Tannat and Brazilian Feijoada #WinePW

Tannat:  Garzón Reserve 2016

Pairing Rating with Feijoada:  9.5 out of 10.0

Pairing Rating with Steak Tartar:  9.5

Pairing Rating with Cheese Platter:  7.0 to 9.0 depending on the cheese

No, the title is not a character from a Harry Potter movie, nor is it a quote from Lewis Carroll’s Jabberwocky.  Rather, Tannat is a red wine grape grown in France, Uruguay and the US, and Feijoada is a meaty stew. Never heard of Feijoada? Neither had we until we went on the hunt for a big, bold, meat-rich dish to pair with a robust, tannic Tannat – the subject of this post, and our submission to a Twitter chat of Uruguayan wine and food pairings (#WinePW). Join us on Saturday, Feb 9^th at 11 am EST.

The internet is replete with versions of Feijoada (fay-ZHWA-dah). The name comes from feijão, Portuguese for “beans”. We chose the Brazilian adaptation by Joyce Goldstein of Square One Restaurant fame in San Francisco. Joyce’s excellent version is essentially a stew of black beans and a mixture of salted, smoked and fresh meats. Often referred to as Brazilian soul food, the dish is served with rice, orange slices and maybe some sautéed collard greens.  We omitted the greens and topped the stew with a dollop of sour cream and salsa of Tomatillos and Roasted Red Peppers.

Recipe: Brazilian Feijoada The recipe is not Joyce’s, but it’s close.

While the dish is not particularly photogenic, the flavors shout classic comfort food:  a beany, porky stew, with body and texture to warm the soul. Because the dish is neither excessively smoked nor spiced (no chilies in the recipe), we felt the wine pairing called for more freshness than Merlot, less spice than Syrah and a bit more structure than Zinfandel. Enter Tannat.

Tannat (tah-nat) cuttings were brought to Uruguay by Basque settlers in the 19^th century. While this blackberried vine variety likely originated in southwest France, it flourished in Uruguay. Tannat grown in France can be brutally tannic.  But in the clay-rich, loamy soils of Uruguay, along with modern vineyard management and cellar techniques (such as micro-oxygenation), the tannins are more supple, allowing for more food pairing options.

Many of the Uruguayan producers of Tannat do not export to the US. However, one producer, Garzón, is widely available here. We chose the Garzón Tannat Reserve 2016 ($18) for the pairing.

Almost black in color, the Garzón Tannat beamed violet reflections and aromas of ripe, dark fruits, tobacco and saddle leather. On the palate, bold flavors of raspberry, plum and blackberry led the charge with subtle notes of smoke and spice. While we longed for a bit more complexity in the wine, the flavor profile and intensity were near perfect with the Feijoada. If you can’t find the Garzón, look for the Pisano Tannat at Total Wine.

Now that we’ve established that Tannat is great with rich, stewed meats, what about other food pairing options? We considered Cremini Mushrooms stuffed with Chorizo but ultimately settled on classic Steak Tartare.

This is an absolute killer recipe for Steak Tartare, but we suggest adding 1 tablespoon of fresh lime juice and use fresh mint instead of fresh parsley. Note that we did not use the Himalayan Salt Block called for in the recipe. Our friend Richard (an excellent cook) declared this to be “the best steak tartare I’ve ever tasted”, especially with the Worcestershire and mint:  together they provided the perfect bridge for the accompanying Tannat.

So if the tartare is your starter, and the Feijoada is the main, what about dessert? Some Uruguayan producers make dessert wines based on Tannat (e.g. Carrau Vivant) but are impossible to find in the US. So we opted for a non-sweet closer:  a cheese platter.

Here the wine pairing results with the Garzón Tannat were mixed:  the Pecorino Romano was a bust with the wine:  the tannins clashed with the dry mouthfeel of the cheese; a Fiano or Trebbiano would pair better. In contrast, the St-Agur was a winner. The 60% butterfat and creamy texture of this blue cheese were perfect complements for the Tannat. For those preferring less salt and spice, the Chaumes was the runner-up.  Finally, the Comté was fine with the Tannat, but the wine demanded more butterfat than the Comté could deliver.

So there you have it:  a characterful, inexpensive wine with a food-pairing range encompassing select starters, entrées and cheeses. One final remark:  Tannat is high in procyanidins – the source of red wine’s reputed health benefits.  In fact, the book Wine Grapes states that “the Gers region of France (the region where the vast majority of Tannat is grown) apparently has double the national average of nonagenarian men.”  Do you need another excuse to try this wine?

Join us on our blogs and on twitter with the hashtag #WinePW to go behind the curtain on our discoveries:

Pinny at Chinese Food and Wine Pairings presents Uruguay’s Bodega Garzon Tannat Paired with Lamb Skewers and Beef Short Ribs

Camilla from Culinary Adventures with Camilla gives us Brined Quail with a Numbered Bottle of Tannat

Cindy from Grape Experiences provides Taste Uruguay: 1752 Gran Tradicion Montevideo 2017 and Pasta with Caruso Sauce

David from Cooking Chat stirs up BBQ Baked Steak Tips with Wine from Uruguay

Wendy from A Day In The Life On The Farm presents Food and Wine of Uruguay; Chivito Sandwiches paired with Garzon Cab Franc

Jeff from FoodWineClick offers up Picturing Uruguay with Lentil Stew & Aguara Tannat

Kat from Bacchus Travel & Tours hints at a Hidden Gem: On the Hunt for Wine from Uruguay

Jane from Always Ravenous stirs up Discovering Uruguayan Wine Paired with a Winter Plate

Linda from My Full Wine Glass asks Meatless in Uruguay – Is that possible? #WinePW

Deanna from Asian Test Kitchen says Relax Your Mussels with Uruguayan Albarino

Sarah from Curious Cuisiniere pairs Tannat from Uruguay and French Cassoulet

Nancy from Pull That Cork gives us Uruguay: a Wine and Food Sampler #winePW

Gwen from Wine Predator shares Uruguay: Influenced by Immigrants #WinePW 

Jennifer from VinoTravels presents Bodega Garzón Tannat with Sausage Stew

Martin of ENOFYLZ Wine Blog writes A Taste of the #Food and #Wine of Uruguay

Nicole from Somm’s Table serves Two Rounds with Bodega Garzón Tannat: Chivitos and Chipotle-Coffee Flank Steak

Jill from L’Occasion, rolls out To All The Foods I’ve Loved Before: Pairing Uruguayan Tannat