Gimme a ¡Salud! if you think Mexican Independence Day is on May 5.
(Cue sound of crickets chirping).
That’s right, chicas y chicos–contrary to what certain beer companies that shall remain nameless will tell you, September 16 (not Cinco de Mayo), marks 206 years since the famous grito, or cry, uttered from a church in the little Mexican town of Dolores Hidalgo sowed the seeds for a revolution.
I can’t think of a better way to celebrate a revolution than with a big glass of vino. And I can’t think of a better place this side of the Rio Grande to enjoy a unique blend of Mexican heritage and wine than in Los Angeles’s own San Antonio Winery.
Yours truly had the distinct honor of being a guest at a recent wine and cheese pairing at L.A.’s oldest producing winery [El Full Disclosure: I was invited to attend a tasting event as a guest of San Antonio’s, however the opinions expressed are 100% mine, all mine!].
For you history buffs, San Antonio Winery was established near downtown Los Angeles in 1917 by Italian immigrant Santo Cambianica. Santo’s nephew, Stefano Riboli, came to the U.S. at age 15 to learn how to make wine from his uncle. Ten years later in 1946, Stefano married Italian hottie Maddalena Satragni.
Today, the Riboli family continues to produce a diverse portfolio of wines, including sparkling, white, rosé and red, as well as classic and chocolate (yes, chocolate!) port. Ay, ay, ay…
But back to the wine and cheese pairing. Let me start by saying wine and cheese pairings at San Antonio Winery are a far cry from the ones we’ve all suffered through at some point (we’ve all been there–a plate of jack, cheddar and some weird amalgamation of the two cut into little cubes, air-drying on paper plates). After just one San Antonio wine and cheese event, my pairing bar was set irreversibly high.
And it’s not just cheese (not that there’s anything wrong with just cheese). We’re talking Manchego quesadilla with Pinot Noir. Havarti and smoked andouille sausage on a hot dog bun with Petite Syrah. Danish blue with apricot preserves on a scone and a glass of Pinot Grigio.
Speaking of glasses, wine and cheese pairings a la San Antonio Winery mean you get…wait for it…a full pour. I speak the truth, darlings. No silly splashes here and there. Heck, they even come around and offer you another hearty round.
These think-outside-the-box pairings come from Wonder-Somm Corey Arballo, wine steward at San Antonio Winery. Oh, and there’s a restaurant onsite at the winery, which means anytime you visit, you can get abbondanza Italian fare to go with your vino and not have to stumble around town looking for a hunka hunka hot lasagne. But that’s the topic of a future post.
Vino lovers at the pairing I attended got lucky–we all were serenaded by Mariachis as we savored our wine and cheese. I’ll drink to that!
Wine and cheese pairings at San Antonio Winery are offered a few times year. The next one is Sunday, Oct. 9 from 1 to 3:3o p.m. Whether or not you can make it, remember that you can visit the winery year-round and have a traditional wine tasting (save some room for lasagne afterwards!). Bring an appetite, a thirst for award-winning wine and tell ’em Señorita Vino sent you.
¡Salud!
