Argentine Asado, Malbec Wine & Buenos Aires Gastronomy

Argentine cuisine — shaped by the extraordinary cattle-ranching tradition of the Pampas (the vast grasslands of central Argentina, home to the world's finest grass-fed beef), the Italian immigrant influence on pasta and pizza culture, the Spanish colonial foundation, and the Mendoza wine tradition (Argentina is the fifth largest wine producer in the world, and Malbec — the deep, plummy red grape variety that has become Argentina's signature — is widely regarded as one of the great red wines of the world) — is one of the great meat-based cuisines of the world.