Prime Cuts

With the coming of winter and cold weather, nothing is better than a hearty, full-bodied red wine.  Fortunately for you, we feature an amazing selection of full bodied Argentinean red wines at Caminito, and I am intimately familiar with all of them.  Argentina is one of the top, up and coming wine countries of the world, specializing in an amazing assortment of hearty, earthy reds that pair nicely with Argentina’s most famous food – beef.  One of the greatest things about Argentine reds is that they are easy to come across and for the most part very affordable.

One of my personal favorite wines that we serve at Caminito is Terra Rosa, which is a Malbec, Argentina’s famous bold red grape.  When you think of hearty red wines Malbec is generally at the top of the list, and Terra Rosa is no exception.  When I tasted this wine for the first time the first flavor and aroma I noticed was something that I can only describe as a smokey, woody, hickory type flavor.  This was immediately followed by some spicy, yet well rounded tannins, and a finish of crisp red fruits.  There really is a lot going on, but the overall balance works perfectly, in a deliciously complex, romantic harmony.

I suggest this wine to customers who are looking for a dry red wine to compliment their steak, hopefully wood –fired, if possible.  However, I also suggest it to customers who know little about wine and are looking for an overall good, drinkable, affordable wine that is representative of what Argentina has to offer. This wine can stand on its own, and also pairs nicely with many foods which speaks to the versatility of Terra Rosa!

Due to its bold and smoky flavors Terra Rosa pairs incredibly well with basically all grilled foods, in particular steaks, chops, game, even hearty fish and shrimp dishes.  Terra Rosa also has the complexity to compliment foods like rich tomato based pastas, strong cheeses, and rich chocolate desserts.  In my opinion, the smoky flavor of this wine matches up best with food form the grill (I know I am a bit of a grill fanatic, but this is just down right true!).

One interesting fact about Terra Rosa is that it is an old vine Malbec.  This, as one would assume, refers to the fact that the original root stock for the grapes is over 50 years old.  The genetics involved in these grapes have been meticulously maintained and cared for which, in turn, produces a very consistent yield and taste.  Factors from vintage to vintage such as variations in rain, sun or temperature can result in slightly different taste profiles for wine, but in my experience I have never found a bottle of Terra Rosa that did not taste exactly as I expected it to.

So, on one of these cool fall/winter evenings when you are thinking about what to do for dinner and drinks, I suggest you think like a Gaucho and fire up the grill (if you haven’t put it away yet, but why would you, its still football season after all) and open a bottle of Terra Rosa Malbec.  It is a great wine year round, but is really something special in the cooler months, and is especially magnificent when paired with a smoky, grilled T-Bone, or a nice ribeye (my top two favorite cuts of beef).  For me, that is simply one of my favorite meals: a steak cut considerably larger than most would care to tangle with, cooked just the way I like it, and a bottle of full-bodied red wine.

One of the best things about Terra Rosa is that if your steak is too big for just one bottle, it is inexpensive enough that a second won’t break the bank at all.  Terra Rosa and a steak, you honestly don’t need anything else, simplicity… delicious, simplicity!

Have you had Terra Rosa before?  If so, what did you think of it?

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Photo by: Sifu Renka

Nicolás Catena is the man responsible for Argentinean wine as we know it today.  I was recently invited to attend a ceremony honoring Nicolás Catena, for being named Decanter Magazine’s man of the year in wine.  This honor is especially significant for Nicolás, as he is the first Argentinean to receive this award.  For those who do not know, Catena is more or less responsible for putting Argentina on the wine map, and furthermore proving that Argentine wines can stand up alongside some of the great French, and in particular Bordeaux wines in terms of overall quality.  For Nicolás Catena this achievement came from many years toiling with the specifics of wine production in Argentina’s Uco Valley, and with a the right combination of patience, timing, and a little help from family and friends, many years of trial and error eventually became, trial and success.

