FELIZ NAVIDAD AND VINO NUEVO!
Expert tips for pairing wine and Latino foods for the holidays
By Sandra Gonzalez
My fondest childhood memories are of my family coming together for the holidays: kids anxiously waiting for the clock to strike midnight so they could tear into the mountain of gifts under the tree; my abuelito telling stories about lost gold in the mountains of Mexico.
The women gathered before Navidad and Año Nuevo to prepare our annual feast of tamales, pozole, and pavo. I realize now that the tamales we made were filled with stories of quinceañeras, meddling tias, and wise abuelitas. But as a new generation continues the family tradition, we bring our modern lifestyle to an ancient culinary art.
This year we will continue a relatively new tradition – bringing wine to share with our family and pair with our foods. Wine represents everything cherished in Latino culture: togetherness, food, family, heritage. But before toasting Las Fiestas de Navidad and popping the cork for New Years, consider these suggestions for pairing wine with traditional Latino holiday foods, primarily tamales and pozole.
The corn exterior of tamales makes them a great companion to a variety of wines, the filling determining which particular wine they’ll go with. Cheese and veggie tamales pair well with Chardonnay. The corn flavor complements the wine, and chardonnay’s natural acidity cuts through some of the cheese fat. Riquisimo! A filling of pork with red sauce, on the other hand, pairs well with Zinfandel – a powerhouse wine that can stand up to such robust flavors. Be prepared, this is a strong combination.
A unique way to enjoy wine and familial history this holiday season is by sharing the Robledo Family Winery’s 1st Edition La Familia Collectors Series – a 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley featuring a photo of the founding parents of this Latino-owned winery. Upcoming wines in the series will display a photo of each family member. This is another great wine to drink with pork or beef tamales, and pozole.
Continue new traditions of wine with your family, adding your own stories and passion to all the foods and fiestas you share this holiday season. Salud!
Sandra Gonzalez publishes vinoconvida.com and hosts a radio segment on KVON-AM in Napa Valley. Both the website and radio show discuss wine, food, art, and travel related to Latin culture.
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