Something new!

Hello, hello, hello it’s T.O.!

I’m back with a new format for you this week and I am so excited to share it with you all. If you wouldn’t mind sending me a quick reply with what you liked or disliked, that would be amazing! Even just a 👍 or 👎 will do — anything helps.

Enjoy!

Eat, Drink, and Be Merry in Mendoza, Argentina

Finca Minimal

This is the kind of place that makes you reevaluate your life.

We pulled up to our second stop on the wine tour and I was a little underwhelmed. At first glance, it seemed…rugged, compared to the larger estates we had seen around Mendoza.

As we exited the car and walked towards the grounds, I began to understand why. Luciano, our host for the next hour or so, greeted us and showed us around the property.

This wasn’t just a vineyard, but a full-fledged farm — complete with goats, cows, and horses, along with dogs, chickens, and two cats roaming freely.

Luciano shared details about the organic, biodynamic, and natural properties of the farm and how all of the pieces intertwined to create the finished product at the table.

Then, we sat down for our tasting which was accompanied by a tasting board featuring goat cheese, cherry tomatoes, figs, and seasoned squash.

We proceeded to mix and match our wines with the excellent food pairings, as Luciano described the properties of the wines we were tasting.

I had tasted natural wines before, but they were always a bit funky and came with a side of Brooklyn pretentiousness.

These wines were not that.

I’m no wine snob, but Finca Minimal was the best wine experience I’ve had to date.

So wonderful in fact, that we decided to come back the next day for lunch, where we were treated to a farm-to-table 5-course meal accompanied by 5 different wines.

We were also fortunate enough to meet the winemaker on our return visit, who happens to live on this gorgeous, but humble property.

The experience sparked a love and appreciation for our hosts, each other, our ability to travel, and the natural world. The best things in life are often so simple.

Weekly Write-up

I spent some time reflecting on this concept on my recent trip to Argentina.

Having heard and read all of these amazing things about the destinations I would be visiting and the country as a whole, I went into my trip with some serious excitement, and, the dreaded “expectations.”

However, I noticed something different this time.

As I walked through the streets of Buenos Aires, I found myself looking for things to match what I had heard or read, rather than experiencing through my own senses.

I’ve felt this feeling before, but hadn’t quite put my finger on it…

Or maybe I just hadn’t accepted it.

I want to develop my opinions by experiencing things myself rather than being subconsciously told what to think. So I am challenging myself to go into new experiences with an open mind and observe without judgment.

Easier said than done, of course, but a good challenge I think.

I got better at this as the trip went on and by the time I sat down for lunch at Finca Minimal, I was in a different place — enjoying the experience for what it was and savoring the moment.

The more we can filter through external opinions and be present with our own experiences and observations, the better off I think we’ll be.

Airplane Content

In this section, I hope to provide some interesting content recommendations that may help pass the time as you travel.

I read this piece recently and found it to be a wonderful perspective on life operating principles. Since I probably could have used this primer, “agentic” refers to an individual's power to control his or her own goals, actions, and destiny.

AI Travel Art Piece of the Week

Cheers ‘til next week,

T.O.