Argentina

2008 Michel Torino Don David Torrontes From: Cafayate Valley, Argentina Price: $17 Serve with: White-fleshed fish, shellfish South America's best white wines are neither its chardonnays nor its sauvignon blancs but the crisp, clear, bone-dry and wonderfully fresh wines from the otherwise obscure torrontes grape that come from the vineyards of Argentina. This torrontes is both lively and complex, delivering flavors of lime, pear, kiwi, minerals and sweet peas with laser-like clarity.

The number of swine flu cases in Mexico is stabilizing. In the U.S., though more people are being diagnosed with the virus, cases have been mostly mild, claiming two lives. And health officials have backed off on closing schools where students are sick. It may seem as though the threat of the virus known as H1N1 has lessened. But infectious disease experts and public health officials agree: The worst is likely still to come. In pandemics of the past, flu that arrived in the spring hit harder come fall, when influenza season returned.

BEIJING - The U.S. men's basketball team is about to face 2004 gold medalist Argentina in this morning's semifinals, and you know what that means. Not only is it an honor to play the Argentines, they're a great team. Actually, they're not merely a great team, they're like an NBA team! Actually, they're not merely like a generic NBA team but the Boston Celtics in Bill Russell's prime! Actually, what it probably means is bad news for Argentina, which, by its record (5-1) and the way it has looked, might be only marginally better than Spain (which the U.S. squad beat by 37)

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina -- Paraguay's long-dominant ruling party confirmed yesterday that a former Cabinet minister would be its candidate in the coming presidential election, although her nomination faces a court challenge. If elected in the April 20 balloting, Blanca Ovelar would become the country's first female head of state and the third woman elected president in South America in recent years. Women now lead Argentina and Chile. However, her chief rival for the nomination, former Vice President Luis Castiglione, vowed to pursue his legal challenge.

N.J. appears set to abolish death penalty TRENTON, N.J. -- The state Senate approved legislation yesterday that would make New Jersey the first state to abolish the death penalty since the U.S. Supreme Court reinstated it in 1976. The measure to replace the death sentence with life without parole would spare the life of a sex offender whose crimes sparked Megan's Law. With the support of the Democratic-controlled Assembly and the Democratic governor, the bill is expected to be signed into law within a month.

Can you suggest the best time to take a South American cruise around Cape Horn, including the smoothest month for sailing? The best times to travel are December, January and February, when you'll likely encounter average daytime highs in the 80s in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Santiago, Chile, and lows in the 50s and 60s. But it's only temporary. As your ship makes it way toward the southern tip of South America, be prepared to bundle up. In Ushuaia, the capital of Tierra del Fuego province in Argentina, the daytime temperature ranges from 42 to 57 degrees.

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina -- When Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner announced in July that she would seek to succeed her husband, Nestor Kirchner, as Argentina's president, the power couple said that "change was just beginning." Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner's final campaign event Thursday before today's election left little doubt that her likely victory would mean more of the same if she succeeds her husband. Many refer to the couple as the "Clintons of the South." Many analysts contend that Nestor Kirchner's decision not to run was a calculated move by the couple to tag-team the presidency for the next 12 years.

Are there any countries where the dollar is doing well and travel is still a good value? Despite the dollar's loss in value, especially against the euro and the British pound, there are a few places where our currency still has muscle. Experts at hot wire.com and orbitz.com agree on these two destinations, where exchange rates are favorable and prices are low: Thailand and Argentina. Barbara Messing, Hotwire's travel expert, says you can still get a $12 steak dinner and an $8 bottle of wine in Buenos Aires, Argentina, a cosmopolitan city that often reminds visitors of Paris - there are long boulevards, scenic parks and great shopping.