“Do you guys make Italian food? Do you guys make Mexican food? Then, why not Argentine food? Why not Chilean food? There’s still a lack of understanding about the foods from Argentina and Chile. But we have very European style food,” said Chef Liz Caskey, an American who has lived and worked in South America for the past 15 years. In hopes of clearing up some culinary misconceptions about the two countries, more than 50 Houstonians took a vicarious Tour of Argentina and Chile led by Caskey, who in addition to writing a food and wine blog at www.eatwineblog.com , is a cookbook author and tour leader extraordinaire. The evening class at Central Market’s posh Highland Village cooking school involved five, 2-ounce wine samples paired with five bite-sized servings of some of Argentina and Chile’s most popular dishes. Crios Torrontes, a snappy white wine from Argentina kicked off the class. Torrontes is a grape that was imported by 16th century Spanish missionaries. It is thought to be one of Argentina’s original “criolla” or native grapes. Susana Balbo, the winery owner, chose the name Crios because it means offspring, as in children. She wanted clients to know her high-altitude wines from the Salta region receive as much love and care as her own children. In 2011, she transferred Crios to her son, Jose Lovaglio, a graduate of UC Davis. “Torrontes goes amazingly well with spicy food. Salta is not like the rest of Argentina, where they don’t like spicy food. In Salta, they use red chilies and like spicy foods. Andean cuisine is the basis, which means they use lots of beans and corn in their cooking,” said Caskey. Aromatically, Crios Torrontes is similar to Viognier. It had tangerine, white pear and honeydew notes. In structure and acidity, it tasted like a fruity Sauvignon Blanc. It was paired with Humita en Chala, a savory corn pudding Caskey prepared while talking about the wines. “How do we taste wine? One way is to look at the color. There should not be any particles. What we see here is a straw color. Usually, the younger the wine the paler the color. This is just one way we can evaluate the wine,” Caskey said. Crios Torrontes 2011, which retails for about $15 a bottle, was a hit with attendees, who suggested additional aromas of grapefruit, peach, apple and apricot. Caskey said swirling the wine in a glass and watching the residue (called legs) left on the sides can reveal whether the wine has high alcohol content. Chono Classic Sauvignon Blanc 2010 from the Chilean winemaking team of Alvaro Espinoza and Juan Carlos Faundez, was the second wine tasted. It had an intensely fresh citric nose with notes of green apple, melon and gooseberry. This champagne-colored wine had a lot less acidity than the first. The wine is from the Central Valley appellation, which has emerged as a new spring for, crisp, dry refreshing white wines. Part of the reason for this Sauvignon Blanc’s popularity is its unique “terruño,” the Spanish word for terroir. “This wine valley sits in what they call the “bowling alley” or Central Valley of Chile. As you go north in Chile it gets colder. All these rivers coming down from the mountains, and there is lots of fog. So this Sauvignon Blanc is mineral driven and at the forefront. You can almost feel the ocean,” she said. Chono Sauignon Blanc, which retails for $13 a bottle, was paired with two traditional, garlic-rich dishes called Pil Pil. One is a chicken and garlic sauce dish with chilies, the other is a shrimp in garlic sauce dish with avocado. Both garlicky dishes reflect a culinary contribution from Chile’s Spanish-Basque immigrant population. For red wine aficionados the Lamadrid Malbec from Argentina’s storied Mendoza region was the highlight of the evening. This powerful red was aptly paired with an open-face “Churrasco” sandwich with freshly prepared chimichurri (oregano, parsley and garlic) together with salsa criolla. The fruit-forward Malbec, with discernible subtle oak aging, made the macho flavors of Churrasco explode on the palate. Aromas of blackberries, black cherries and spice filled the air. This wine was so smooth on the finish, that it felt absent of any hint of tannins and acidity. Guillermo Garcia Lamadrid is the family winemaking name. Lamadrid’s red Malbec strives to be terroir-driven, or Agrelo. Caskey said that at $14.99 a bottle, this wine and the others are true bargains. Falernia Syrah Reserva was the second red wine and the fourth wine featured during Central Market’s cooking school class. The wine was full-bodied with aromas of churrasco meat and leather. The red wine hails from Chile’s northern most vineyards in the Elqui Valley. It displayed notes of black pepper and spice. The Syrah was paired with Chile’s traditional Empanadas de Pino and Pebre, the country’s answer to hot sauce. “Empanadas are great for cocktail parties. Why order pizza when you have empanadas in your freezer? So yes they can be prepared ahead of time,” Caskey said, adding that ingredients are the key. “The first thing about empanadas is that no ground beef. Chileans prefer chopped up steak, not ground beef. And most people make the empanada wrappings with pork lard from slaughtered pigs,” she said. One reason this Syrah was the perfect accompaniment for beef empanadas is that it was husky and robust. Chile is a land of thousands of microclimates, including the ocean, mountains and valleys. Now, vintners have discovered the unparalleled terruño is capable of producing exceptional wines at palatable prices. Caskey reiterated to attendees that while South America is up and coming through its array of fine wines, travel to Chile, Argentina and even Uruguay is highly encouraged in order to dispel many myths. “Uruguay, which is just about a 5-hour drive from Buenos Aires, has a huge Swiss population. In fact, Uruguay is called the “Switzerland” of South America. It has a lot in common with Argentina and is one of my favorite countries, Caskey said. The final wine tasted was a white, almost colorless Falernia Pedro Ximenez. This floral semi-sweet wine was a medium-bodied aromatic. It had notes of melon, lemon, apple, pineapple. On the palate, it felt like a breath of spring. This Chilean white was paired with two classic desserts: Martin Fierro, a tray of Gouda, Gruyere and Emmenthal or Fresh Cheese, along with slices of quince paste or dulce de membrillo. A second dessert paired with the wine was a dulce de leche-filled cookie called Alfajores. The dulce de leche refers to the cookie’s sweetened milk substance. After the cookie is filled, it’s rolled in coconut. “This is a weird wine; it’s really white and not yellow at all. And you’re either gonna love it or hate it. But this wine can be served for dessert or in between the first course and the last course,” said Caskey, who apologized for wrapping up the presentation by plugging her wine tour business. In 2010, Caskey’s “Knack South American Cooking” cookbook was published by Globe Pequot Press. The former Wall Street investment banker graduated from the University of Pennsylvania. But she said she found her calling after traveling first to Costa Rica, and later to Chile. Now, with the help of Francisco Ramirez, her Chilean husband, photographer and business partner, she owns and operates Liz Caskey Culinary & Wine Experiences. The Santiago-based luxury travel and design firm offers culinary and wine-focused tours throughout Chile, Argentina and Uruguay. Caskey serves as chef and culinary ambassador in the United States for Emiliana Organica, an organic and biodynamic winery that is part of the well know Concha y Toro and Banfi group. During a segment that focused on Chile, Caskey also served as production/story editor for Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations, a popular culinary and travel television program featured on the Travel Channel. Central Market has an ongoing cooking school program featuring famous chefs, winemakers and cookbook authors. Check the website for annual, seasonal cooking classes held at Central Market stores in major cities throughout Texas. Central Market is a division of H.E. Butt (H-E-B) Grocery Market. For more information on the cooking school visit the website: www.centralmarket.com
