Dr. Marcos Uría: from Doctor to Sommelier and Chef
Marcos Uría is a man of many talents. Not only is he a doctor with postgraduate degrees in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology, but he is also a sommelier and chef. Together with his wife Laura Fernández and sommelier and winemaker Isabel Porta, Marcos recently opened Catarte, a wine bar located on the pedestrian Bacacay in Ciudad Vieja, Montevideo.
The idea for Catarte arose during the pandemic, when Marcos felt the need to think about other things amidst the disastrous scenario of the pandemic. “For many, the pandemic was a big stoppage, but for those of us who work in health, it was the opposite. It was during the pandemic that I began to think about giving substance to all the knowledge I had developed,” Marcos said.
In addition to his busy schedule as a doctor, Marcos also runs a healthcare space in Santoral, which covers several municipalities in Uruguay. It was during his work in these areas that he discovered the region’s many vineyards and developed a curiosity for wine, leading him to pursue a sommelier career at the Gato Dumas Institute.
Wine is the common thread at Catarte, where Marcos and his team have crafted a menu of main dishes and tapas specifically designed to pair with their extensive wine list. The restaurant also aims to showcase Uruguay to tourists by using local products and traditional dishes, which have proven to be a hit among visitors.
One of the most exciting aspects of Catarte is the two wine dispensers made by students from the Engineering Faculty of the University of the Republic. These dispensers, aided by argon gas, allow opened wine to retain its quality for up to three or four months, rather than the usual 48 or 72 hours.
For Marcos, there are similarities between medicine and gastronomy, including the skills of maintaining order, the benefits of teamwork, and above all, “caring” and “healing.” “Feeding others, in short, also has to do with restoration and care,” he concluded.
Catarte is an exciting addition to the wine scene in Montevideo, offering a unique blend of medicine, gastronomy, and wine culture all under one roof.