Mexico’s wine industry is booming and quickly becoming a contender on the global stage. Finca El Empecinado in Baja California’s Guadalupe Valley, produced a Grand Gold medal winner at the 2023 Concours Mondial de Bruxelles (CMB), one of wine’s biggest prizes. Selected as the 2023 Revelation White Wine, this canary colored beauty was the top choice out of 7,054 entrants, from 50 different nations. But what would this go well with? To find out more about the best Mexican wine pairings, I went in search of answers.
My friend and I could barely contain our excitement when we went to stay at the Conrad Tulum Riviera Maya. We were about to meet the Director of Wine for Hilton Tulum and Conrad Tulum, Aaron Alvarez, for a tasting of top Mexican wines, each paired with traditional dishes from the regions where the wines are grown. It was hands down the best tasting of my life. That includes tastings in Italy, the US, Australia’s top wine regions, and European nations (Slovenia, Bratislava, Slovenia). As I said, I enjoy a glass.
Starting with a white
Tres Raíces bright, light yellow 2023 Sauvignon Blanc was our first wine. It was fresh with hints of mango, pineapple, and citrus. This makes it the perfect white for a ceviche pairing. Mine was a little different though because I’m a vegetarian. So, instead of seafood, a traditional ceviche from the Dolores Hidalgo region of Guanajuato arrived.
Faced with the xoconostle (prickly pear) and mushroom ceviche, my taste buds sang. If it wasn’t rude to do so, I may have licked the bowl. Judging by the noises coming from my friend, I could tell the traditional seafood ceviche was every bit as amazing.
Aaron added that, in his opinion, Tres Raíces is “the best Sauvignon Blanc in Mexico.” I’m trusting that opinion, because it certainly was sublime.
Rosé all day, wine not?
Yes, we all giggled at the pun. Aaron introduced a special rosé from Casta de Vinos. From the Guadalupe Valley in Baja California. Pitaya, a Rosé Grenache, has some very special ingredients.
Passion, courage, feeling, and love are all essential parts of the wine. Each bottle is in remembrance of winemaker Claudia Horta’s mother, who lost her battle to cancer. Now, Pitaya, the special rosé grenache blend, has helped over 300 women with cancer by donating a portion of their profits to support medical costs.
This wine is bright and clean, a beautiful soft coral color with copper flecks. It tastes of berries and pink roses. Served alongside strawberries and dragonfruit, it was refreshing and lovely. With a touch of honey and wildflowers, it was a perfect pairing.
Onto my personal favorites, reds
I’ve been a red wine lover my whole life. So, I most looked forward to the part of the tasting where I tried a medium-bodied and then a full-bodied red. And I must say, I was not disappointed.
The first red was a medium-bodied cabernet sauvignon from Don Leo in the Parras Valley, Coahuila. Even while Aaron poured, I could smell the blackcurrant and berries. But there was something else. Do you ever have that sensation that something is on the tip of your tongue?
Raising the glass to my nose, I felt a hint of beautiful dark chocolate fill my senses. This was ticking all the boxes for me. I love blackcurrant and dark chocolate, so I couldn’t wait to take the first sip. At a medium-high acidity, I was impressed that it was so smooth.
Then came the perfect pairing: a traditional dish from Coahuila. My friend delighted in a chicken filled with sweet corn on a tomato and red pepper sauce. My veggie substitute was one of the best things I’ve ever eaten — so much so that I kissed the chef at the end of the tasting and asked for the recipe!
Saving the best for last
The Megacero is a full-bodied premium blend from Encinillas Winery in Chihuahua. Organic and sustainably farmed, this wine was magnificent. It may have skyrocketed to my all-time favourite Mexican wine in fact.
It was a deep carmine color, known as sangre (blood), Aaron explained. The smell of currant, mushroom, and earth was heavenly. It reminded me of my grandfather, who was a wine distributor and avid leather worker. His workshop always smelled of earthy fragrances and red wine so for me, it was home.
It paired beautifully with a regional specialty: Discada. Traditionally, discada is cooked on a hot plate over a fire in the field and usually contains meat. Mine was mushroom with blue cheese and bell pepper. It turned out to be the perfect mouthful of flavor to bring out the smoothness of the wine.
