A Delicious Diversion

A Delicious

Diversion Thank you, Robert Frost. Taking the road less traveled can end up with some great rewards, some great experiences

BY » Trevor Burton PHOTOGRAPHY BY » Trevor Burton

The core of my wife, Mary Ellen’s, and my travel philosophy is all about experiencing the many different cultures that can be found around the globe. Central to that is our approach to diving into these cultures, we like to dine with local people in their local, way off the tourist-track, dining establishments.

One great example of this is an experience we had in Uruguay. Our approach began on the wine road less traveled. When it comes to wine, Tannat is undeniably the champion of Uruguay. In the 1990s there was a large, government-driven suggestion that encouraged producers to pull out their vines of other grapes and to focus on Tannat. However, the Albariño grape persisted and it’s a rising star. A little digging took us to a really great place.

Uruguay’s beef—the best in the world?

Considering Uruguay’s maritime climate, similar to that of Spain’s Galicia and northern Portugal, it’s no surprise that Albariño thrives in Uruguay. But it goes deeper than that and that’s what led us to Bodega Bouza, about a 30-minute drive from Montevideo. There’s a close link between Bodega Bouza and Galicia, Albariño’s home. Bouza is a family name that is prevalent in Galicia—in fact, there’s a town in Galicia named Bouza.

The grape crossed the Atlantic. It was recently that Albariño was planted in Uruguay. No surprise, it was the Bouza family who were the first to plant the grape in Uruguayan soil in the early 2000s. They used cuttings from rural plots of Bouza family relatives in Rias Biaxas, Spain. The wine was a runaway success. And that’s the background that brings me to the good part.

As well as being a wonderful winery to visit and taste wines, Bodega Bouza has a restaurant that ranks among Montevideo’s best. And that is, arguably, the high point of any visit to the bodega. This is a gourmet experience. The restaurant offers a five course lunch and wine pairing. Each course has a couple of choices. And each course is paired with a suggestion of several of Bouza’s wines. You can deviate from the suggested wines but we felt like staying with them. After all, we were exploring culture not trying to shape it to our own preferences.

There is so much to say about this great dining experience. For me, the highest point was to try Bouza’s Albariño with a bowl of gazpacho— keeping in a Spanish vein. You can find Uruguayan Albariño at locations around the lake, but tasting it at the winery where it’s made, along with an exquisitely prepared dish, is simply out of this world. A delicious way to take the road less traveled.

Another menu standout was blindingly obvious. I had to try the Uruguayan beef with the aforementioned Tannat wine. Why so obvious? Because Uruguay produces more Tannat than anywhere else in the world. Also, Bouza’s winemaker, Dr. Eduardo Boido, is considered Uruguay’s authority on all things Tannat. And the beef is so good. Uruguayans consume more beef than anywhere else in the world. Argentina has a reputation for great beef but, according to Uruguayans, Argentina’s best beef is imported from Uruguay.

So, that road less traveled certainly hit the spot. COVID has put a crimp on our visits to Montevideo. But Bouza is just too good to stay away from. We’ll be back as soon as we possibly can. Mouthwatering.

tasty bits

Kathy Dicken lives in Huntersville and is the author of the food blog, The Tasty Bits. For more meal ideas that are simple and delicious, you can follow her blog at www.thetastybits.com or on Instagram @thetastybits.