AnuvaBlog

No one means to become a wine snob, it just sort of happens. One day you wake up and find it hard to just enjoy a casual glass of wine with out analyzing it from a critic’s perspective.

The other day for lunch I ate a Chez Pauline in Recoletta. http://www.chezpauline.com.ar/chezpauline.htm  Known for tea and not for wine, was clearly my error and not theirs. All the same I asked what wines I might enjoy with my croque madame and leafy green salad.

I was offered two options; Norton Classico blanco or tinto. http://www.norton.com.ar/  The same internal struggle stirred inside me again. I wanted a glass of wine, and ignored my conscience.

Yes, I have had the displeasure of drinking Norton before. And yes 10 pesos per cup seemed awfully high, possibly more than the cost of a bottle in the supermarket. But, I refused to let myself be snooty and decided to give it another go.

Norton Classico taste like stems and nail polish remover. Not even delicious boxed wine juice. Yet people like me still order it and drink it begrudgingly. I enjoyed my sandwich and after 2 sips left the glass stare me in the face for the rest of the meal.  Filled to the brim and mocking me, “yes you should have ordered beer” I thought about a question someone asked during a tasting.

When ordering wine in a restaurant when is it acceptable to send it back?

Only if the wine is flawed.

If you chose a wine and did not like it, it is best to drink it but not order it again. Like my Norton which may be the worst wine in Argentina, shame on me for falling back into it’s tannic acidic trap. Each wine is an experience, and you won’t love everyone you try.

However if you suspect your wine is flawed consult your waiter or sommelier.

What do I mean by flawed or “corked”?

If a wine tastes “off” or damp, funky, moldy like wet socks, you probably received a corked bottle. It is not often that this occurs, but it does happen for many numbers of reasons; oxidation, sulphur, sediments etc.  Check out this article on the Wine Doctors website for more information http://www.thewinedoctor.com/advisory/tastefaulty.shtml

In proper conduct the restaurant should take the bottle back and bring you another bottle of the same wine. Chances are the second bottle will not have the same error.

This goes for wine shops as well. Don’t pour that bottle down the drain. Take it back to the store you purchased it at and asked for a new bottle. Imagine going home like a carton of milk. Ready to enjoy cereal your pour and find sour curdled revulsion. Anyone would have just cause to return and ask for a replacement.

As I finished my meal and signaled for the check I saluted sir Norton for having tricked me again. He knew complaining about his corner cutting charms would only bring disappointment in another inherently disturbing glass.

At the highest altitude vineyards in the world (upwards of 6000 ft or 2000m), the theme usually revolves around Torrontés. This variety, although originally Spanish, expresses itself best here with an abundant honeyed floral aroma and crisp citric mouth. The altitude is the key for Torrontés as with altitude comes a greater diurnal temperature differential–sometimes as great as 20 degrees C (or 35 F)–which preserves acidity in this uniquely luscious white. Torrontés also can come from La Rioja and San Juan in Argentina but they tend to be a bit more delicate.

Now Malbec from Salta has a great reputation although I find it to be quite medicinal at times. Bodegas Tacuil would have to be among my favorites from the region because of their adherence to little or no oak policies and an ability to preserve the fruit of this high desert red.

So what else can you get from Salta? Well besides minerals and llama clothing you can get Tannat. The originally French varietal derives its name from the word tannin and can sometimes can be a brutal as a Mike Tyson uppercut (from the pre Buster Douglas era of course). With time though, some goregous thorny blackberry can show through in Tannat and really be quite a nice change of pace.

Lourdes, my wife and integral part of the Anuva team is currently in Salta sourcing from many wineries. New additions to come…

I never realized how many people are in Buenos Aires until a main subway line breaks down and 30,000 people emerge from the depths.

Around 6 pm on my way to a tasting, subway line D from Catedral to Palermo broke. I wound up stranded in the city center packed in with everyone else and their moms. There was no way out. You couldn’t move.

Throngs of people lined every block waiting for buses and traffic slowed to a snails pace.  If you felt like a yell now was the time .I was surrounded by people screaming Spanish into their cell phones.

I called to let everyone know I might be a tad late. And thus began my taxi hunt. After 45 minutes of no luck I became aggressive stood my ground when woman tried to jump in front of me and steal my ride. I won and got in. Quickly afterwards I realized I may have  been better off walking to the other side of the city.

Fortunately my tardiness gave the wine time to breath and I arrive just before 8. We sampled 38 wines. I got to thinking how a person’s mood might alter their reception of wine. I was nervous the transit ordeal would make swill taste like a vintage reserve.

Thankfully the tasting was mixed as always. Some you hate, some you’ll forget, and some you say “ooo I’ll have a glass of that later please.”

We had some definite winners including a Finca la Serrera 2008 Torrontes, a Naiara 2006 Icono Malbec, Finca la Serrera 2005 Gran Guarda and a Carinae 2007 Gran Reserva Syrah.

When we got to round II, wines 8-14 I noticed a curious light colored wine, later revealed as a gift from Spanglish’s Maya May. This boxed liquid “vino tinto” Crespi got some laughs, sort of like my old friend from Europe “Don Simon” Sangria.

 But in earnest this wine could hold it’s own against other boxed competitors and reminded me of a funny site, Bum Wine http://www.bumwine.com/ . I’ll let their header draw you in “this page explores the top five.
So curl up on a heating duct and enjoy… “

Friday night Cocina Sunae http://cocinasunae.blogspot.com  set their table for a grand opening. This closed door restaurant fuses many different styles from Asian cuisine into an elegant and unique dining experience.

Our host, ex New Yorker Christina Wiseman runs a city tour service known as BAlocal, www.BAlocal.com   which provides an insider’s look into Buenos Aires. Christina’s most recent venture has expanded the exclusive experience into private gourmet meals in her home.

Christina utilizes her many years of experience in NYC’s restaurant scene to blend Thai, Korean and Vietnamese influences into thoughtfully prepared dishes. Last’s night’s menu featured a spicy Pla Lard Prik and home made green tea ice cream. For drinks we enjoyed a refreshing cucumber sake cocktails and two wines from Anuva’s www.anuvawines.com collection.

16 people guests attended the premier, mostly from NY and LA. The meal was relaxing and a great way to get to know some of the other expat businesses in Buenos Aires like Spanglish http://www.spanglishba.com/ , a language exchange service and BA’s popular magazine Time Out. http://www.timeout.com/buenos-aires/