MEXICAN SPECIAL

MEXICAN cooking is diverse and huge and no longer just about a beefy burrito. The range of flavours on offer is enough to get your tastebuds bristling like an army of hungry gnomes. The good news is there is an ocean of wine ready to complement Mexican cooking. The Mexican wine industry, believe it or not, is on the up. Wine has been produced in Mexico since the Conquistadors romped across Latin America in their knee-high boots and best pillaging pantaloons. However, not a great deal of it emerges from beyond the hammocks swaying on the shores of Mexico, where we Brits seem to spend more and more of our holidays. The answer, my friends, is literally on the doorstep… of Mexico. South America is one of the world’s most promising and diverse wine producing regions – and it is literally dripping with bargains to pour over your tongue in an orgy of licking and drinking.

Think about Chile, Argentina – even Uruguay is at it, and I've even tasted wine from Peru and Bolivia. Mexican food delivers a range of subtle spices and a kaleidoscope of possibilities to drink alongside it. My big tip is to avoid reds that are too chunky and mouth-drying or the food will get swamped; otherwise it's a paradise of mix and match, waiting to be unleashed from Cape Horn right to the shores of sexy Mexico. Cheers!

Leyda Single Vineyard Garuma Sauvignon Blanc 2007 - from an emerging cool-climate region bordering the Pacific, this wine is packed with passionfruit ping. Rich, full of flavour with herbal edges, this is one to light up your Mexican fish dishes – a gem matched with Coriander.

Tabali Encantado Syrah Reserva 2007 Limari Valley - this wine comes from the deserts of northern Chile in an area reputed to be visited by spacemen. The wine itself is a leathery bold richly spicy outrage – in a good way. If you like ‘em big, this is one to have a squeeze of. Have it!

THE BEST OF THE REST

Majestic Viñalba Malbec Reserva 2006 - (Majestic) -  Fantastic and tremendous wine of award-winning pedigree and a must-by for any Latin American banquet. Sleek, glossy, chocolaty, complex, awesome vino with serious finesse. Glorious.