Wine Shop Talk (VIII): Enrique Olvera

Enrique Olvera is Mexico's top chef. He's backed by impressive rankings in Restaurant magazine: his Mexico City restaurant Pujol (named in honor of his maternal grandfather, a Catalan called Figueras) ranks 16th worldwide and 9th in Latin America.

The chef, who also runs three Eno coffee shops in Mexico and the Cosme restaurant in New York, joins Club Torres to spontaneously reflect on how he envisions wine:

“Clearly, wine is an essential part of a restaurant experience. In our case, we figured out at Pujol that white wines pair very well with the kind of food we make, the kind of spicy and tart flavors we work with.”

“In Mexico, we don't drink as much wine as in Europe, but the local wine movement matters to us, because we like to support local producers regardless of what they make, be it lettuce or wine. There is a small valley in Baja California called Valle de Guadalupe where most of Mexico's wine production is concentrated.”

“And then there are small microclimates, for example in Aguascalientes and Querétaro (in central Mexico) and in Coahuila (in the north). These places have made it possible to create small winegrowing regions where people are working on quality wines. Obviously there's a little bit of everything. Some do it very well, some have been around for a long time, others are relatively new. What is remarkable, however, is that they're making Mexican wine that expresses terroir, that has a different character than European wine.”

“The wines are very ripe and luscious, especially in Baja California. Most of them are reds, but there are some whites. Mexican wines have a touch of saltiness, because this is desert soil, regardless of the drought.”

“In Mexico, we don't only eat Mexican food. Other culinary traditions are well represented, including Spain, because there is a significant Spanish community in the country. Certain wines are made with them in mind.”

“I no longer suggest food and wine pairings at my restaurant. We used to include a wine recommendation on the printed menu, but I increasingly prefer a looser style of dining. I like it when the waitstaff ask you what wines you like and based on that offer a more personalized suggestion.”

“If they asked me, I'd say that I like old-vintage whites with oxidized flavors. I always have food with wine. I don't like drinking wine on its own. And I like sharing it with others, of course, because wine is not meant to be drunk alone.”