Anyone doubting the power of a book or movie to transform a city whose former reputation usually ran to words like "sleepy," "shabby" and "slow" need only visit Savannah 2013.  Just as Hemingway boosted the fortunes of Pamplona in The Sun Also Rises, Savannah enjoyed a renaissance after John Berendt's 1994 book Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil gave the city an irresistible sensual decadence matched only by New Orleans in the South. So, too, in an entirely different way, the beloved film "Forrest Gump"--which came out the same year--showed a gentler, sweeter side of the city. Both gave the city a personality few people outside its borders knew anything about, and Savannah had for a long while languished in the shadow of beautifully restored Charleston, SC, a hundred miles away.
   
    I shall refrain from assessing the impact TV personality Paula Deen has had on the city, except to say that it's done nothing to improve its quality.  One must look elsewhere than "The Lady & Sons" restaurant to find both the soul of Savannah's cooking as well as new places that show how far the city's gastronomy has come since the days when Mrs. Wilke's Dining Room epitomized a way-too-quaint Southern food culture.
    When I first visited Savannah back in 1977, I found it a dowager of a city, its once genteel squares and historic houses as crestfallen as Scarlett O’Hara’s Tara.  Subsequent visits in the 1980s and 1990s showed little progress until Midnight and "Gump" brought in a tsunami of tourism that bolstered the city leaders enough to capitalize on all the new interest. In fact, the "Bird Girl" statue (right) in Bonaventure Cemetery pictured on the cover of Midnight became such a picked over attraction that it had to be moved to the city's Telfair Museum of Art. Even the park bench (left) on West Hull Street where Forrest Gump sat became a tourist icon.
   
     The principal draw for anyone seeking out Old Savannah, now very much renewed, is to walk through the city's squares, now beautifully landscaped and edged with restored mansions that bespeak another, far more genteel era.  Most of the mansions of the antebellum age were once owned by historic personages, like cotton merchant Andrew Low on Abercorn Street.  Juliette Gordon Low, founder of the Girl Scouts of America, lived in the mansion at 142 Bull Street, and author Flannery O'Connor lived at 207 East Charlton. The architecture of these homes is anything but homogeneous, so that from block to block you will find Georgian, Greek Revival, Italianate, Regency, Victorian Gothic, and Second Empire styles.  If you haven't the time for a walk through the 23 downtown squares, with names like Chippewa, Calhoun, Liberty, and Pulaski, best bet is to hop on--and hop off, as you wish--one of the trolley tours (there are several), which visit all the main sights and include the occasional appearance of an actor playing a role from “Forrest Gump.”
   
    The City Market Art Center holds an upstairs collection of local artists, the Jepson Center for the Arts is the newest cultural resource, and the Beach Institute African-American Cultural Arts Center is devoted to changing exhibits.  Outside the city one may visit the 18th century plantation named Wormsloe, and the University of Georgia Marine Science Extension on Skidaway Island has an aquarium. Best source for tourism is www.savannah.com .

    Since I myself have an avid interest in aviation history, I was enchanted by the Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum in Pooler, GA, out near the airport, where I was guided around by one of the last remaining World War II airman, Paul Grassey, who flew a B-24 Liberator in the European Theater. It's a wonderful museum, full of restored planes like the B-17 named "City of Savannah" and several interactive exhibits that allow you to re-live the experience of airmen being briefed for their next bombing mission. It's all extremely well done.  If you're fascinated by auto racing, be sure to catch the Great Savannah Races Museum.
    
  
     For lodgings, Savannah has the usual national chains, but there are also some splendid smaller venues and inns that give you a better sense of the city's spirit and individuality, including the Hamilton Turner Inn, the Eliza Thompson House, the East Bay Inn, and The Planters Inn on Reynolds Square, where I stayed. That structure dates back 200 years, now with 60 rooms, pleasantly decorated and well serviced by an amiable staff.  The dreary, windowless breakfast room could certainly use some re-thinking, but the biscuits and coffee are good enough in the morning.
  
