AnuvaBlog

Thus begins a new series here on the Anuva Blog and that is reviews of the top restaurants (according to certain publications) in Buenos Aires. This came about from me noticing that nearly all of the visitors to Buenos Aires ended up going to the same restaurants: the one’s who spend a lot of money getting reviews in U.S. publications.

So Lourdes and I went to Cabana Las Lilas, an extremely well known steak house last night for dinner. It’s on the dikes in Puerto Madero, which is prestigious real estate, but the prices were extremely overboard. I am thinking about the fact that they have their own ranch where they breed their own cattle…

Now, we knew what we were getting into, but paying about 4 times (yes 4x) what we normally pay for the same meal of the same quality was breathtaking. And the place is packed!! I really don’t understand why.

We narrowed down the difference between our meal at Cabana Las Lila and what the exact same meal at our other favorite steak houses would have cost/consisted of. Here are the similarities and differences:

1. Similarity: the quality of the meat. Exactly the same. The meat you get at Cabana Las Lilas is no better than any other good steak house in Buenos Aires.

2. Similarity: the overall menu. Nearly the same. Save a few fish dishes, Cabana Las Lilas has nothing different on the menu.

3. Difference: the service. This was a notable quality. The service was impeccable. This cannot be denied. But does it justify paying 4x as much?

4. Difference: the breads/bread selection. Fantastic bread and bread selection. Bread costs about 1 peso per table. Again, a notable difference but one that does not justify the cost.

5. Difference: the wine menu. Extremely extensive. For a wine guy I found their wine menu to be one of the most impressive in the city comparable to any other restaurant. There are so many choices I doubt even the sommelier get’s tired of making suggestions.I want you all to know that this is just our personal opinion of this restaurant after having lived in Buenos Aires for over 5 years. See my other blog on where I recommend you eat steak in Buenos Aires.

www.anuvawines.com

Ok, so the food wasn’t great, but that’s not the reason we went. They kept my glass full of wine (something cheap but there was a lot)! And plenty of other drinks during the show.

In this 90 minute spectacle, it starts with a brief history of the Viejo Almacén (the “Corner Store”) that shows how the place actually used to be a corner store before it became a tango show.

Then several acts follow: first there is a singer with an accordion with a good voice, then 3 couples dancing traditional tango as opposed to more modern theatrical versions that would involve more lifts and jumps. There was a bit of modern dramatic tango worked in, as it makes for some variety.

The thing that really captured my attention and stood out was the venture into musica folklórica (loosely translated as folkloric music) which consists of miniature pipe organs, guitar and light drums. There was no dancing in this part, but it was very interesting to me to see this very prominent part of the history of Argentina displayed on stage.

El Viejo Almacén was named a Place of Cultural Interest in Argentina by the government, fyi.

The ratings: Here in this first of several tango show reviews to come we will use the following rating system…

Food/dinner: 7

Costumes: 6

Music/singing: 8.5

Dancing: 9

Total: 30.5 out of 40. Let’s see how this stacks up in the weeks to come.

www.anuvawines.com

Torrontés: the Next Malbec

                Since 2004 no other country has seen the meteoric rise in volume, value and market share figures that Argentina has in the import segment of fine wine to the U.S. Over the last two years while all other segments of imported wine are down in both value and volume—except for Argentina’s across the Andes rival—Argentina has seen value increase in 2008 by 26.6% (U$ 500m) and volume by 15.6% (18.1m 9L cases), and through 3Q 09 value is up 8.8% and volume 8.9%. (It’s important to note that over 50% of all wine sales in the U.S. are done in 4Q of any year due to the Holidays)

                The majority of the reason for this growth during a recessed world economy is due to the great value that is Malbec. But of recent, Argentina’s ace in the hole has been its little known white wine called Torrontés (pronounced tohr-own-TAYS).  Torrontés, a grape variety of Spanish origin has found a home in the arid high altitudes of Salta, La Rioja and San Juan. The dryness and altitude factors enable Torrontés to achieve its best expression while maintaining its acidity, something that it loses at lower altitudes and with too much rain. When achieving its fullest personality a Salteño (from Salta) Torrontés—widely considered to be the best region—such as one from Carinae Vinos, will have an exuberant nose of honeyed orange blossom, jasmine and citrus while the mouth remains dry and crisp with flavors of pineapple, grapefruit, apricot and tropical fruits. This Salteño version is contrasted only slightly by its Riojano (see Aguijón de Abeja) and San Juanino (see Serrera Torrontés) counterparts that exhibit more delicacy and elegance. All Torrontés pair extremely well with light pastas, fishes and salads. For specific pairings try a nice apricot or fig jam over triple cream brie; prosciutto wrapped honey dew or cantaloupe; or peach, raspberry or mango sorbet with lightly flavored biscotti.  

It is this humble author’s opinion that this unique flavor profile of Torrontés combined with the newness factor that will ultimately be responsible for its growth in the U.S. and world markets over the next decade. Compared with the overly ubiquitous (yes, I just used those two words together) Chardonnay that has led to an ABC (“Anything But Chardonnay”) philosophy amongst many an aficionado, slightly fatty Viognier or off-dry Gewurztraminer—the three varieties that Torrontés is most often likened to—Torrontés has the sweet floral nose of the latter two that Chard lacks, better acidity that Viognier, and is dryer and more food friendly than Gerwurztraminar while generally being a better bang for your buck than any of the three.  This flavor profile and price point translate to sales potential.

 In the first nine months of 2009, exports for this varietal have grown 42% in value and 40% in volume.  At Anuva’s own wine tastings in the U.S. and here in Buenos Aires our wines that most frequently get a “I’ve never tried anything like that” response is Torrontés. Interestingly, the next most likely wine to get a response like that is our Bonardas.

What is Bonarda? Where Malbec is peaking and Torrontés is on its way up, Bonarda is still completely off the map. Think a nice smokey-chocolate nose with hints of raisin and fig. In the mouth, juicy blueberries and hints of pepper with an aggressive mouthfeel. This is the varietal that most often gets “wows” from wine professionals at our wine tastings. It blows away the normal flavor profile of a deep colored, full bodied red. Mairena Bonarda has been one that gets great reviews from critics and neophytes alike. Look for Bonarda to start selling well in the next 2-3 years.