Yesterday afternoon I was invited to attend a wine tasting hosted by Trapiche (@trapichewine) and catered by Hill Country BBQ. I thought long and hard about whether or not to accept. Two hours filled with Argentinian Malbecs, brisket, and pecan pie? Mehhh.
It was amazing.
Argentina is famous for BBQ, and has the highest per capita consumption of meat in the world (this info all comes courtesy of Carla, a winemaker from Trapiche and our host for the afternoon). Argentine BBQ (asado) differs from American BBQ because it is cooked over indirect heat (white-hot coals) rather than open flame. There’s no marinating involved – just a lot of salt – and the meat is often cooked a la cruz style, with the whole animal placed on a cross over indirect heat for 4-5 hours. This results in meat that is so tender it can almost be eaten with a spoon (pant).
The goal of the tasting: to see how classic Argentine Malbecs pair with American-style BBQ.
Verdict: Very, very well. Everything was delicious, and the pairings were spectacular, but my favorite pairing was the Trapiche Oak Cask Malbec (super fruity and easy to drink; $10.99 tops) with Hill Country’s Longhorn Cheddar Macaroni and Cheese. My favorite overall wine was the Trapiche Single Vineyard Malbec, Vina Adolfo Ahumada 2007 (cherries and a hint of spiciness; about $26), which was one of the stars of a program Trapiche has developed to pay tribute to the individual growers.