     The inn is located next door to one of Savannah's most historic restaurants, The Olde Pink House (left), built in 1771. Its pink stucco façade is said to have been a mistake in color but it was never changed, so pink it is today, surrounding a series of period dining rooms with plenty of bare wood floors, fine 19th century artwork, and a convivial cellar Tavern.  I had heard from some that the food at the House was nothing to rave about and that the menu was dated and very expensive.  It was also very formal. I found none of that to be true (indeed, I was puzzled that some patrons were dressed as if to go out gator hunting).  The menu proudly features a good number of traditional Southern dishes, but it also has been updated with items like fried calamari, mac and cheese jalapeño poppers, and "Southern Sushi" composed of smoked shrimp and grits in coconut-crusted nori seaweed.
  
     I went the Southern route, and I was very pleased with some sumptuous classics rendered well and at reasonable prices (main courses $18.95-$34.95). Of course, there was a plate of fried green tomatoes with their specific tang, and the Habersham Platter is a good way to sample shrimp and grits, a crab cake, and seared sea scallops with remoulade sauce. There's also a fine Low Country she crab soup, and for an entree I recommend crispy flounder with apricot shallot sauce, grits and bitter collards, and the pecan-crusted chicken breast with a blackberry-bourbon glaze and sweet potatoes with pecan vanilla butter and more collards.
  
    One of the big hits in town for modern cuisine with an edge is named A.Lure,  where owner Daniel Berman and Chef Charles Zeran bring a contemporary swing to Low Country food, along the lines of what several restaurants in Charleston and Atlanta are now doing.  They pride themselves on their food sources, drawn as much as possible from the South, and their commitment shows in the cooking, with a special focus on seafood. Up first on my plate were cornmeal dusted chicken livers with Parmesan risotto, pan gravy and fried leeks; the livers impeccably cooked to tender, the risotto the same. "Peas and Carrots" was a dish of seared sea scallops, baby carrots and peas risotto with shiitake mushrooms, ginger-carrot reduction, and pea coulis, while breast of duck was rubbed with Thai curry and orange, served with sesame Brussels sprouts hearts, quinoa and beluga lentils in a superb coconut curry-lemongrass sauce dotted with cilantro.  I could hardly resist trying a crispy pig's ear salad with blood oranges, feta cheese, and a blood orange vinaigrette, but I was able to resist the idea of foie gras "à la mode," seared Krispy Kreme donut, pineapple chutney, white truffle black pepper ice cream and pomegranate reduction, which sounded too close to a smack-down dish between Paula Deen and Bobby Flay.
    
    Flamboyancy, however, worked with the desserts, including an extravagant offering of chocolate Grand Marnier terrine, pots de crème with Baileys whipped cream, and a napoleon of white chocolate panna cotta, coffee chocolate gelée, and chocolate cherry brownie with strawberry hot chocolate shooter. At $12, it's meant to be shared by the whole table. A bit less off the charts was a fine frozen goat's cheese soufflé with passion fruit curd, blackberry lemon sorbet and honey tuile.
   
    For a good, basic meal based on excellent ingredients, The Public Kitchen (above) is a smart new place, very modern and stripped down in decor (the ground floor is far more appealing than the one down a few steps). The menu is kept short, tight and fresh, so that a cream corn soup tastes like the kernels had been shucked that morning, and the shrimp and grits with peas, chorizo, tomato, and sherry cream has all the ingredients in peak cooking form. For dessert the chocolate brownie cheesecake will not disappoint you.
 The PK gets a crowd at lunch and dinner, and brunch is a particular favorite. People dress in casually chic clothes and pressed bluejeans, but the place is laid back and the staff couldn't be friendlier.
   