Catena wines have had a lengthy relationship with the Boston area, and the state of Massachusetts (there is a scene in The Departed when Leonardo DiCaprio is sitting on a case of Catena Malbec).  Catena’s daughter, Laura attended Harvard University, and played then, as she still does now a very active role in both winemaking and distribution for Catena vineyards.  For this reason Nicolás and Laura Catena were honored additionally, in Massachusetts after the European Decanter Ceremony.  This event was coordinated by M.S. Walker, the Massachusetts wine distributing company that is responsible for retailing Catena’s fine wines, and with whom Catena has long standing ties.  Attendees to this event were selected based on the amount of Catena wines sold over the last five years, as well as their respective relevance to the winemaker.

So, when I was asked to attend as the representative of Caminito, my small Argentinean Steakhouse, I considered it quite a personal milestone, as well as extremely fortunate that the ceremony was held not only within driving distance, but on my day off!  I have featured Catena’s fine wines as well as his table wines on my restaurant wine list since the day I opened, and although I may not have sold as many cases as some of the large retail companies that were in attendance, the fact that I do so in an Argentine themed Steakhouse made my presence all the more relevant.  As my wine list has matured over the years so has my palate, and I can honestly say that I have had the opportunity to notice the changes from vintage to vintage and taste firsthand how Catena’s fine wines have come to be recognized as some of the best in not only Argentina, but the world!

At the Boston event not only did the wine flow freely, but the really, really, good wine flowed freely!  It was amazing being able to try wines that are at the top end of some of Argentina’s best restaurants’ wine lists, as well as some that rarely make it onto U.S. soil.  There were speeches by Catena, and his daughter Laura, as well as the President of M.S. Walker, and some of Catena’s colleagues.  Most of the subject matter pertained to the fact that Nicolás Catena has long been unofficially credited with perfecting Malbec (Argentina’s now famous red grape). The majority of the speeches concluded with how proud everyone is that Catena is now officially credited for Argentinean Malbec’s rise to fame.

It was Catena’s attention to detail that led him to find that in order to produce world class Malbec, soil composition was far less important than he originally thought.  It was the mountain side territory, and in particular latitude, that translated to the most important growing factors of temperature and sunlight intensity. These are the key ingredients if you will, which are necessary to produce Malbec that has the greatest complexity and elegance.   Precise blending of specific vineyards, and the selection of old aged vines are secondary factors that Catena has been perfecting in his life’s work of putting Malbec on the world wine map.

So for me it was a proud moment when, with a glass of Catena’s rarely exported Malbec Argentino in my hand, I was able to introduce myself to the godfather of Argentine wine, and say “Thank you, I have been proudly pouring your wines at Caminito Argentinean  Steakhouse since opening day, and I will continue to do so for as long as they are made”.  Catena spoke with the quiet confidence that only comes from years of experience and success, when he simply replied “you are very welcome, happy to do it”.

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We wanted to expand more on our last episode of Prime Cuts TV since we didn’t take a lot of time to explain some of the history and great benefits of mate.  Also, on playback we realized that the sound was grainy so we wanted to give you more detail in a follow up post.

Yerba Mate is a species of Holly, which is native to subtropical South America.  It grows as a small shrub and has evergreen leaves and small white flowers when in bloom.  The leaves and stems are dried and chopped up, then used to prepare an infusion with hot water, which is then drunk.  There are several grades of mate, some which are smoked while drying, some without stems, and some contain only the choice leaves.  When drunk, mate has a similar effect to that of coffee, but is much gentler on the stomach and mind.

The traditional preparation for yerba mate involves a dried hollowed gourd which is called the mate, and a filter straw, usually made of metal, called the bombilla.  The gourd is filled approx. 2/3 full of yerba mate, and then is steeped with hot (never boiling) water.  The mate is then sipped and replenished with more hot water when drunk.  This process is traditionally very social, with multiple people often drinking from the same mate.  Because the water is not boiling the herbs never really get depleted and those who drink from the same mate will generally have equally shared beneficial effects.  The flavor of mate is very herbal, grassy, and natural with aromas of pine and is like drinking a dilute pine sap… in a good way.  The mate can taste very bitter if boiling water is used.  Also, the preparation must be done carefully, or else you can end up eating your mate through the filter straw and not drinking it.

