As \u201cfarm-to-table\u201d and \u201corganic\u2019 increasingly became fine dining buzzwords, Chapman was sourcing fresh, organic produce from his own local farm, Sanchez Org\u00e1nico. And as the winemakers from Baja\u2019s Valle de Guadalupe began attracting international attention, the chef was turning Don Sanchez into the<\/em> local mecca for Mexican wine lovers.<\/p>\n \u201cWine Wars\u201d and tastings are regular features at Don Sanchez in San Jos\u00e9 del Cabo<\/p><\/div>\n Chapman isn\u2019t the only local chef, of course, to feature Baja Med fusion cuisine made from fresh, local and organic ingredients, and to pair them with fine wines from Valle de Guadalupe. But few area cocineros<\/em> can match him in terms of creativity and commitment, and certainly no local restaurant has made the same commitment to its wine program as Don Sanchez.<\/a><\/p>\n When Chapman renovated the signature downtown restaurant a couple of years ago, he upgraded his facilities and his services: not only installing a wine bar and exposed cellar area featuring hundreds of internationally representative bottles available for meals, tastings and<\/em> carry-out sales, but also hiring a sommelier and renewing his dedication to wine-centric events and ever-changing tasting menus that paired predominantly Baja produced wines with the freshest local and seasonal ingredients available.<\/p>\n To find out more about Don Sanchez\u2019s acclaimed wine program, we recently sent Los Cabos Magazine<\/a> contributor and Court of Master Sommeliers certified sommelier Chris Sands to conduct a Q&A with the restaurant\u2019s own resident expert, sommelier Nizuniro Altamirano.<\/p>\n The wine operation at Don Sanchez \u2013 from the wine bar and tableside sommelier service to the exposed cellar area and carry-out wine shop \u2013 is really quite remarkable, and unlike any other restaurant I\u2019ve visited in Los Cabos<\/a>. What was the inspiration for the current setup?<\/strong><\/p>\n The current setup is a result of both our wine concept and a dual wine lounge\/tapas experience that is still evolving. The first contact that our guests have with the restaurant is in the wine room. It\u2019s a statement of how important wine is for our restaurant, and it\u2019s also an indication of the role wine can play during a meal at Don Sanchez.<\/p>\n Vino-friendly features at Don Sanchez include carry-out sales from the onsite wine bar.<\/p><\/div>\n How many labels do you currently stock, and how do they break down geographically? Are the majority Mexican wines from Valle de Guadalupe or Valle de Parras?<\/strong><\/p>\n We currently carry 287 labels, and our aim is to have between 290 and 300 labels available. Currently, 24% of this is Mexican wine, and although we would like our selection to be mostly Mexican, there is just not enough production and variety for our cava<\/em> to be higher than that on a national scale. This is reflected in the fact that 32% of our wine is from the U.S. Beyond that, we have allocated 30% of our stock to Old World labels from seven different countries, and 14% of our selection is made up of wines from the Southern Hemisphere.<\/p>\n What\u2019s the process for determining which wines to carry? Do you favor terroir-driven wines that pair well with food, or is more a question of representing benchmark producers from various regions around the world?<\/strong><\/p>\n We have selected a few big names which are recognizable to any wine enthusiast around the globe, but our main concern with the wine selection is both to have a broad range of flavors, and savory, terroir<\/em>-rich wines in order to represent the vast diversity found in the wine world today.<\/p>\n Do you have any favorite pairings with some of your signature menu items? If so, what to you makes these pairings so special?<\/strong><\/p>\n Sommelier Nizuniro Altamirano works with Chef Tadd Chapman to find perfect food and wine pairings for the restaurant\u2019s ever-changing tasting menus.<\/p><\/div>\n Some of our dishes have been primarily designed to pair with specific varietals. A few of my favorites are the Mango Tulips, which go exquisitely with a fresh, mineral Sauvignon Blanc; The Baja Med Catch of the Day, which is an excellent pairing with rich, buttery Chardonnay; and the Lamb Shank Mixiote with Mexican Shiraz.<\/p>\n One of the things I love about Don Sanchez is the daily tasting menus. How much of a challenge is it to find proper pairings for five or six courses per day?<\/strong><\/p>\n With the support of 287 wines at our disposal, we don\u2019t find it overly difficult to find a pairing for each dish. But there are occasions when we need to make adjustments to the dish to fit the wine we would like to pair.<\/p>\n Do you have any general rules you follow when pairing food with wine?<\/strong><\/p>\n I\u2019m not sure if \u201crules\u201d is the word we would use when designing our pairings. However, the current trend among some wine-enthusiasts and so-called experts is full of myths, which we definitely won\u2019t follow. Some of our pairings are textbook, classic matches that just work amazingly, whereas some of them are off the charts, eccentric, molecular crazy pairs that just go together magically. Overall, we don\u2019t follow general patterns though.<\/p>\n What kind of training do you provide your staff in terms of wine service?<\/strong><\/p>\n We currently have an ongoing staff training program once a week that encourages our waiters to broaden their wine knowledge and service expertise, in order to have consistency with our Wine Program.<\/p>\n Do you host any regular wine events or tastings?<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"1379959_965430666814506_524505622686524380_n\"](\"https:\/\/www.loscabosguide.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/1379959_965430666814506_524505622686524380_n.jpg\")
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