Red Wine, Red Meat

While our Passport dinners always tend to be a learning experience, this week we decided to make it truly academic.

On a special trip to Boston University we attended the seminar Red Wine, Red Meat: The Wine and Cuisine of Uruguay, conducted by Professor Francisco Carrau of the renowned Bodegas Carrau family of winemakers.

Not only did we get to sample some of the wines crafted by Bodegas Carrau, but we also learned all about the gem of Uruguayan viticulture, Tannat.

Originally grown exclusively in the Madiran region of southwest France, the highly tannic Tannat grapes were brought to Uruguay by Basque immigrants in the last 1800s. Although Uruguay’s climate tends to vary from humid to dry from year to year, the robust Tannat vines quickly adapted to the local soil.

Whereas French Tannat is often described as very rustic, acidic and dry and is usually blended with lighter wines, the Tannat of Uruguay, while still robust, is smoother and more approachable.

The first wine we tried was the Bodegas Carrau 2009 Sauvignon Blanc Sur Lie. From the coastal regions of Uruguay, this wine is steel fermented six months sur lie, or without the removal of residual yeast deposits. The result is a very versatile wine, aromatic and juicy with citrus fruits like your typical Sauvignon Blanc, while exhibiting more texture and a subtle creaminess.

Next, paired with an olive, raisin and egg empanada, we tasted Bodegas Carrau’s 2007 Tannat de Reserva.

Uruguayan cuisine is influenced by Spanish, Mediterranean and Basque methods, a savory combination that plays well with a local Tannat.

Each bite of the empanada tempered the dryness of the wine and brought out more of the dark fruit flavors. Barrel aged for 18 months, this Reserva, as with all Tannats, has eased its tannins with age.


Uruguayan food is often characterized by the deliciously smoky aromas of roasted meat and has one of the largest spectrums of beef dishes in the world. Parrilleros, or large wood-fire ovens filled with a variety of sizzling meats are a common sight along the streets and open markets of the capital city, Monteviedo, as well as throughout the country.

For our next pairing, we sampled Vinedo de los Vientos’ 2007 Tannat, and the 2005 vintage of Bodegas Carrau’s flagship wine, Amat Tannat, with a grilled beefsteak topped with chimichurri.

Mature and velvety, the Vinedo de los Vientos Tannat was earthy without being over-powering. The flavors of stone, tobacco, raisin and fig beautifully enhanced the cilantro in the chimichurri, and offered more complexity with every sip.

The Amat, firm and structured with mild tannins and aromas of plum and licorice, also revealed its softer side once paired with the red meat.

Just as the wines opened up when accompanied with the food, the meal itself, while good, was nothing without the wines.

For dessert, a classic South American flan with caramel sauce. Unremarkable on its own, the flan paired with Vinedo de los Vientos’ Alcyone Tannat dessert wine, became quite a treat.

Fortified with grappa, Alcyone happens to be to be one of Adam’s favorites. And for good reason. Inky in color with a honeyed texture and milk chocolate, vanilla cream nose, this dessert wine pairs well with dark, bitter chocolates or creamy desserts.

Throughout the room we heard exclamations of delight as this surprising dessert wine exhibited ripe berry flavors and brought out rich summer peach in the flan.

If you would like to try Tannat for yourself, these wines can be found in Southern New England through Charles River Distributors. According to Professor Carrau, the prime Tannat vintages of Bodegas Carrau are 2000, 2002, and 2005.