Team a great chef and sommelier together and they will create a dinner you will wish to repeat each week. Simplicio’s chef David Licona and Wine Team’s Sommelier Miguel Quiroz have done just that! We had the pleasure of attending the 2nd wine pairing event at Simplicio’s Steakhouse, a new restaurant in the Ixtapa hotel zone. Joined by good friends as well as new ones, this was our first actual wine pairing event- and it certainly won’t be our last!
Chef David and Sommelier Miguel started the evening off by explaining the various courses and wines in general. We were each given a folder with our menu as well as cards for each of the three wines we were to sample as unofficial wine judges. As each course was served and each paired wine poured, not only were we given more details as a large group- the chef and sommelier came to each table as we were eating and sipping to hear what we thought.
- 1st course: Grilled octopus paired with Trasiego white wine blend of Viognier, Arneis and Marsanne grapes
- 2nd course: Italian sausage & Portobello mushroom stuffed Tuscan ravioli paired with Trasiego red wine blend of Cabernet, Sangiovese and Merlot grapes
- 3rd course: Picaña with rubs of coffee and dark beer served with rustic potatoes, paired with Trasiego Mediterranean blend of Montepulciano, Aglianico and Sangiovese grapes
- 4tth course: Dessert surprise of petit fours- chocolate cake, tart and flan. Coffee optional!
For us, each course was sublime! Truth be told, not everyone in our group were fans of octopus, but it was sublime for those of us who are. While the raviolis were excellent and the perfect amount to tide us over to the third course- it was the picaña that was the winner for all of us. A cut of beef with a thick cap of fat prized in Brazil but little known in North America, it was so juicy, full of flavor and cooked to perfection, accompanied by a biscuit, rustic mashed potatoes and garnished with a few slices of watermelon radishes to add a bit of color and crunch.
The portions of each course were small yet perfect, as we were all comfortably full at the end. The amount of wine served was enough to complement each course, yet not enough to make the non-drinker woozy. Wine was for sale for anyone who wished for more. Plenty of ice-cold lime-infused water was available at all times, and the waiters were constantly refilling our water glasses. Everything was perfectly proportioned in every way!
Simplicio’s is hoping to host wine pairing events monthly, or every other month. Check with us for details and tickets!
Wine pairing chat with both the chef and sommelier! 
Wine tasting done the right way! 
Grilled octopus! 
Small glass of wine with each course. Perfect, and not too much! 
Perfect Pasta! 
Grilled to perfection! 
Chef talk! 
Delicious dessert! 
We all agreed that this was an amazing event, and we look forward to the next one! 
A big hand to all the staff for this wonderful event!
