Fonda San Miguel Hosts December Wine Pairing Event Featuring Niepoort Duoro Wines - Austin, Texas

 

Austin’s favorite classic regional Mexican cuisine will meet its delicious match at Fonda San Miguel’s upcoming wine-pairing dinner event featuring the wines of Niepoort, a family-run Portuguese producer of still wines and ports. This exclusive wine-and-dinner pairing event, which includes a five-course chef-prepared meal served with a variety of Niepoort’s most beloved traditional wines, will take place at Fonda San Miguel on Dec. 5.
 
An independent wine producer since 1842, the Niepoort business has spanned five generations of the Niepoort family and continues to craft high-quality ports and douro wines while honoring winemaking traditions and employing modern innovations. Niepoort’s perfectly aged and artfully composed wines pair especially well with the bold, authentic flavors of Fonda San Miguel’s traditional interior Mexican cuisine.  
 
The special Niepoort dinner-pairing event, $85 per person excluding tax and gratuity, will feature wine expert Todd Mathis of Martine’s Wines, a renowned wine-importing business that works closely with Niepoort. Mathis will discuss the unique qualities of each Niepoort wine and be on hand to answer diners’ pairing questions. The evening will begin at 6:30 p.m. with a reception featuring a choice of a white port cocktail or Niepoort’s 2010 Docil Vinho Verde, a traditional light Portuguese white with floral and citric notes, lovely aromas and a beautiful balance.
 
Guests will be seated at 7 p.m. for the first course, Fonda’s delightful Chilled Oyster with Nopal Mignonette Sauce, a fresh-shucked oyster served on the half shell with nopales, serrano chili and tuna cactus jus. The first course will be paired with Niepoort’s 2010 Tiara Duoro, a rich and fresh white wine with intense mineral and citric notes and a finish that speaks to the elegance of extremely old vineyards. The second course includes a tangy Piquillo Relleno con Brandade de Vieira, a piquillo pepper stuffed with a brandade of parsnips and scallops accompanied by local greens dressed with sherry vinaigrette. This will be paired with Niepoort’s 2010 Redoma Duoro Branco, which highlights a special intense mineral character combined with white-flower notes and smoky oak.
 
Next up is Fonda’s exquisite Pinxto de Secreto con Higo, an Iberian pork dish served with saffron potatoes and a flavorful fig sauce, and paired with Niepoort’s 2008 Vertente Duoro Tinto, a deep ruby wine with red-fruit aromas and spicy green–pepper notes that beautifully complement the pork. Fonda’s fourth course features the Chuleta de Guajolote Almendrado, a grilled bone-in turkey chop served with an almond mole and a crispy rice garnish. This course will be paired with the 2008 Redoma Duoro Tinto, Niepoort’s original duoro, a dark, complex wine with subtle aromas of black plums and spice, and a well-integrated tannic structure.
 
Completing the meal will be Fonda’s dessert duet of Capirotada de Queso Azul con Nueces y Tres Leches de Chocolate Mexicana, a dish featuring aged blue-veined cheese, sultana raisins and Texas pecans woven into a challah bread pudding, as well as a Mexican chocolate and cinnamon cake soaked in a rich trio of milk sauce. The decadent final course will be paired with a duo of Niepoort’s finest deep-flavored port wines.   
 
Seating is limited for this exclusive Fonda San Miguel wine-pairing dinner highlighting Niepoort wines, and reservations are recommended. To reserve a space for this special dinner event, call  (512) 459-4121 .
 
Fonda San Miguel, located at 2330 W. North Loop, is widely recognized as one of the finest interior Mexican restaurants in the country, and is known for its classic Mexican cuisine and its hand-selected wine list. For more information about Fonda San Miguel and the special Niepoort wine-pairing dinner, please call (512) 459-4121, or visit www.FondaSanMiguel.com.