SHOPPING Buenos Aires offers excellent leather goods, gems, and designer clothes. Argentine wines are surprisingly good and inexpensive. Handcrafted items like the mate (hollowed out gourd used for drinking yerba, a popular Argentine drink much like tea or coffee) and native artworks are great bargains at the street markets.

leather Goods. Argentina is noted for high quality leather goods, including shoes, purses and coats. You may purchase leather products in any of the numerous shops that line downtown's Florida street, or you can venture out a bit off the beaten path by going to the leather district. Take a cab to Scalabrini Ortiz and Murillo. The stores are mostly along Murillo and Malabia streets. There are probably 50 stores within three blocks of each other. Here are some examples

http://www.kitarocueros.com.ar/
http://www.siciliano-cueros.com.ar/

Jewelry. Jewelry stores line Ave. Libertad from about the 100-500 block. Gold, silver, precious gems, watches and antique jewelry are all sold here. The sheer volume of stores increases the competition and keeps prices low.

Antiques. Defensa Street in San Telmo is line with antique stores selling everything from turn of the century imported clocks to elaborate silver mates from Mendoza.

Shopping Centers. There are a number of shopping centers in Buenos Aires. Alto Palermo is near Ave. Santa Fe and the Buenos Aires subte. Gallerias Pacifica is located downtown at the corner of Cordoba and Florida. Patio Bullrich is an upscale mall located on Libertador, near Montevideo. Costanera is the largest mall in Argentina, but is a bit out of the way, probably a 10-15 peso cab ride from your homestay or the school. Get an overview of the various malls here:
http://www.altopalermo.com.ar/

Wine. Sample the wines 0f Argentina by the glass at the Winerey. Some of the better vineyards are Lopez, Suter, Etchart, Nieto Senetiner and Chandon. Reds from Mendoza province are especially recommended, along with champagnes by Chandon and Nieto Senetiner.
http://www.winery.com.ar