Cooking in Cuernavaca:
Pairing Wine With Mexican Food
Episode #101
Three
typical American couples take a culinary vacation to Cuernavaca, Mexico to
learn about authentic Mexican cooking and the wines that complement it from
Karen MacNeil and Chef Ana Isabel Garcia head chef at La
Villa Bonita School of Mexican cuisine. Join Karen and the group as they
shop at the local market for fresh ingredients, prepare Mexican dishes in
Chef Ana’s kitchen, and learn the secret to Karen’s signature
sangria. 
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In Cuernavaca, we paired guacamole with dry Riesling because of its purity and fruitiness, salsa with Sauvignon Blanc because of its fresh crispness, and spicy chicken with Zinfandel because it has a softness that acts to cushion the chicken's spice.
Today’s sip tip is on temperature. We all know that a lot of wines taste better when they are well-chilled, but which wines exactly and how long should they be chilled? The wines that need the most chilling are sparkling wines and champagnes. These wines should be served pretty frosty, because the cold helps to hold the bubbles in, just like it does in a cola. Still white wines like Chardonnay also need to be served well-chilled, but do not need to be served as cold as champagne. And then there are red wines. Red wines should be served a little colder than you might think — at what used to be called “cellar temperature” — which is about the temperature of an air-conditioned movie theater. I put my red wines in the refrigerator for about five minutes before serving, so they are just a little bit cooler than room temperature. That’s my sip tip for today. Keep it cool!
La Villa Bonita School of Mexican Cuisine
http:// www.lavillabonita.com
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