    I also was able to drive out of town 18 miles to visit the seaside community of Tybee Island, just for a look. It’s pretty much a stretch of beach with lines of hotels and motels with names like the Sea & Breeze (the ubiquitous Paula Deen even has a place called, achingly, the “Y’All Come Inn"), a lot of shrimp shacks, and t-shirt shops. To my disappointment, a place called The Crab Shack at a rickety family entertainment center called Chimney Creek was not yet open for the season, but I was brightened by finding Wiley’s Championship BBQ, on the way back towards Savannah. It is justly named for Wiley McCrary, who has been winning BBQ events since the mid-1980s, and his little place off U.S. 80 is everything you can hope for in Georgia ‘cue. The place is also known for its oyster roast.  He does superlative pulled pork plates and juicy ribs with just enough smoke, succulent chicken (right) and for those who have never tasted Brunswick stew, Wiley’s will enlighten you to this ancient recipe that dates back to the 1820s, when it was made with squirrel. Wiley’s version is, thank heavens, squirrel free.

THE WINES OF URUGUAY--
NOT UNFAMILIAR FOR VERY LONG
by Brian A. Freedman

    Not long ago, toward the beginning of the growing season in November, I had the delightful opportunity to spend a week in Uruguay, tasting the wine and speaking with the producers and growers who make it all possible. It was kind of like looking into the future.    In this hyper-globalized wine world, where bottlings from all over the planet are readily available at all levels of retail and at restaurants, it’s rare to spend your days getting acquainted with wines that you’ve never experienced before. Sure, there’s the increasingly common Uruguayan Tannat-sighting in the States--usually at a shop or restaurant with a particularly ambitious, open-minded buyer or sommelier--but in general, Uruguay still flies under the radar here. Ask most American consumers which countries grow wine in South America, and the response, the vast majority of the time, will be Chile, Argentina, and then. . . silence. After spending a week in Uruguay, however, I am confident that that is all going to change, and in the short term, too. The wines are that remarkable.
    Located east of Argentina and south of Brazil, Uruguay boasts a remarkably strong economy these days, a burgeoning tourist infrastructure, spectacular food (which I will be reporting on soon), and all the potential in the world when it comes to its wine industry. Physically, the wine regions here reminded me more of Bordeaux than anything in, say, Mendoza: gently rolling hills, no terribly dramatic changes in elevation to speak of, and a climate shaped by the nearby Atlantic. As far as the wines themselves, Tannat may be the marquis grape variety of the country; indeed, I am confident that it will be the calling card of the Uruguayan wine industry for some time. But it is far from the only one. Every day, it seemed, I was poured fantastic glasses of Sauvignon Gris, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Malbec, Merlot, and more. There were even highly successful examples of less expected varieties, like Marsanne, Albariño, Pinot Noir, Nebbiolo, sparkling wines, rosés, dessert bottlings, and more.
    As site selection for vineyards continues to develop and improve, so, too, will the wines. This was most evident with the range of Pinot Noirs I tasted, which ran the gamut from plodding to marvelous, depending on how well the plot in which the vines were planted had been selected. But the potential is clearly there for a broad spectrum of wines to find high levels of success in Uruguay (Pinot included), and the growers and winemakers--as well as the owners themselves, sometimes modestly funded, sometimes anchored by fortunes made in other businesses--are as ambitious and passionate as any I’ve encountered in the wine world.
    All the building blocks are present for the development of a world-class wine industry here. Which is why it’s so interesting to visit Uruguay right now. From large-scale projects to smaller, more boutique operations, the quality is omnipresent; it’s just a matter of ramping up exports and familiarizing consumers with all that Uruguay has to offer.
    For most American consumers, Uruguay is synonymous with Tannat, and Tannat is associated with deeply tannic reds expressive of rich berry fruits and perhaps a bit of tobacco-tinged earth. The truth, however, is far more complicated, and far more exciting than that. Tannat in Uruguay is grown and produced in a range of styles, from that familiar tannic style to remarkably delicate examples that find their footing more on the red-berry and feminine end of the flavor spectrum. To discuss this grape variety as if it were a monolith is to do it a great disservice.