Honestly, I could eat that for the rest of my life. It was magic.
This was more than a wine tasting. As Aaron and his team said, “It was an activation of our soul and identity. The team of Tulum makes it a culinary tour around Mexico. We put our heart and soul into this experience.”
Mexico Correspondent for International Living, Bel is an experienced writer, author, photographer and videographer with 500+ articles published both in print and across digital platforms. Living in the Mexican Caribbean for over 7 years now she’s in love with Mexico and has no plans to go anywhere anytime soon.
Nice to mention these wines but can a mere mortal afford them. You don’t mention any prices. I have checked some of these prize winners in past and they are either not available or priced beyond belief. Like I am not buying $80 US and up for wines!!
Hi Richard, I know exactly what you mean. But I’m delighted to tell you that all of these are under $50 and the white is $18 and it goes up from there. While mere mortals like us (yeh I’m one too) may only buy some as a special occasion wine, I wanted to let you know Mexico has come a long way in the world wine scene. Thanks for commenting. Cheers, Bel.
In a way, true….I remember being priced out of Monte-Xanic years ago and never going back. I order cases of wine from AMAZON.com monthly….I won’t pay over 400 pesos, usually less….and most are from Mendoza (Argentina), Chile, “Barefoot,” Bolla, Beaujolais-Villages…..No ‘Mexicans’ ever appear in my search…and the few that rarely do are rather undistinguished blends…… Saludos desde Acapulco!
That’s such a great idea, I didn’t know Amazon had cases of wine, but hey, they have everything else right! I know the white wine is under $400 pesos but I’m not sure if they’re available on Amazon. I think it’s a buy from the vineyard kind of deal. I’m sure they’d ship you a case though. I hope this helps and thanks for commenting. Cheers, Bel.
There are superb made-in-Mexico wines but they tend to be pricey compared to similar or better quality wines from Chile and Argentina. The article was a bit of a tease, useless information really, because access to the wines and this tasting experience are simply our of reach for readers. The writer mentions team Tulum does a culinary tour but no schedule was given. An elitist and, let’s face it, a show-off article.
Hi, hola, and thanks for commenting. I love Chilean and Argentinean wines too! They are a regular in my shopping cart so this article was to let fellow wine lovers know that Mexican wines have come a long way on the world scene. I included the vineyard links so you can buy direct, which is a lot cheaper than staying at a luxury hotel. Sorry you felt it was elitist, I was trying to give our readership a way to experience beautiful Mexican wines and let them know of wonderful experiences on offer. If you were in the Tulum area and wanted to stay at Conrads, you can book this experience there. It’s always nice to know what is out there and get ideas of wines to try. Prices for these wines range from $18-$46 so all under $50 and maybe provide some ideas for a nice special occasion wine. Cheers, Bel.
Lovely reply to a spicy comment
I live right down the street from the Conrad and love wine tastings. What was the price for this experience?
Hi Kells, you’d have to check with Conrads, it was included in my stay. If you follow the link in the article I’m sure you couild email them and easily find out.
Where would I find the links to where I can find and buy any of these wines. I looked through your article and me no find.
Hi Betty, I included the links. If you see each wine or vineyard name it’s written in blue, that is the link. When you click that it will take you to the wine. Happy shopping! Cheers, Bel.
Another thing I would like to know related to wine is what wines pair with typical Mexican food, i.e., arrachera, enchiladas, tacos?
It depends if you’re eating seafood, meats or veggie. A good rule of thumb to follow is a white or rosé for seafood, reds for meat dishes, and if you’re a veggiesaurus like me then take your pick. Reds go well with cheeses, and as for taco’s, enchiladas etc, I would say it’s personal taste. One of my friends only drinks red and loves it with enchiladas, another only drinks white or rosé and she loves it with enchiladas too. Happy sipping and eating my friend, it’s one of the greatest joys in life. Cheers, Bel.
Mexicanwine.us
Or
Patrickneriselections.us
Or
Besoimports.com
Wow, you are a wonderful writer. Made me want to try all of it.
Cheers and Keep it up, Bel!
Aww thank you so much. You’re kind words have made my day! I promise I’ll keep finding interesting things to write about here in Mexico, and I’m always on the lookout for good wine! Cheers, Bel.