Mendoza Cooking Class: 7 Argentine Recipes & Unlimited Wine

4.90

(142 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

I didn’t expect to start the evening standing in someone’s kitchen in Mendoza, but there I was—apron on, glass of vermouth in hand, trying to fold my first empanada without losing half the filling. Our host (he works as a sommelier nearby) kept things relaxed—no chef-y pressure, just stories about his grandma’s chimichurri and why Gancia with Sprite is basically the soundtrack to every local gathering. The smell of grilled steak drifted through the apartment, mixing with laughter and that sharp tang of fresh herbs on my fingers.

We cooked seven dishes together. The main keyword here is “together,” because it felt like a group project where nobody really knew what they were doing at first—except our host, who somehow made even my lopsided alfajores seem worthy of applause. At one point, I tried saying “humita” properly and got a gentle correction (and an extra pour of Malbec for effort). The kitchen table was crowded with plates: beef empanadas, Andean corn filling, bife de ancho steak glistening beside homemade waffle fries. Everything tasted bigger than it looked—maybe that’s just the wine talking.

There was this moment when we all sat down—strangers an hour ago—and raised glasses of white Malbec over our own handiwork. I remember the clink of glasses and someone asking for seconds before dessert even hit the table. It wasn’t fancy or staged; it felt like being let in on something locals do without thinking twice. I still think about that first bite of alfajor with dulce de leche—sticky, sweet, gone too fast.