The Salt Lake City Bailliage had the honor and privilege to host winemaker Santiago Deicas from the Familia Deicas Winery in Uruguay. Santiago Deicas is considered to be a trailblazer in South American winemaking. At just 36 years old, he’s already been named as one of the “Top 5 Most Influential Winemakers in South America” by Decanter back in 2021. He regularly pushes boundaries in the dynamic world of wine in the Uruguayan wine scene.
The setting for this memorable six-course dinner was Cucina Wine Bar nestled in the Avenues section of Salt Lake City. Executive Chef Joey Ferran and his team expertly paired a bounty of culinary delights with Santiago’s delicious wines. Chef Ferran was born and raised in Salt Lake County and has worked in some of the area’s most prestigious kitchens. He cultivates strong relationships with local growers, foragers, and importers to incorporate a wide variety of seasonal ingredients to his dishes.
As the Salt Lake City Bailliage members and their guests arrived, they were treated with small bites of Ahi Tartare paired with their choice of Don Pascual Coastal White 2021 or Don Pascual Coastal Tannat 2020 - or both!
Octopus was the star of the first seated course plated with a marcona almond romesco, artichoke coulis, green garlic oil, and a dash of scallion ash. The pairing with the Familia Deicas 2023 Atlántico Sur Albariño worked very well.
Juniper duck breast came next, with a smoked wheat berry ragout, kabocha squash, brassica, and saba. The wine pairing - Familia Deicas 2021 Extreme Vineyards Cerro del Guavirá - features a blend of Merlot, Tannat, Petit Verdot, and Viognier that are all harvested on the same day and co-fermented together. This co-fermentation provides an aromatic and textural diversity to the wine.
In the third course, Chef Ferran and his team created a hearty rabbit cassoulet with heirloom lima beans, hen of the woods mushrooms, pancetta lardon, and a side of grilled bread. The wine pairing for this course was the Familia Deicas 2021 Atlántico Sur Tannat. This wine is 100% Tannat which is harvested from several vineyards located just a few kilometers from the coast. The grapes in this wine mature rapidly and are thus harvested early. As a result, they produce a balanced wine featuring floral aromas, fresh fruit and minerals, and an enveloping texture.
A bison striploin with purple potato, king trumpet, oregano chimichurri, and sauce choron followed. It was paired with the highly awaited Familia Deicas 2016 Preludio. This wine consists of a blend of Tannat, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Marselan. Each year the winery starts with 600 barrels. Every six months during the 24-30 month aging process, only the best barrels are selected to continue the aging process. At the conclusion, fewer than 200 barrels remain. The final blend and proportions for each vintage are determined by a committee of tasters.
The final dish of the night was a Tahitian vanilla bean crème brûlée with langue du chat and Chantilly cream. As we scooped our last morsels of dessert, we made new friends, strengthen existing friendships, and enjoyed the company of such a renowned winemaker and chef.
