Lunching at Lagarde Winery

A few weeks ago I celebrated my first anniversary – with wine.  Now, certainly wine has been in the background of my life for a good while longer: a sip from an uncle´s glass at Christmas dinner, a vinegary red blend at a college bar etc.  But this anniversary marks not only the beginning of my career in the industry, but my beginning to pay attention.

Master of Wine Jennifer Simonetti Bryan tells a story to her wine students about the first time she was obligated to pay attention.  At a business lunch, she was served and herb-crusted salmon and Sancerre (White wine from the Loire Valley made from Sauvignon Blanc).

“This was my first ´real´ food and wine pairing and the taste sensations and flavors just blew me away and it occurred to me that whoever put the lunch together created that reaction” says Jennifer.  Someone had also anticipated how the crisp, freshness of the Sauvignon Blanc would clean the salmon´s rich oils off her palate, and in doing so had set the stage for Jennifer´s wine conversion – an epiphany that revealed the power of food & wine synergy.

My own wine epiphany however, felt somewhat delayed.  That is, until a recent visit to Lagarde Winery in Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza.

Lagarde Winery, established in 1897, is one of the oldest wineries in Argentina, and continues to wear the trappings of a traditional Mendoza bodega: adobe walls and cane roof.  While the winery has grown over the years, it still takes direction from the third generation of the Pescarmona family that first planted its vines.

Hidden oak barrel filled with Semillon wine from the 1942 vintage.

And though the winery is now fully-modernized it still retains a little magic from the past.  In the mid 1970s, the Pescarmona family found an oblong oak barrel tucked into the forgotten nooks & crannies of the winery.  The barrel was filled with Semillon wine from the 1942 vintage.  Astounded by their find, the family waited until 1990 to bottle the Semillon, now rich in golden straw hues and complex aromas.

“Today, the 1942 Semillon is one of the oldest white wines for sale in South America,” said Agustina Vela, hospitality manager at Lagarde Winery.  The 1942 Semillon still remains a treasured anomaly today – a white wine, aged nearly 50 years in French oak, and a relic of the Lagarde winemaking tradition.

Though of course this sacred Semillon does not appear on the restaurant menu, Chef Lucas Bustos´ five-course tasting menu leaves little to be desired.  As with most Argentine meals, we began with beef empanadas.  The empanadas were served in miniature, accompanied by Blanc de Noir Lagarde 2012.

Grilled zucchini rolls, fresh ricotta, apples and fennel, resting over an arucula cream sauce. Served with Lagarde Viognier 2012

The second course greeted us with grilled zucchini rolls, fresh ricotta, apples and fennel, all resting over an arugula cream sauce. Texturally this dish had it all – creaminess of the ricotta, crisp bite of the green apples, soft richness of the roasted zucchinis and the fresh, brightness of the fennel.  It paired beautifully with the 2012 Viognier.  A young white wine made from a French grape that doesn’t get much time in the limelight, certainly not in this corner of the world.  Intensely aromatic with soft floral notes and ripe peach, but on the palate it is quite acidic and refreshing.  Paired with the creaminess of the ricotta and arugula cream, it cleans the palate nicely, as well as echoing the herbaceous notes of the fennel and the acidity of the green apples.

As I (daintily) scraped my plate clean, I remembered what Jennifer Simonetti-Bryan had said about her wine-pairing-induced rapture: someone had thought this through.  Staring at my place setting, I agreed with her.  This is what a successful wine pairing feels like.  It distracts my train of thought, derails the conversation, leaves my plate & glass empty, and me – wanting more.  Not more viognier or another zucchini roll, just more in general.  More pauses in meals induced by food & wine synergy.  More moments crafted by delicious ingredients and clever hands.

Beef filet served with grilled vegetables, and finished with a sundried tomato chimmichurri. Paired with Guarda Cabernet Franc 2010

Artisan chocolate truffle served with orange-scented cream, paired with Altas Cumbres Extra Brut

As far as I was concerned, the meal could have ended there, but we kept on.  Through spoonfuls of wheat and bean stew blanketed in melted goat cheese.  Through a perfectly-cooked, tender beef filet served with grilled vegetables and sun dried tomato chimichurri.  And we ended on a chocolate high: an artisan chocolate truffle with orange-scented cream.

Though the menu changes every few months in order to keep the flavors and ingredients seasonal, it is safe to assume that the cleverness and the care put into each pairing at Lagarde restaurant are year-round.

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