Ver Sacrum 2017 Uco Valley Garnacha

A few months before Covid hit, I spent an amazing week in Argentina’s Uco Valley. Three wineries were my hosts, and they were gracious enough to allow some smaller producers to show us some wines, in a few different settings. So in addition to the wines of our hosts, we explored the wares of quite a few boutique producers. It was an eye-opening peek into the breadth of the Uco Valley. I didn’t bring a lot of wine home with me from that trip, but this bottle of Garnacha, from one of those smaller wineries, has been tempting me for a few years now, and it was time to revisit it.

Ver Sacrum 2017 Uco Valley Garnacha

The average price on wine-searcher for the current vintage is $22. This is entirely Garnacha. If you’ve had much Garnacha, from any part of the world, you realize it has the ability to be one of the most amazing dance partners for food. See the thing is, well shepherded Garnacha can line dance, ballroom dance, and do the hustle, all before 9PM. I recalled this wine as a light bodied iteration of the fabulous grape, and my memory served me well. Rose petal aromas offer an alluring opening. Red raspberry and dark cherry are part of the subtly juicy flavors here. White and black pepper notes are also in play along with wisps of black tea on the finish. This lovely acid rich wine was simply delightful. It’s delightful alone, but paired with a willing partner, it’s next level.

A dear friend shared his bounty of heirloom tomatoes and other veggies recently, which I’ve put to delicious use. So I tossed a veritable rainbow of cherry tomatoes and a chopped shallot in about 1/3 of a cup of hot olive oil. I let them sauté until they burst, added fresh basil, sea salt, and a ladle of pasta water. I tossed this summer sauce with pasta, sprinkled on some pecorino and red pepper flakes. Served alongside just baked, seeded sourdough and a glass of Garnacha, it was dinner sorted. In my minds eye it was going to be a perfect pairing, and I was so glad to be right. The soft fruit and spicy notes of the wine paired beautifully with the sweet tomatoes. Drink more Garnacha, bake more bread!