Mate contains xanthines, which are alkaloids in the same family as caffeine, these are also found in coffee and chocolate.  Mate is chock full of beneficial antioxidants, such as potassium, magnesium, and manganese.   Mate’s physiological effects are similar to, yet distinctly different from those found when drinking a cup of coffee or tea.  A wakeful, focused, and alerted state found with most stimulants, is most common, but without the negative jittery effects typically found with coffee.  It has been shown that mate also has a relaxing effect on the muscle tissue and a stimulating effect on the myocardial (heart) tissue, which is why those people who drink mate after dinner generally do not have problems falling asleep as can happen with coffee.  There are few, if any, negative effects of drinking mate.  The most commonly reported negative effect is the large dose of caffeine (xanthine), but this is generally due to the fact that one mate is often filled and drunk several times.  The other common negative is mate’s diuretic characteristics, drinking one mate can often make you feel like you have drunk a gallon of water.

Mate is easy enough to come by, however foreign it might seem to most Americans.  It is commonly found in Spanish restaurants/groceries, many health food stores, and it is extremely easy to find and purchase on the internet.  It is light so costs very little to ship and our favorite brand is Rosamonte.  The accompanying mate gourd and bombilla can also be purchased at most websites that sell yerba mate.  Lastly, if that seems like too much work but you are still interested, mate can be purchased in tea bags…just like Lipton.  If buying in tea bags, our favorite brand is an Argentine one called Cachamai.

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Contributing Writer: Joseph M. Gionfriddo
Photo by: atxbill

For today’s episode of Prime Cuts TV we show you how to properly make mate.  Mate is a favorite drink in many parts of the world including Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Chile.  Besides tasting really good, we both think it’s cool just to have all the pieces to make mate.

As always, we hope you enjoy and are able to learn something new and fun to try at home!

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We will be breaking this concept out into several posts including information on both red and white wines.  We are still debating on how we will share this information and we think that it might be fun to present it to you as a world tour.  Sound good?  Ok, glad you agree!

Malbec – Currently the most famous Argentine grape.  The Malbec grape was originally grown in France but has developed its best characteristics in Argentina.  Loaded with spicy, smokey, robust flavors, Malbec can be an extremely bold wine.  But in some of the more fruit forward bottles this boldness is subdued by the jammy cherry and berry flavors which are more evident than the spicier ones.

Cabernet Sauvignon – Cabernet is one of the most commonly grown red grapes, and for good reason – it displays terrific smoothness, sweetness, and concentration of a wide range of flavors.  The Cabernet grape also has a tremendous capacity for aging.  Common flavors present in Cabernets include cherry, plum, berry, spice, vanilla, tobacco, mocha, chocolate, and coffee.

Bonarda -The most widely planted Argentine grape, the origins of which are Italian.  Known for a distinct ruby red to purple color.  This wine has tremendous sweetness and smoothness, and can often include flavors of raspberries, flowers, licorice, vanilla, anise, white pepper, dark chocolate, smoked wood, and tobacco.   The natural sweetness of this grape can also lend itself to a dessert or fortified Bonarda.

Pinot Noir -Recently Pinot Noir has had a great increase in popularity, and for good reason, these wines display an incredible amount of flavor while being at the same time very smooth in a way that would not be common for such bold flavors.  Piinot Noir can gain different flavor profiles from the time it is aged in wood barrels.  Typically, the less oak aged types have more upfront flavors of red fruits, vanilla, and caramel while the longer oaked varietals will display more upfront flavors of wood, earth, flowers, and spice.

Tempranillo -This grape is originally from Spain and due to the similar growing and climate conditions, this grape grows well in Argentine soil.  Tempranillo can offer intense character and deep flavors of cherries, black raspberries, cardamom and allspice.

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