On Saturday night I had the pleasure of attending a gourmet farm-to-table wine dinner at La Cocina Que Canta. I arrived at 4:00 pm to La Cocina’s stunning flowered courtyard where I was warmly greeted with live music and wine served by Roberto of the Bazaar Del Sol. I enjoyed Miguel wine from the nearby Adobe Guadalupe Vineyards. Miguel is a rich and delicious mid-bodied wine made from Tempranillo and Grenache grapes. The wine is infused with cabernet sauvignon for softness and merlot for boldness, and it is aged for ten months in oak barrels. Everyone raved about the wine for the entire evening.

After enjoying the courtyards and the view of Mt. Kuchamaa, the guests and I entered the dining room of La Cocina and were completely blown away by the beautiful selection of appetizers. Executive Chef Denise Roa outdid herself as she presented us with a delicious assortment of mini marlin fish tacos with a chipotle cream sauce, white bean sopes with Meyer lemon crème fraîche, and shrimp and vegetable escabeche tostadas.

After schmoozing, eating, and drinking wine, we were all seated at long tables inside of the ballroom. We were served fresh watermelon juice and bottomless glasses of wine. Dinner began with tortilla soup with avocado and cilantro, yellow corn tamales with chile poblano and Oaxaca cheese, and a salad of baby greens with candied walnuts, dried fruit, pomegranates and a blood orange dressing. The food was outstanding.

During the dinner the owner of Adobe Guadalupe, Tru Miller, briefly discussed the fascinating history of her wines. I was impressed to learn that Adobe wines are sold at Noma in Copenhagen, Denmark, which the World’s 50 Best website ranked as the best restaurant in the world! 

For the main course we enjoyed pan seared local white fish over a butternut squash and shiitake mushroom risotto in a corn cilantro sauce.  The fish and risotto were out of this world, and the sauce perfected the dish.

The meal concluded with a delicious orange cinnamon flan. Chef Denise then surprised us with mugs full of a warm Mexican punch called calientitos, made from dried and fresh fruit from the garden. This was an unexpected and festive addition to our meal! It was a sweet and ideal way to finish our lovely evening.

For more information on upcoming wine dinners, or to schedule a private event or wedding at La Cocina Que Canta, please contact Maura Montoya at events@lacocinaquecanta.net.