Carbonada Criolla + Zuccardi Q 2013 Tempranillo #WinePW #Sponsored

This is a sponsored post written by me in conjunction with the January #WinePW event.

Wine samples were provided for this post and this page may contain affiliate links.

To kick off 2109, Jeff of FoodWineClick! is hosting the Wine Pairing Weekend bloggers as we explore the eats and sips of Argentina. You can read his invitation here...and see his photo of the wines since I completely neglected to get a full line-up shot before I started opening and pairing. Whoops.

photo courtesy Jeff, FoodWineClick!

So, this event was a great opportunity to explore, research, and learn more about the wines of Argentina. I'm very grateful to the event sponsor - Winesellers, Ltd. - who provided a generous sampling for several bloggers to open, taste, and pair.* I received six bottles of wine. Since this post features only one, I will write about the remaining wines separately. Keep an eye out for those pairings.

Also, I think I heard buzzings that this group will be focused on South American wines for the first quarter of 2019. Maybe something about wines from Uruguay in February. I can't wait to learn more. Stay tuned.

The Argentinian Titles

Read our group posts and join the discussion on Saturday Jan. 12 at 10am CST. You can find us on Twitter at the #WinePW hashtag.

• Deanna from Asian Test Kitchen presents Spicy Thai Basil Chicken + Torrontes.
• Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm shares A Taste of Argentina.
• Jill from L’Occasion presents All The Range: Not Just Malbec From Argentina.
• Camilla from Culinary Adventures with Camilla shares Carbonada Criolla + Zuccardi Q 2013 Tempranillo.
• David at Cooking Chat presents Roasted Chimichurri Steak and Wines from Argentina.
• Cindy at Grape Experiences shares Wine and Dine with Bodega Trivento Winemaker German di Cesare.
• Sarah at Curious Cuisiniere presents Ñoqui con Tuco (Potato Gnocchi with Tomato Sauce) paired with Argentinian Wine.
• Michelle at Rockin Red Blog shares Exploring Argentinian Winewith the Zuccardi Family.
• Jane at Always Ravenous presents How to Pair Vegetarian Food with ArgentineWines.
• Jennifer at Vino Travels shares Argentina Wines with Familia Zuccardi.
• Kat at Bacchus Travel and Tours presents Exploring Argentina: Warm Wines for Cold Nights.
• Nicole at Somm's Table shares Catena Lunlunta Malbec and Steak with Chimichurri for Two.
• Nancy at Pull That Cork presents Domaine Bousquet Reserve Wines & Savory Tray Bake.
• Martin at Enofylz Wine Blog shares A Cross Cultural Food And Wine Pairing with Amado Sur.
• Rupal at Syrah Queen presents Wines of Zuccardi – Malbec and Beyond.
• Steve at Steven’s Wine and Food Blog shares Argentine Torrontes and RomescoSauce.
• Gwen at Wine Predator shares Go Organic in 2019 With Argentina’sDomaine Bousquet and Santa Julia.
• Jeff at Food Wine Click! presents Party Guaranteed: Pulled Pork and Argentine Wine.

Zuccardi Q 2013 Tempranillo

I have already posted a pairing this week - Olive Oil-Poached Swordfish + Zuccardi Serie A Torrontés - but for this event, I am shining the spotlight on another wine from Familia Zuccardi*: the Zuccardi Q 2013 Tempranillo. The 'Q' line of Zuccardi's wines are made from grapes grown at the foot of the Andes Mountains in the Valle de Uco province in Mendoza, Argentina. A single varietal wine, made from 100% Tempranillo, the grapes for this wine were manually destemmed and lightly crushed before fermentation. They were afforded a long skin maceration and aged for a year in a combination of French and American medium toasted oak barrels.

To the eye, the wine was a deep ruby color. To the nose, I got lots of red fruit with some spicy notes. And on the palate, the wine was nicely balanced with solid tannins. I knew it would be great with a red meat dish. And it was!

Carbonada Criolla

Before we settled on this dish, the boys and I brainstormed about riffs on previous Argentinian dishes because we love Matambre with Chimichurri, Empanadas Mendocinas, Provoleta, and Choripán - photographed below, from top to bottom.

I wanted to try something new and decided on a version of Carbonada Criolla, an Argentinian Beef Stew with loads of unique flavors and textures. I've made Carbonada en Zapallo, stew in a pumpkin, that was delicious! So, I knew we'd like this stew.

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 to 2 pounds beef (I used a chuck pot roast)
• 3 T olive oil
• 3 to 4 organic shallots, peeled and thickly sliced
• 2 to 3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
• 4 dried apricots, pitted and chopped
• 2 dried prunes, pitted and chipped
• 1 to 2 sprigs fresh organic rosemary
• 4 to 5 fresh organic basil leaves
• 2 sprigs fresh organic oregano
• 1/2 C chopped fresh organic parsley
• 1 T ground paprika (I used smoked paprika)
• 1 t ground cumin
• 1 t red chile pepper flakes
• freshly ground salt
• freshly ground pepper
• 2 C crushed tomatoes
• 1 C red wine (I used some leftover Cabernet Sauvignon)
• 2 C beef stock
• cooked rice for serving (I used short grain brown rice)

Procedure

Mix together the paprika, red chile pepper flakes, cumin, and a few grinds of salt and pepper. Sprinkle the spices over the meat and gently massage it over the surface. Let stand while you prepare the pan.

In a large pot - I use a Dutch oven - pour in the olive oil and let it start to sizzle. Add in the beef, browning it on all sides, approximately 3 minutes per side. Add in the shallots, garlic, apricots, prunes, rosemary, basil, oregano, and parsley.

Pour in wine and beef stock let simmer for about 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the crushed tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and let braise for 4 to 5 hours. At the end of cooking, remove the cover and gently use two forks to shred the beef. Continue to simmer until the liquid is reduced.

Serve with rice and red wine! Felicidades!

Winesellers, Ltd. on the web, Facebook, on Twitter, on Instagram

Familia Zuccardi on the web, on Twitter, on YouTube

*Disclosure: I received sample wines for recipe development, pairing, and generating social media traction. My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the organizer and sponsors of this event.