March 13, 2013 – This past week I enjoyed my first visit to the beautiful country of Costa Rica. Though better known for coffee than wine, since I was in the country to present a paper on the wine supply chain at the NBES academic conferences, I was naturally curious to learn about the types of wine available in Costa Rica. Therefore I made it my mission to investigate wine lists and store selections during my stay.
Chilean Wine Dominates, Followed by Argentina and Spain
After visiting six restaurants, three grocery stores and four wine shops, I would have to say that Chilean wine seems to dominate the market place by about 50% – at least on the Pacific Coast near Jaco where I was staying. This was followed by Argentinian and Spanish wine, both with estimates of around 20%, and California wine making up the last 10%. The most common US brands were KJ, Robert Mondavi Woodbridge, and Barefoot (Gallo).
Obviously this was not a scientific poll, but it does provide an idea of what types of wine you will find when visiting the country. In addition, Costa Rica actually produces some fruit wines, because wine grapes cannot grow in such a hot, tropical climate. It is interesting to note, that since their alcohol taxes are higher, wine prices are more expensive as well. For example, a bottle of 2011 Barefoot Chardonnay was $12 in the grocery store, whereas in the US it usually sells for around $7. In a restaurant I paid $11 for a glass of 2012 Montez Alpha Sauvignon Blanc.
Hot, Humid Climate Calls for Chilled White Wine, Beer or Rum Drinks
Since Costa Rica is covered with many rainforests and volcanoes, and is known for producing coffee and bananas, it obviously has a warm and moist climate. Indeed, from December through May, the Pacific side of the country where I visited is very hot and sunny. Everyday the temperatures hovered in the high 90’s F with 90% humidity. Then during July through November, the rains come – dumping an average of 400 inches on the land, and allowing them to grow rice in the fields.
Because of the warm climate, most locals drink beer or rum with a preference and pride in their homegrown brands of Imperial beer and Cacique Guaro rum. The latter is blended with fruit juice or “agua de pipa” – coconut water. Because of the intense heat, when I bought wine, I was drawn to the crisp, chilled sauvignon blancs from Chile and verdejos from Spain. At the Marriott Los Suenos, I was interested to see that when they did serve cabernet sauvignon, it was chilled because they kept the bottles on ice. Though that may sound strange for a red wine, it made sense in Costa Rica because the nights were so sweltering and sticky.
Costa Rican Food – Fresh and Simple
Not much has been written on Costa Rican cuisine, and that is because it is rather simple, consisting of fresh fish, fruit, rice, and beans. They also enjoy chicken and fried plantains, and craft some local cheeses. The food has a bit of Caribbean flare, but I found I was missing sauces, salsas, and spices in general that would make the cuisine more interesting.
A very strange experience occurred when I ordered a whole red snapper, which is supposed to be a specialty of the region. However when it arrived, it was so tough and rubbery I could barely eat it. Apparently the custom is to flour and salt it, then deep fry it for about an hour. It is served with fresh lime, but no sauce. I found the best bet is to order fresh filet of sea bass or mahi mahi. They also make good ceviche with tilapia and/or mango.
Costa Rica is World Class in Ecotourism
Where Costa Rica does excel is in ecotourism. I have never visited a country that has perfected this subject to such an art form. It is very inspiring how the whole economy seems to revolve around protecting the rainforests, their national parks (which make up more than 25% of the country), conservation, recycling, and education on all of these issues to tourists.
We visited Manuel Antonio and Carara National Parks, and in both cases had professional guides with degrees in biology and conservation that guided us through the rainforest. They carried large telescopes and could easily spot toucans, red macaws, sloths, monkeys, fruit bats, and other exotic rare birds and creatures. They knew the name of every tree, bug, and bush, and showed great enthusiasm in explaining nature and the impact of man on the environment.
We also did a kayak trip through a mangrove swamp and learned how the mangroves protect the land from erosion. We visited a few beaches and discovered that they are quite varied, with some having rocks and grey sand, whereas others are pure white sand with native coconut palms. Another highlight of the trip were the very large crocodiles that live in the many rivers and crawl out to rest in the sun on muddy banks.
Overall, Costa Rica is a beautiful country with abundant wildlife, friendly and enthusiastic people, and a belief in enjoying life as illustrated by their motto of “pura vida”, which means “pure life” or “live life in the moment.”
Though Sonoma County doesn’t technically have any “grand cru” wineries, it does have some very well established wine estates with stellar reputations for producing award winning cabernet sauvignons from Alexander Valley. At the last SSU Winesense Club tasting of the year, we were graced by two such wineries — Jordan and Silver Oak, both established in 1972. Indeed, these two legendary wineries have so much brand power, that students waited in line to get into the tasting, and some were turned away when the room maxed out at 50 people.
Silver Oak winery was represented by Romana Behrens and Veronica Jauregui (an SSU grad!) who poured the 2008 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon to rave reviews (one of the top favorites of the evening), as well as two wines from Twomey – the pre-release of 2012 Twomey Sauvignon Blanc (they sold out of it last year immediately) and the 2010 Twomey Merlot. The merlot was nice, but the floral sauvignon blanc with hints of grass, grapefruit and honey stole the affections of the crowd, and was voted in at number one wine of the evening.
Jordan Winery was represented by Sean Brosnihan and Joseph Lozinto Jr (an SSU Wine MBA grad!). They poured the 2010 Jordan Chardonnay, which reminded me of how incredibly good Sonoma County chardonnay can be. This wine was exquisitely crafted with a touch of creamy ML and toasted oak, and loads of crisp apple notes, minerality, and a refreshing acidity. They compared it to a Meursault, and I would have to agree. Yum! The 2009 Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon reminded me of a Pessac Leognan with plush tannins, complex cassis and earth notes, and classic elegance. It wasn’t your typical powerful and tannic Alexander Valley, but a much more approachable version, that I believe spoke to the 2009 weather conditions. It was also one of the top favorites of the evening.
