The Gift of History

Though many Latin American countries are encumbered with political and economic strife, most are blessed with two things: excellent climate and lots of history. There is nothing better than resting a weary soul in some of the Spanish townships of Argentina and Chile or enjoying a good-hearted fiesta in Brazil. But there is one poor neglected country amidst those more-blessed often overlooked.

But Uruguay was once one of the richest countries in Latin America with a rich culture, thriving economy, and vibrant lifestyle. From that period – over a century ago – also came a distinct wine culture. And though those festive nights and busy ports are long past, the wine of that time lives today.

The Uruguayans are quite proud of their own special blend of grape, the Tannat, which thrives on the low, rolling, cattle lands of the northern pampas. And they have good reason. There are few wines which rival the Spanish Rioja or the Argentina Malbec with a savory steak, but that is exactly what the intent behind the Tannat. Its rich, slightly smoky flavor perfectly compliments the Uruguayan cuisine of red meat, grilled vegetables and starch. But the Tannat's hint of sweetness and full, fruity aroma make it an enjoyable wine on almost any occasion.

If you happen to find yourself in Montevideo or any of the Southern Cone of Latin America, make sure to take advantage of this delicate, unique, and savory wine and try to find a glass in the local bodegas.

The Magic of Wine

There is a light red liquid filling a crystal wine glass two-thirds of the way. Being inquisitive, you want to check if this substance is potable. First, you sniff: faint aromatic sweetness is the only scent greeting your nostrils. Second, you let the liquid wash lightly against your lips: fresh berry bitterness and acidity flies across the palate. After some moments of contemplation, no negative affects take hold of the senses. Third, you imbibe a quick splash of the liquid. Somehow the magic liquid is both sweet and dry, both warming and cold, both sugary and tart.

What on earth could this be and who created something so mysterious? Is it a white wine posing in a red wine's body? Or is it something wholly different?

In Alaska, wholly different is the norm. With winters that make growing grapes not only improbable, but physically impossible, one would think the Alaskans would stick to the beer brewing for which they are known. But if you think Alaskans would give up so easily on the concept of wine, you don't know Alaskans!

There is always one, or in this case two, people or couples that try to defy reality, who try to buck the system. Those people usually move to some little town in Alaska. And in Kodiak, Alaska, those people make wine out of any Alaskan berry or moisture-holding stem that they can find – rhubarb, raspberry, currant, cranberry, blueberry, strawberry – all of these are likely subjects to be turned into wine.

But there is even another berry that grows in Alaska unsafe from wild, wine-making enthusiasts. This berry hides close to the ground in fledgling little tufts, pushing their defenseless little orange and pink fruit toward the sunlight. Moose and bears generally enjoy the salmonberry, but, as the residents of Kodiak know, humans can also tame the little berry into a delicious jam, syrup, or even wine.

The salmonberry wine of Kodiak, Alaska is a particularly delicate, intricate wine for a berry wine. While looking like a light red wine, or possibly a dark rosé, it tastes more like a tart, sweet white similar in aftertaste to a sauvignon blanc. And like a not-too-dry white wine, it goes well with both seafood and lighter deserts. While traveling in Alaska, try a glass of salmonberry wine with your Alaska King Crab with cornbread smeared with Alaska wildflower honeycomb for desert.

Stable Ridges and Twisters

Stable Ridges and Twisters

Taking Route 66 from Tulsa to Oklahoma City, you will see old oil towns, abandoned banks and oil drums from four score ago, some cattle and possibly deer – but you will also see the area of Oklahoma with a burgeoning wine industry in the middle of the Bible belt. Here, cattle pastures and fields of oil derricks are being cleaned and shaped into orderly vineyards, contrasting beautifully with the dark green, twisted oak, the brown rock and red soil and golden wild grass.

In the middle of this cultured cattle country rests a small, antique town straddling a now-quiet cross-roads. But this little stop boasts of three excellent wineries. With a tasting room in an abandoned, century-old catholic church, Stable Ridge hosts a vast array of wines from grapes grown in Oklahoma.

Grapes grown in this hot, dry climate take on a special quality of their own, holding more sugar than their more pampered California brethren. Our old friend, the Zinfandel, when planted in Oklahoma becomes a completely different family of grape. Rather than the warm, smoky, aristocrat taste of the California Zin, the Oklahoma Zin flirts with the tongue with her sweet and sour taste. Her smell is of cherry rather than earth and alcohol. Her color is cheerful and rosy, rather than dapper and dark.

She compliments perfectly the small wild strawberries and melons from Oklahoma. And she relaxes others while sitting on a porch-swing or rocking chair on the patio listening to the thunder roll across the plains and the dark clouds sweep from west to east. She also compliments her home, the quiet old church along Route 66. This renovated church, along with the other two wineries – also inside refurbished buildings – miraculously survived decades of tornadoes, which pummel this region, destroying the unsightly shopping outlet along the highway only a decade ago. But the vineyards and wineries and people that enjoy their product live on, and only joke about the twister that bounced between fields and roads and sandy rivers.

Vinho do Gramado

Vinho do Gramado

The vast plains of Latin America stretch for thousands of miles pushing Atlantic breezes westward over the hills of Uruguay and onwards to Mendoza Valley, nourishing dark red grapes. But this is not the story of those grapes. This tale is of the unsung little Latin cousin of the more famous Malbec and Tannat – the grapes that create the vinho branco suave.

Sitting in sultry Rio de Janiero, few people can imagine that the tropical country of Brazil can produce wine. But only a few hours north of rainy, hot Puerto Alegre – climbing out of the famous, sprawling pampas, and into hills of increasingly higher altitudes and through multitudes of pineiro trees – a few pleasantly surprised travelers find the German town of Gramado. This little town, with German architecture placed picturesquely on a high ridgeline is famous for its chocolate, fondue, and white wine.

The generically-named vinho branco suave is anything but ordinary. Its sweet taste is reminiscent of its German ancestors – the Riesling, the Pinot Gris, and the Gewurtztraminer. But there is certainly a unique quality in the flowery, silky sweetness, the warm aftertaste, and the refreshing light-golden color. It is similar to the taste of many old world grapes introduced into more tropical, wetter climates where only the strongest and sweetest survive to fruition.

If you find yourself in southern Brazil, weary of either the tropical forests to the north or the rambling plains to the south, seat yourself atop the cultural outpost of Gramado. There you can enjoy a cheese fondue, relish in the cool breeze of the mountains, nibble on some chocolate and sip your sweet, almost-German wine.

Rolling Hills Called Valley

Traveling north from the infamous valleys of California particularly blessed by proximity to San Francisco, you start to travel through hilly regions known by the names of the little rivers that pass through parts of the hills. In these valleys one encounters the truly unique and spectacular wines California has to offer. The cool sea-breezes keep these hills temperate and amiable to many varieties of grape.

One variety I encountered in these 'valleys' was a Grenache Gris. Only familiar with the typical red Grenache, I was of course enticed. And I was pleasantly surprised.

The color is typical of a slightly sweet white wine – soft and golden. The smell is strongly floral, with hints of lily, vanilla, and springtime. The taste is similar to Gewurtztraminer, but with a stronger bite in the aftertaste and hints of sour apple. The alcohol and acidity are a refreshing addition to the usually too-sweet white wines.

Still, this wine matches more closely to desert wine, and would go well with bananas flambé or a fruit tart rather than a dinner dish like fish or pork. It is also a refreshing wine to chill and enjoy on a warm late-spring day. The wine is such a unique taste to my palate that I cannot relate it to past travels and experiences, which is always a pleasant surprise!