Rewriting the Rules…Beans and Ceja Wine Anyone?

Beans and wine you ask? Well, here at Ceja we get down and grub on the nontraditional food and wine pairings…and why not? Growing up in a Mexican household, beans, tortillas and rice have been a staple of ours since I can remember. They have also played a stereotypical role in American culture that have downgraded the authenticity of beans giving them a bastardized symbol of a poor mans Tex-Mex meal. I happen to think otherwise.

I have been cooking alongside my mom since I was a little girl. I remember standing on a stool next to the kitchen counter using both hands to stir the pot of arroz con 

leche or Mexican hot chocolate, as tantalizing smells of cinnamon and sweetness infiltrated our kitchen. From that moment on I knew that food would always play an integral role in my life where wine would slowly make its grand entrance down the road.

However, given that I come from a huge extended family, fiestas and gatherings were always a prominent excuse to bring the goods to the table: homemade tamales, chiles rellenos, sopes, enchiladas, salsas, flan and so much more. Funny enough, there was as much food on the table as there was wine. Yep, more wine than beer or margaritas.

Now, when it comes to pairing wine with Mexican food, the most important rule to remember is to just drink and eat what you like! Although this rings true for many of us, there are some Mexican dishes that just plain taste better with certain wines. Here are some of my foolproof combinations that I absolutely love (all dishes are available under the recipes tab on our website).

*Mole Negro de Oaxaca paired with Ceja Syrah
*Salmon Ceviche paired with Ceja Pinot Noir
*Camarones a la Dalia paired with Ceja Chardonnay

Stay tuned for weekly mouthwatering recipes that will leave you begging for more…

¡Ole!

Dalia Ceja