    De Lucca impressed me with its Tannat Reserve 2009, an unexpectedly aromatic wine that hinted at rose water, sappy red cherry, pomegranate, and hints of pink peppercorn. On the other end of the spectrum was the Jimenez Mendez Premium Tannat 2009, its sweet plum and black cherry notes mingling with black peppercorn and a lovely sense of minerality. Marichal’s Reserve Collection Tannat 2011 was more exotic, a mouth-filling wine with café mocha, cherry conserve, and a finish of orange peel. Their Grande Reserve “A” Tannat 2009 was also swoon-worthy, its charred meat, fig, and balsamic character promising a long life ahead in the cellar. The Amat 2007, a 100% Tannat from Bodegas Carrau, straddled the perfect tightrope between New World exuberance and Old World terroir specificity. Cherry-filled chocolate aromas led to flavors of kirsch, cassis, tobacco, vanilla, cinnamon, and hints of smoke. Narbona’s Luz de Luna Tannat 2011 burst from the glass with aromas of violets and an entire cobblerful of berries, with flavors of hoisin sauce, balsamic, licorice, and cedar. It promises many years of evolution, like so many that I tasted.
    Most of the producers over the course of the week-long visit turned out Tannats notable for one reason or another. But, as I said, there is infinitely more to Uruguay’s wine than just that great grape variety. Bodega Familia Irurtia, for example, produces remarkable Viognier. Their km.0 Viognier Roble 2011 is a serious bottle, with smoked white peach, apricot, honeydew, and a hint of spice. They also excel with Guwurztraminer, especially their Botrytis Excellence Cosecha Tardia 2002, a honeyed, spicy, marzipan-rich treat that sings with smoky rose petals and a slight hint of salinity to balance out its sugar. Alto de la Ballena is responsible for excellent wines from a range of grape varieties, including their Cetus Syrah 2010, Merlot Reserva 2008, and an ingenious Uruguayan riff on Côte-Rôtie: Tannat - Viognier Reserva 2009, a sappy, densely fruited red lifted by a hint of violets, minerals, and white peppercorns. My tasting notes read, “I could drink this all day.
    Garzon not only produces excellent wines--I particularly enjoyed their Tannat Reserva 2011, blended with 9% Petit Verdot, and their Pinot Grigio 2012, a lovely apple-rich white with mineral, pear, and white-blossomed flower notes to spare--but also a range of excellent olive oils. Pizzorno produces one of the top sparkling wines I tasted in Uruguay, the Espumoso Brut Nature Reserva NV, a Chardonnay - Pinot Noir blend with slate, toast, apples, and a serious sense of balance. Their straight Pinot Noir Reserva 2011 also demonstrated the potential for this most finicky grape in Uruguay. It was a meaty, cherry- and mushroom-kissed standout. (Their Tannat, of course, is also excellent.) Pisano, the first winery in Uruguay to be certified for Integrated Pest Management, is home to three generations right there on the property. Their Torrontes Reserva 2012 is a lovely way to begin any meal, and the wonderful Viña Progreso Sangiovese 2008 embodies all that this classically Italian grape variety can do here. The RPF (Reserva Personal de la Familia) Petit Verdot 2008 is gorgeous, and custom-made for grilled meats. Juanico Familia Deicas Preludio Barrel Select 1999 showed how well Uruguayan wines can age, its balanced, almost Bordeaux-like notes of cherry, cassis, and mint amped up with dulce de leche and coffee notes. And Filguera is clearly a producer on the rise; its Estirpe 2007, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Syrah is an exciting, elegant wine, and its whites, particularly from Sauvignon Gris, show lots of potential. Bodegas Castillo Viejo and Bouza both produce a range of excellent bottlings, notably the former’s addictive El Preciado 1er Gran Reserva 2006 and the latter’s phenomenal Albariño, which we enjoyed at their fabulous on-site restaurant, replete with a remarkable classic-car collection a short walk from the table.
    Uruguay, then, is as exciting a wine-producing country as you can experience right now. Add to that a tourism infrastructure that is being built up in a serious, ambitious way, astounding food, and people who are friendly and wonderfully accommodating, and you have the recipe for the next big destination in South America. And even if you can’t get down there right away, popping the corks on a selection of bottles to be found here at home is strongly recommended. Run to the wine shop and buy as many bottles from Uruguay as you can find, from as wide a range of grape varieties and producers as are available. They are utterly delicious, and will be hugely popular here in the years to come. Justifiably, deliciously so.