Good wine scarce down Mexico way

Press, 16 June 1982, Page 16

Good wine scarce down Mexico way

Maurice | Hunter’s i GRAPEVINE

Our wine columnist is spending the New Zealand winter in warmer climes. Before touring the West Coast of North America Maurice Hunter surveyed the wine scene south of the border.

I had made the same mistake three years ago. Before leaving New Zealand on this three-month trip I had it all mapped out that the first column sent back would be about the wines served on Continental Airlines.

But the plane was packed, and the cabin staff too busy to talk. Topic number one went by the board.

After that I was to discourse learnedly on Californian: wines, but with only five days to recover from the jetlag of the 16-hour journey to Los Angeles, the excitement of the reunion with our friends after three years, and some necessary shopping before leaving for Mexico number two topic went into the discard.

So when we boarded Mexicana Airlines Flight 913 for Guadalajara Harbour I could not imagine anything of any great interest ahead as far as wine was concerned. The little information to hand before leaving New Zealand revealed that some wine was produced in the north, close to the Texas border.

it would be safer for cleaning teeth rather than risk the local water supply. It therefore came_• as no surprise when the hostess, in reply to my question as to whether she was serving Mexican wine, said “No they are French." The flight path took us down the Pacific coast to aragged finger of land, the peninsula called .Baja Cali-

In view of my previous experience with wine from hot countries I felt that the best that we could expect from Mexican wine was that

fornia on the map which we crossed at an angle towards California. While some of us sipped more than contentedly on Patedu Rhao red and Others on Veuve Clioquot champagne we looked down as Baja California slowly unfolded beneath us. So badly eroded was it that it gave the impression of a giant abstract lino cut; a landscape dotted with little

plateaux surrounded by walls and ridges cut to varying depths: a scene of complete and utter desolation. Soon the scene changed to what seemed to be a vast area of desert — square miles of it. smooth and -as unmarked as a blank artist’s canvas. And yet there suddenly appeared a rectangle where a tinge of green indicated that someone was trying to grow some sort of crop in the middle of this bleak wilderness.

What it could possibly be and why in such a Godforsaken place, defied the imagination. Shortly a road appeared, as straight as if it had been ruled, beginning from nothing. leading nowhere, as far as we could see — no buildings, no cloud of dust along it, no sign of those who had built it or used it.

The Peninsula passed behind us as we moved across the Gulf of California and the mainland before our descent to Guadalajara, capital of the state of Jalisco.

It was a long, hot bus ride from the airport, and with a temperature of 32 degrees plus, we were more interested in quenching our thirst than'looking over the wine scene.

So we settled for beer. The following day at lunch time, having consulted the guide book, we made our way to the restaurant.' Casadores. (which translates, strangely enough, as The Hunters). We accepted the maitre de’s recommendation for wine, and guess where it was produced? Right first time - Baja California. It appears that south from the area we saw conditions improve considerably, and wine is produced in a valley called Calafia. Although one of our party, speaks fairly good Spanish; those who produce it can-tell Us little or nothing about its production.. There is a familiar note there!

'We are hampered still further ' by Mexican licensing laws, which appear' to be even crazier than ours.

At the time of writing we are in San Miguel de Allende (having driven here from Guadalajara, via Irahuato and Guanajuato, in a red station waggon which we had named Hot Tamale), and several times when we had asked for wine had been told all the establishment was allowed to offer was wine or sangria.

' Being uncertain about the purity of the water used in the sangria means that beer or fruit drinks have constituted our main liquid intake. But last evening, again on the advice of the guide book, we found ourselves dining at the restaurant of San Plateo, where, behind unprepossess-, ing, weathered, wooden doors, which look as though they were installed when the city was founded in 1542, is a restaurant- of class and sophistication which would hold ■ its own with any we have encountered anywhere, for decor, atmosphere, and service. The menu was a wellbalanced mixture of European and Mexican dishes, and we ate well, beginning with oysters. I must tell you about the oysters. I scarcely expected the luscious, fat’Bluff oyster, of which we ate more than our

quota before leaving New Zealand, knowing that the season would be over by the time we returned. But, served on shells big enough to accommodate the Bluff variety, and swimming in garlic butter, were three objects in each shell, with the appearance of dark peanuts. They tasted rather like oysters, but since we were eating by subdued candlelight I felt that’some might tend to be lost in the shadow of the shell, so I moved the candle closer to my plate. I got them all. It was quite an experience, but I won’t be in a hurry to repeat it. These were washed down with a Vino Blanco from Baja California. This was a disappointment — to us it had little fruit quality, appeared to be hybrid. and was too high in acid.

The label was puzzling. It’, bore the name of Louis Es-\ chenaueur (Francia). How a Frenchman with a German 5 surname producing wine iriu Mexico comes into the act I.': wouldn't know, but I will keep working on it. - The second wine, also from - Calafia. was more fortunate, being softer and well bal- : anced. It was voted as being definitely the better. The wine steward deserves . special mention. Although • only 19 he could well sei an example for manv New Zea- ; land wine stewards to follow. - Apart from presenting the • wine correctly, instead of;; taking the bottle from the ‘ refrigerator, where it could - possibly have been for days. ’ and bringing it to the table • ice-cold, he placed it in the . ice bucket at the table, drew j the cork, offered it for in- ” spection. and left the wine to i chill down quietly for about Z 15 minutes before serving. - Top marks. The Spanish- ■ speaking member of our - party discovered from him * that French, German, and » Spanish wines are also avail- ‘ able, and again 1 give him ; top marks for recommending ; Mexican. We can all appreciate the value of pride in the j local produce. ‘ It is difficult to talk about price. When we first worked ? out estimates for the trip. ) the peso was running at • about 20 to the United States . dollar. The valuation in Feb- ‘ ruary took it to 45. and it •• was how about 46. ; Some prices .have beep '» adjusted to compensate. but..J the Government stepped in >. to suspend the operation o.f ! some businesses which re-. <. acted too quickly, and there ! has been a degree of caution- ; ever since. The wine purchased at the s Restaurant Casadores cost ), 200 pesos, and fhe two at San . Plateo’s were 350 pesos. We ■ received 76 United States ‘i cents for bur New Zealand ; dollar, so I leave it to you to ? work out prices in New Zea- i land dollars - I'm on holi- I day! • i Tomorrow we leave, this ! charming city of San Miguel.' > for Patzcuaro. thence i<?'' ; Morelia, and back to Gua-• dalajara. where we drop off ' the Hot. Tamale before flying ■ ; on to Mexico City. .. :• ■; If I can find enough; material and time to write’ ! again, I will do so. . Mean-’- • time, have a nice winter,. won't vou.