Chile and Spain to sit in fourth place in the imports table.

Heather is keen to emphasise that wines are purposely selected from small family companies, not only for reasons of anti-globalisation, but because they make limited amounts and it is fascinating to think that you are one of a select few to taste the wine. If your taste buds have been delicately satisfied and you wish to sample more of a specific wine, Heather brings along an extra few bottles for sale, but at wholesale price and almost 30% cheaper than what you would pay in an average shop for a wine of similar quality. Typical prices range from $28 to $60. That is a bargain!

The design side of the night follows the same principle as that of the wine. Interior and furniture designer Emma Balch, 33, from the UK, aims to promote young Argentine artisan designers who have low production levels. This results in objects being ‘one of a kind’. On offer are ceramics, textiles, and furniture pieces, hand-made and of limited availability. Emma is particularly enamoured by the exuberant colours of the objects and their unique designs. They are on display for anyone who is interested in a purchase. Ceramics cost up to $100, textiles between $200 and $700, and furniture from $150 up to $2200 for a very rare Bergere chair.

Attending such an event was very educating. You learn that wines have a range of personalities and profound tastes. An array of beautiful art is on display, and there is a good onda amongst the participants.

Wine and Design will happen every Wednesday in May between 8pm and 9.30pm on Uriarte 1490 in Palermo. There is also a girls’ night planned for Thursday 7th May, and a mums and kids night on Thursday 21st May. Anybody is welcome but a reservation must be made because there are limited places. The evening can be done in both English and Spanish and costs $60. Contact Heather at willens.heather@gmail.com or on 15 5973 2419.

To take a sneak peek at Emma’s designs, visit www.dobleMdesign.com

Anuva Vinos founder Daniel Karlin speaks of his first Malbec as if it were a high school kiss. “I fell in love with Doña Paula, a 2004 Malbec. Wow, it completely blew me away.”

The Portland native has been providing limited production wines to the US, Europe and locals for the last two years.

Through his online store, a wine club and private tastings, Anuva Vinos proffers boutique wine beyond the valleys of Mendoza. “I’d like to pave the way for small production Argentine wine makers – the guys people don’t know about,” Karlin said. Pinot Noir producer Mudai, for example, often creates only 3,500 bottles a season. The biggest producer for Anuva Vinos, Hom, markets 15,000 bottles a year. “There are so many wines that usually won’t make it back to Europe or the States.” So Karlin has intervened to make sure they do.

Karlin’s idea to market fine wines came during a trip to Mendoza in 2006. Karlin, then director of student exchange programme International Experience, arrived in wine country before his students to taste on his own. Sommelier Leandro Martinez handed Karlin a glass of the lemony Doña Paula, and there was an instant connection.

“I pretty much knew right away that I wanted to start a wine club,” Karlin said. He said the taste and experience of sipping Malbec in Mendoza was more complex than others he’d had. Shortly after, he gave up his role with the student exchange organisation to make room for his love of wine.

Thus far, his business is paving the way for a new consciousness that eschews rigid food and wine parings. “If you want to have white wine with a steak, have white wine with a steak, if you want a red wine with seafood, why not?” Karlin’s flexibility goes hand in hand with his multifarious wine selection – everything from sparkling whites to reserve blends. All of which, can be sampled during Anuva’s private tastings.

The selection of Torrontés, Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon offered at the tastings are among some of Anuva’s best. After tasting over 400 wines Karlin made sure a few of his favourites, a smoky Cavagnaro Reserve Malbec 2004 and a fruity Don Juan blend 2004, made the list. The full-bodied reserve Malbec offered at each tasting is often the most popular. Guests can enjoy evening tastings at Janio Restaurant, Piegari Piazza or Karlin’s private residence. For a more intimate environment, take advantage of this last offer, which also provides a chance to see a wine connoisseur in his element.

Part of Karlin’s charm is the way in which he views the parallel between wine drinkers and their vino. “Wine is just as complicated and interesting as people. There are so many characteristics that make a wine great or that make a person interesting. When you put them together you discover so much depth.”

Karlin’s philosophy about drinking wine emphasises the communal nature of the art. “Why does a bottle of wine pour four glasses?” he asked rhetorically. “Because it’s meant to be shared.” According to Karlin, wine acts as a ‘facilitator of conversation’, bringing people closer together.

The beauty of Anuva Vinos is the ease with which experts and novices alike can enjoy sophisticated yet hard to find wines in good company. The gems Karlin has discovered make clients feel like they’ve been handed a treasure trove of good luck. And the money you’ll save by not going to Mendoza is worth spending on a few savoury glasses of Argentina’s best wine.