Mexican night at Wahaca

By Gal Zohar

Close your eyes and think of Mexico. Sun, Tequila, corn and chillies might be some of the first things that come to mind. And the wine? Well according to winemaker Hugo D’Acosta, wine is the next best thing coming from Mexico.

On a frozen evening in London Hugo and Bibendum hosted a Mexican food and wine dinner at Wahaca, a place I must confess I have a serious crush on. The Wahaca people are
constantly pushing the barriers. They are on a mission to show us all what fresh, honest market Mexican food is all about. Served in a funky and casual atmosphere Chef Thomasina Miers’ food was the perfect match to Hugo’s big boys from Baja California.

Baja California is the Silicon Valley of Mexican wines and the region where 90% of the country’s wines are made. With no more than 6,000 hectares it is home to a wide variety of grapes: from the usual French suspects Cabernet & Merlot, the Mediterranean Grenache & Carignan, to the Italian Barbera, Sangiovese & even Nebbiolo. This diversity in such a small wine region is what makes Mexican wine so special. Mexican wine, like the never ending local corn varieties, benefits from a diversity of smells and flavours.

We sampled Guacamole and Tortilla Chips served with Emblema 2008, a simple fresh and fruity Sauvignon Blanc. A zesty scallops ceviche, was beautifully balanced by Piedra de Sol 2008, a perfect varietal expression of Chardonnay – citrussy clean and elegant.

The reds showed more complexity; Estapor Venir 2007, a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Syrah, Zinfandel and Barbera represents best the diversity of Mexican terroirs. The wine is beautifully balanced, with good fruit concentration and a hint of liquorice. A trio of Tacos (Mole, Steak & Cheese) were the perfect companion. Last came the big and bold Maat 2007. 100% Grenache it was served with sweet and delicious Churros.

Both Thomasina and Hugo mentioned that Mexico is undergoing a deep culinary change. While the older generation never seemed to care for wine the younger one has discovered it and can’t let go.

Hugo thinks Mexican wines represents the real new world wine:

Thomasina on the booming wine culture in Mexico and why is its food is so exciting right now:

After such a great night it’s difficult to disagree.

Tags: Hugo D’Acosta, Mexico, Restaurants, wine dinner

This entry was posted on Monday, January 11th, 2010 at 6:03 pm and is filed under Food & Wine, Food & Wine. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.