With locro, wine, and a surprise box: three plans to let yourself be carried away by reading in a different way.
There are pleasures that are enhanced when combined: reading, eating, and drinking, for example . What better context to foster conversation? Those conversations that connect, encounters that happen far from screens, where the senses are brought into play with the excuse of understanding an author or uncovering the secret hidden in a glass of wine.
The three selected proposals invite you to enjoy with all your senses, to let yourself be carried away by a story while your body celebrates with others , face to face, with the power of what happens suddenly, through some unexpected stimulus, a taste, a word or a sound.
Writer Haidu Kowski opens the doors of his home and his incredible garden amidst the concrete of the Paternal neighborhood, an unusual green and literary bubble that blends art, nature, and a mountain atmosphere.
Kowski is the author of Instructions for Robbing Supermarkets (Tusquets, 2017), The Exercise of Losing (Odelia, 2021), and There Is No More Outside (Factotum, 2024)—a finalist for the Clarín Prize—among others. He founded the Writing Jam in 2006.
At their literary gatherings, featuring a guest writer for each date, they create an ideal anti-Sunday for these times of anxiety. There are also special dates like Sunday, July 20th, to celebrate Friendship Day with empanadas and wine.
“I love hosting, I love cooking, I'm a fan of specialty coffee, wine, and I love literature and everything the world of literature has given me,” Haidu tells LA NACION. “I aim to demonstrate all of this at every gathering, where, in addition to sharing my experiences, I can help readers engage with literature from different aspects of life,” the writer adds.
In addition, once a month, the Mountain Literature Workshop is held, where the proposal consists of gathering to read and write around the fire, recalling the mountain and its impressions to narrate from estrangement, from perspective, from within.
On July 9th, the event will feature a shared locro, accompanied by a good red wine, and a tasting with sommelier Carolina Acosta, who will teach you how to taste young wines. The atmosphere is relaxed and friendly, and registration is online on her Instagram: @haidu_kowski .
The same concept of pairing wines with literature works for those who prefer to do so in the comfort of their own home. For them, a monthly subscription to Viblioteca offers home delivery in a box.
It works like a monthly subscription: each box includes a selection of wines, a literary text, and a surprise item, all linked by a common theme. The package invites you to explore stories and flavors in an integrated way, with a focus on enjoyment, discovery, and conversation.
Viblioteca is aimed at curious readers and wine lovers seeking a different experience, far removed from hurried consumption and closer to personal rituals.
The box is shipped between the 10th and 25th of each month, with deliveries throughout the Greater Buenos Aires (AMBA). There's no minimum stay and you can cancel at any time.
In addition to the main content, each delivery includes a guide that expands the universe of meaning of the text and the chosen wine. The surprise item changes monthly and can range from a small work of art to an item designed to stimulate reading or accompany the tasting. The invitation is to read with your body, to toast with ideas, and to make your own time a moment shared with others, even from a distance.
Argentine writer Denise Traverso coordinates a monthly gathering that combines storytelling with a wine tasting. Each gathering revolves around a central theme that guides the selection of texts and the discussions that follow. Approximately three stories are read live per gathering, and four different wines are tasted.
A graduate in Literature, with training in playwriting at the studio of Mauricio Kartun and Ariel Farace (Lehmann), Traverso was a finalist in the 2023 Futurock novel competition. She works at PAM publishing house—where authors such as Julieta Mortati and Leche Goyan are published—and has experience in advertising, communications, marketing, and strategy. She has coordinated reading and writing workshops and clubs for years, both in Buenos Aires and Madrid.
“Reading aloud relieves the pressure of having to arrive with the texts already read,” Nina explains. “In any case, I always send the materials in advance, along with a reading guide, for those who want to explore the stories beforehand and then return to them during the meeting.”
After each session, a collaborative online log is created where additional information about the authors, texts, and genres discussed is posted. Participants can add references, comment, and recommend books, films, or other materials related to the discussion.
Each event is designed as a standalone experience, although some people return monthly and others participate sporadically. Capacity is around 16 people, although Nina occasionally accepts more participants, anticipating possible last-minute cancellations.
The last event took place three weeks ago and cost $35,000, which included the event, a tasting of four wines, and a generous appetizer—including cold cuts, cheeses, and sometimes tequeños or other similar options.
The meetings take place at Musa Vinería , located on Aráoz Street near the corner of Juncal Street, in Palermo. They are typically held on Wednesdays from 7 to 9 p.m., although Nina is considering exploring other days to accommodate those who cannot attend during those hours.
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