Recent trip inspires "Spring Break in Mexico" wine-pairing dinner

The chilly weather was unrelenting, and we were all glad to have an excuse to bask in the hot flavors of Mexico for a night at the “Spring Break in Mexico” wine-pairing Dinner on Tuesday, February 26. Chef Ben Pratt had just returned from his own trip to the Oaxaca region of Mexico so a number of dishes were inspired by the foods found there. Oaxaca cheese, which is similar to mozzarella, or string cheese, was sliced and served during the first course with a quick-pickled jicama and cucumber salad, citrus segments, sesame seeds and ranchero dressing. Sheila Stewart of The Wine Merchants poured a sparkling Toad Hollow Amplexus Brut to pair with the salad. It added an extra zing to the jicama, and also enlivened the flavor of the mild cheese.
Sweet melon pieces mingled with smoky shrimp and lime-laced crema in a cold, guacamole-based soup served as the second course. Ben added spinach and parsley to the soup, too, to increase the green color (and adding a much needed vitamin punch to our winter-starved constitutions). A poetically named Valley of the Moon Pinot Blanc accompanied the soup, and its crisp flavor paired well with the creamy base and tender shrimp. The third course stole the show. A lavender honey infused cornmeal pancake was stuffed with cranberries and piled high with cold barbecue duck confit, Twin Pine Farms watercress, and a drizzle of pumpkin seed vinaigrette. It was like a sweet deconstructed taco, and was very fun to eat. The Duck Pond Pinot Noir that accompanied this course was rich, like the duck.	Oaxaca is a land of many wonderful foods.
In order to make it through the five-course menu, I usually ask for a container to bring home the fourth course after only a few appreciative bites. Not this time. The spice grilled pork tenderloin with pineapple was devoured so quickly, I hardly gave a thought to asking for a “doggy bag.” The sweetness of the meat was echoed in the sweet potato marjoram cake, as well as in the barbecue pecan mole sauce that added a lovely smokiness to everything. Sheila said the Peterson Zinfandel was created in the old style, which means the vineyard picked all the grapes, no matter their ripeness, and put them all into the vats. This created a spicy, complex wine that would have bullied the pork had it not been for the mole sauce to counter its richness. My favorite part of the dessert was the spun sugar sombrero set at a jaunty angle on top of the luscious Tres Leches Cake with strawberry compote. The burnt sugar taste created an under layer for the densely sweet cake and the tart berries. The Toad Hollow Pinot Noir Rose wine picked up on this tartness, acting as a palate cleanser between bites. Join us Tuesday, March 25 for our Meat Lovers Wine-pairing Dinner when we (hopefully) kiss winter  goodbye for good!