July 26 marked the 60th anniversary of her death, and starting next week, the Consulate General of Argentina is exhibiting 50 artifacts from her life that are on loan from the Museo Evita in Buenos Aires. The rare pieces include paintings, photographs and haute couture such as ball gowns, suits, dresses and shoes worn by Eva Perón.

“There are 18 paintings and 18 photographs of Eva showing her in her official duties,” said Ines Segarra, director of the Argentina Tourism Board.

This is the first time these items have been on loan in New York and it also commemorates the 10th anniversary of the founding of the Museo Evita. Eva’s great-niece, Maria Cristina Alvarez Rodriguez, honorary president of the Evita Perón Historical Research Foundation, founded the museum.

The museum is part of the Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Historicas Eva Perón, which researches her role in history by archiving documents, recording oral history and publishing investigative studies.

Museo Evita once housed the shelter for women and children that were helped by Eva, and was used as a transitional home for women looking for employment and housing.

“She was an icon for Argentineans, and a lightning rod. For people around the world, her good works brought attention to Argentina. Evita is very much a part of our heritage. She was respected for all the good that she did,” Segarra said.

Eva’s supporters point to her efforts to help create a welfare safety net for seniors, single mothers and underprivileged children. She fought for women’s suffrage and social security for the workers.

“Evita: Passion and Action” is organized by famous Argentinean curator Gabriel Miremont and is sponsored by the Ministry of Tourism and other Argentinean agencies.

The consulate and tourism ministry promote all aspects of Argentina. During this exhibit, the arts, culture and tourism are being promoted as people view the items once belonging to Perón.

“Evita is one of the most iconic personifications of Argentina’s culture, and by conveying her messages and her good works, we aim to bring our two countries together,” Segarra hoped.

She explained that the consulate regularly mounts exhibitions of Argentine artists such as painters, photographers and sculptors. Admission to these exhibits is always free.

“Evita is a seminal figure for all Argentineans, whatever your political view. She was a visionary and quite ahead of her time. This is an occasion to share with the American people,” Segarra said.

“Evita: Passion and Action” runs Sept. 7 through 23 at the Consulate General of Argentina, 12 W. 56th St. Admission is free. The exhibit is open Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; closed on weekends except for Sept. 22 and 23, when it will be on display from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call 212-603-0400.

It wasn’t all that long ago that I had to beg people to try wine from South America. I almost felt like a snake oil salesman giving them a spiel that, in the end, I always worried would overhype their expectations.

But it never did, and the reason was twofold: 1) South American wines are delicious and 2) South American wines are, by and large, cheap.

South America has been one of the rising stars of the wine world for the last two decades. Unlike Australia, however, the prices of most South American wines have not risen significantly. Chilean merlots began showing up in North American wine stores decades ago, and they remain bargains, while ultra-expensive wines like Australia’s Australis are becoming more and more common.

Even more of a Mecca for bargain vino than Chile, however, is Argentina. Many international grapes like chardonnay and sauvignon blanc thrive there, especially on the sunny, fertile plateau of the Mendoza area. These grapes, which were originally grown to produce California-style wines are now coming into their own, and an Argentinean chardonnay now tastes like…well…an Argentinean chardonnay. Softer and riper, with tropical fruit flavors, the white wines of Argentina are a sure bet when you need something refreshing and inexpensive.

As far as reds are concerned, however, one grape rises above them all in Argentina: malbec. It has traveled a long way to get to where it is now considered king, however. A hundred years ago, malbec was used much more prominently in the blending of red Bordeaux wines. While it is still legal to use small amounts of malbec in Bordeaux, it is very rarely done. At the same time, south of Bordeaux in the Cahors region, malbec was being blended with the rustic tannat grape to make the namesake “black wine” of that area. Once it traveled across the Atlantic to Argentina, the grape took on a softer, less tannic, riper flavor profile.

The typical Argentinean malbec can be anywhere from medium to full bodied, but it will always have dark fruit up front and a little spice on the finish. Not as jammy as a warm-climate syrah or shiraz, spicier than merlot and less tannic than cabernet sauvignon, it has a character all its own.

A great place to start, if you’re a first-timer with malbec, is simple and inexpensive. Enrique Foster Ique Malbec 2010 ($10.33 at Park Avenue Liquor, 292 Madison Ave., betw. 40th and 41st Sts., 212-685-2442) is a fantastic basic malbec that won’t throw your palate or pocketbook for a loop. On the lighter side of the grape, it starts with ripe cherry and plum fruit. The finish balances out the fruitiness with notes of cinnamon and pipe tobacco. It’s great all by itself, but it’s even better with a chicken empanada.

The malbec grape has a dark side to it, as I mentioned before, even in sunny Argentina. When allowed to ripen to its fullest and spend time in oak to mature, you can wind up with a serious wine that has bigger and bolder flavors. The Punto Final Malbec 2010 ($12.95 at Sherry-Lehmann., 505 Park Ave., betw. 59th and 60th Sts., 212-838-7500, sherry-lehmann.com) is darker and more muscular than the Ique. With baked fruit flavors of black currant and blueberry, the intensity follows through the middle with smoky notes and finishes with a hefty dollop of black pepper and vanilla. While there’s a lot of fruit up front on this wine, it definitely fares better with food—preferably something grilled that was, at one point, attached to a mooing animal.

If you’re entertaining and you want to share your South American find with your friends and family, the Astica Malbec 2010 ($12.99 at 67 Wine and Spirits, 179 Columbus Ave., at 68th St., 212-724-6767, 67wine.com) comes in a party-friendly magnum. Remarkably full on flavor for the low price point, this malbec has the signature dark berry-driven fruit up front and zing of spice on the finish, but with a slightly less smoky oak.

For a grape that once played second fiddle in Bordeaux, this storied berry needs absolutely no help being delicious and inexpensive south of the equator.

Follow Josh on Twitter: @joshperilo.