Wine & Food

Uruguayans eat more beef per capita than almost any other country on earth. In Canelones, what they drink with it is whatever grows in their own vineyard: Tannat. That's no coincidence — it's a century-and-a-half-old habit rooted in the same immigrant families who brought the vines with them.

The asado is the centerpiece: beef, often cooked for hours over wood embers, seasoned with nothing but coarse salt. The heavy fat on the crust needs a counterweight. Tannat supplies exactly that with its powerful tannin — it clears the fat off the tongue, almost like rinsing with lemon.

With the chivito, the national dish par excellence, things get more complicated: a thin beef cutlet stacked with ham, mozzarella, bacon, fried egg, tomato, and lettuce on a soft bun. So much fat alongside so many ingredients can no longer handle a heavy reserve Tannat. Here, a younger, fruitier bottling works better, one that doesn't burden the plate with extra weight.

The rediscovered Folle Noire offers a counterexample. Its pale, delicate profile doesn't overwhelm lighter dishes, such as grilled fish from the Río de la Plata or a simple empanada with egg and olives. A dense Tannat would fail alongside dishes like these.

In the end, a simple rule holds for Canelones: the fattier and smokier the meat, the more Tannat the plate can handle. The lighter the dish, the more worthwhile it is to reach for the paler, almost-forgotten variety from Colonia Valdense.