Why Not "Tannat"

After a long day--scratch that--week at the office, I received a pleasant surprise upon returning home: husband cooked dinner. And not just any dinner, but a he-has-never-done-this-before dinner of a whole-roasted chicken on a bed of red potatoes and vidalia onions. The apartment smelled amazing and it seemed worthy enough of an occasion to pick out a bottle from the "good wine night" wine fridge collection...and the decision went a little like this:

Husband - I'm going to roast a whole chicken for dinner tonight
Me - We could open the bottle of Tannat?
Husband - I don't see any reason "Tannat" do that

....and boom, date night. Not all of his jokes are noteworthy, but because this one proved to me that he could correctly pronounce an unusual wine varietal, it got my approval.

Looking for a change up in the "reds for roasts" category? Why not try Tannat? Typically used as a blending grape, the full varietal often expresses elegance on the palate with soft tannins yet can deliver a punch of heavy fruit flavors. It is now the prominent grape grown in Uruguay. Interestingly, newer vines are producing more powerful wines with higher alcohol content but less acidity and less complexity. I have an affinity for the style in which the "old" and the "new" vines are blended because they deliver a soft mouthfeel with pops of dark fruit layered with hints of robust tobacco. And with the frugalista prices of value wines from South America (ahem $12.99 in this case)...it's a win. And fun to say :)