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Last week we were also graciously invited to attend a wine and tequilla & mezcal tasting at the YEW restaurant + bar at the Four Seasons Hotel. It was a preview of the Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo Food & Wine Festival on March 22-24, 2012, the only one of its kind in Latin America.

First, we were treated to a few tasty canapes. The food table was quite popular as we were filling our tummy to get ready for the alcohol adventure that we were about to embark on.

Canapes to start

Then, we welcomed Mark Oldman, leading wine expert and award-winning author, to walk us through a number of wines & spirits from Mexico. Here is a list of what we had:

• Santo Tomas Sauvignon Blanc
• Mariatinto Tempranillo Grenache and Syrah
• Santo Tomas Cabernet Sauvignon
• Santo Tomas Xaloc Reserva
• Partida Tequilla Anejo
• Zacbe Mezcal
• Sangrita as chaser

Drinking Bravely

Mexico is definitely not a country known for its wines, and frankly I’ve never had any Mexican wines before this evening. Therefore, it was quite an interesting experience to taste the one white and three reds. Overall the flavour profile was more earthy and smokey, a bit different from what I’m used to in my wines. Of the 4 wines, I enjoyed the Tempranillo Grenache and Syrah blend by Mariatinto the most. It’s more balanced and easy to drink.

Guests listening to Mark Oldman

To wrap up the evening, we also tried some Tequilla and Mezcal. Not a hard liquor drinker, having the tequilla again reminded me of my trip to Mexico and my visit to a local tequilla factory. Boy, the mezcal sure was strong! The sangrita was a good chaser for both the tequilla and mezcal.

Tequila & Mezcal

It was a great event, allowing me to taste the wines, tequilla & mezcal that I wouldn’t drink otherwise. If this evening was an indicator of what the Food & Wine Festival would be like, its attendees are in for a treat!

Raise your glass

More event photos here: