what wines with Oaxacan cuisine?

[marktynernyc]

Am going to Oaxaca soon - I've been doing research, cross referencing, reading reviews and have almost finished composing the list of restaurants I plan to try. While I will have a few margaritas while there

- straight up, with salt (no, not frozen - I've had more than enough snow this winter) I'm wondering what

types of wines would be a good match with Oaxacan cuisine. I've had oloroso sherry with some spicy dishes that I thought worked well. I'll be trying various moles, stuffed chiles, etc.. Not really sure what would go with armadillo or iguana - any ideas?

[guajolote]

The best wine for Oaxacan cuisine is Mezcal. Second best is Negra Modelo. I have yet to find a wine which goes well with chiles

Make sure you go to Tlamanalli in Teotitlan del Valle. It's a restaurant run by a bunch of Zapotec sisters, and I will say it is the best Mexican restaurant in the world. Teotilan del Valle is about a half hour outside of Oaxaca.

[Jason Perlow]

second on the Negra Modelo. Phenomenal mexican dark beer.

[marktynernyc]

Thanks for the suggestions. I'l post a report when I get back from Oaxaca.

[stellabella]

make sure you do. i'm spending three weeks in oaxaca in june.

[Vanessa]

marktyner & stellabella - please be sure to report back

v

[Ron Johnson]

Mark,

you have found the one cuisine that I find most problematic to match with wine. there just isn't any easy answer and no wine that I know of is going to be a truly great match.

Let us know what you are able to put together that works.

[joler]

Is El Naranjo on your list of places to go? I will be interested to hear your critique of the food there. I ate there last summer, not long after it was written up in the NY Times.

[marktynernyc]

I'm having dinner at El Naranjo my first night in Oaxaca - the next day I'm attending a

cooking class at her restaurant. I have read glowing reviews of her cooking -

looking forward to it.

http://www.elnaranjo.com.mx/

[Memo]

I'm wondering what types of wines would be a good match with Oaxacan cuisine. I've had oloroso sherry with some spicy dishes that I thought worked well. I'll be trying various moles, stuffed chiles, etc.. Not really sure what would go with armadillo or iguana - any ideas?

←

As far as Mexican reds, from the Baja - LA Cetto's Petite Syrah pairs well with the Mole Negro de Oaxaca. In the past, I've enjoyed the Tempranillo from Santo Tomas with many Oaxacan dishes.

[shelora]

Rick Bayless came up with a handy guide for pairing Mexican food with wine.

It may have been from his website, but it has been on our fridge for some time, so I may be mistaken.

We are not beer drinkers and we take mescal or tequila as an apertif. Here are some of the points that we have found so helpful. It's not verbatim, I'm adding my own comments.

1. Pair wine with the sauce, since Mexican food is always defined by the sauce -especially Oaxacan moles.

2. Start wine-sauce paring by focusing on the chile featured in the sauce.

3. Green chiles with white wine.

4. dried red chiles - red wines.

5. tomatillos as a background to the chiles - fruity Syrahs or New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs.

6. tomatoes as a background to the chiles - Italian varietals like Sangiovese or Barbera.

7. Match a wine's acidity to any lime, sour orange and fruit vinegar focussed dishes. Think the Yucatan.

8. Match a wine's fruitiness to the characteristic fruitness of many classic sauces. A manchamantales for example, that uses pineapple and plantain in with the chiles.

Shelora

[Jay Francis]

I wouldn't drink wine at all. I would stick with aguas frescas.

[kcd]

I'm just back from Oaxaca, so I read this topic with interest.

I would love to hear the original poster's review. We ate at the Naranja, and enjoyed it very much. I had a pork stuffed chili, with amarillo mole. Jimbob had the same, but with a hotter chili (chili de agua).

Very tasty.

I also attended her cooking class (along with 3 other classes). I can't say that it was my favorite. This was more like participating in a cooking show: with the host up front, and the observer emptying chilies, and grinding them in the blender, taking turns with the other members.

I found the other classes much more satisfying, with Susanna Trillings being a show-stopping-total-day experience.

It is sometime had to separate restaurents from a specific time/mood. However, probably one of our favorite restaurants were Maria Bonita, Los Danzantes, and the restaurant in the Soledad hotel (aka "the chocolate hotel"), but the latter might have been a response to the mood at the time, and not strictly the food. There was also a favorite neighborhood (non-Central) restuarant, but I couldn't tell you the name.

kcd

kcd