Buenos Aires Impromptu Wine Dinner!

Somehow no matter where I go I seem to fall in with wine and food-loving crowds, bonding with new friends over interesting dishes or favorite grape varietals. This latest trip to Buenos Aires proved to be no exception. No more than 48 hours back in the city and I was already planning an informal wine pairing dinner with one friend who is an expert at hosting parties and another who once studied at Le Cordon Bleu and loves to create new dishes. The menu came about somewhat haphazardly, with several people volunteering to cook different dishes, resulting in an eclectic menu that provided some really fun pairing challenges.  

Once we had the menu set, a trip to Nigel Tollerman's cellar at 0800-VINO was in order.  Having worked for Nigel during my first four months in Argentina, I was excited to go back to the office and catch up with my wine-obsessed ex-boss. Of course the first thing we did was crack open a bottle of wine!! Nigel introduced us to a new bodega out of Patagonia, Patritti, and we sipped on the dark, lush, 2008 Primogenito Merlot, finally deciding that it would make a great match with the beet-root risotto on the menu.  A 2007 Manos Negras Malbec was opened next, mostly just for fun and because I've been interested in tasting it for awhile. It was an immediate crowd pleaser, jammy and juicy with plenty of ripe black fruits. After much tasting and discussing, we finally settled on the six bottles that would accompany dinner.

Then it was time to take a break from all of our hard pairing work to enjoy some of the best local empanadas I've found at the restaurant just across the street from Nigel's cellar. Of course we had to get the thirty peso bottle of table vino to go with them. The choclo (corn) and carne (meat) empanadas were the best! 

After a quick diversion to the *amazing* leather district, a bit of shopping and grocery-hunting, our menu was set and we were ready to get cooking. I quickly typed up little menus to put at each place setting. Here's what we had:

Cucumber Honey Canape

Canape de Pepino y Miel

Santa Florentina Brut Torrontes (La Rioja, AR)

  

Pecan Crusted Baked Brie

Brie al horno con Pecana

2008 Weinert Montfleury Gran Rose (Mendoza, AR)

Eggplant Asian Cous Cous

Cous Cous de Berejena y Morrones

2008 Del Fin del Mundo Reserva Viognier (Patagonia, AR)

2008 Lamadrid Single Vineyard Cabernet Franc (Mendoza, AR)

Beet Root Risotto

Risotto de Remolacha

2008 Primogenito Merlot (Patagonia, AR)

Cheese and Chocolate

Queso y Chocolate

2010 Weinert Cosecha del Otono Sauvignon Blanc (Mendoza, AR)

Bailey’s Liquado!

 As our guests arrived, we served up flutes of local sparkling and chatted in the living room. Nine people in total, we were a collection of ex-pats from all over- representing Australia, Macedonia, Canada, Ecuador and the U.S. with one half-Argentine. We discussed the trials of being a stranger in B.A.- finding work, getting into the social scene, and the mysteries of dating Argentines. As amazing as it is to live and travel abroad, sometimes it's nice to take a break from Spanish and compare war stories with other "extranjeros."

Meanwhile the Great Risotto Project got underway in the kitchen. Risotto is no easy task, but our chef was dedicated to making it perfect! 

Finally the dinner got underway, beginning with lovely cucumber blue cheese canapes with honey and walnuts. The bargain Santa Florentina sparkling Torrontes was a perfect match, with ample citrus and honey notes and a full body. Next up was the pecan-crusted baked brie with an aged Weinert Malbec Rose.  Keeping plenty of acidity, the rose was a nice contrast to the warm, creamy brie dish.  A bit of oxidization in the wine actually went well with the sweet nuttiness of the Kahlua-soaked cheese. 

 Asian-style cous cous with pepper and eggplant had proved the most challenging wine pairing, so we decided to serve two wines with this one! The almonds, tamarind, and white raisins in the dish begged for a crisp, young Viognier and the Del Fin Del Mundo Viognier was the perfect, citrusy solution. Meanwhile, the Lamadrid Reserva Cabernet Franc offered some great earthy notes to mirror the spicy, peppery flavors in the cous cous and serve as a nice transition into red wine for the evening. Plus, this Cabernet Franc is just downright yummy, a testament to talent of Hector Durigutti and versatility of Argentine wines.

Finally it was time for risotto! Our chef pulled me into the kitchen with a worried look on his face. "I've messed with your pairings!" he blurted. He'd added all kinds of spices and ingredients that he hadn't planned on. No problem. I pulled out the Merlot from the fridge and served up a little taste while he spooned a bit of risotto from the pot. After a quick taste-test and analysis, we decided that the two went brilliantly together, both exploding with different layers of flavor on the palate. Our risotto/Merlot course was the star of the show! Before cheese and dessert we took a short intermission while the host and chef ran out in search of forgotten but much needed liquado ice. Starbucks came through for them!

While they were out, I cracked open a special bottle that Nigel gifted me earlier that day. A 2007 Altimus blend from El Esteco, a well-known Saltanean bodega. This blend of Malbec, Cabernet, Bonarda and Syrah is full-bodied with plenty of sweet vanilla oak and spice. A really nice treat and perfect after dinner wine. Local chocolate and blue cheese were served up with the late-harvest Sauv Blanc (also from Weinert), which was sweet but not cloying, showing typical Sauv Blanc acidity and almost Sauterne-like complexity. A classic pairing that's always enjoyable. Deliciously sweet Bailey's liquados finished the evening perfectly, everyone stuffed, tipsy, and laughing.  

In all, it was a wonderful last night in Argentina among good friends, great food, and wonderful wine. I could not ask for a better way to wrap up these past nine months!! My task now is to bring all of these ideas back to the states with me- all that I've learned here about wine and the Argentine cultural appreciation for excellent company and cuisine. There is certainly a lot to take back and a lot of places to go from here. I'm already ready for the next adventure, where ever it takes me!