What a wonderful 'Best of Mexico' celebration at CostaBaja Beach Club!

I recently had the privilege of attending this splendid celebration of authentic Mexican food, wine, tequila and artisans — all of which were absolutely fabulous. First of all, if you haven't seen the exclusive CostaBaja Beach Club, you're missing a treat in itself. The turquoise Sea of Cortez is a blissful backdrop to the gorgeous infinity-edged pool. The Moroccan-style sun beds on the beach, with their terry cloth mattress sheets and gauzy white draperies were tempting me to lie down and feel like a Sultan's wife, while the lotus loungers in the shallows of the pool were just begging me to stretch out and sip a Mojito – speaking of which, I met a fun and lively couple from Fallbrook, CA, who said that the Beach Club makes the best Mojitos that have ever had! The stacked wood bar at the Beach Club is really beautiful, as are the towering Cardon cactus sculptures that flank the bar, and the late day sun filtered through the palapa roof, casting a lovely dappled effect across the crowd of forty-or-so, who gathered in the early evening for cocktails and celebration.

The food was catered by three of the Pueblo Marinero restaurants—Azul Marino, Gula and Maridaje, in addition to the CostaBaja Beach Club restaurant, and all four chefs offered up finger foods typical of various regions of Mexico that were delicious and fun to sample. There was a very entertaining and informative wine tasting, as well as a tequila tasting, both conducted by sommelier and Manager of the Beach Club restaurant, the very charming and knowledgeable Sr. Obet Montiel Lara. The wines I sampled included Monte Xanic, a 2005 Sauvignon Blanc which has a hint of vanilla and was a rare delight, and Chateau Camou, a 2002 white, also from the Guadalupe Valley in Baja – an area which produces the majority of Mexican wines and is getting some excellent reviews lately. Next we switchced to reds, starting with Serrafiel Vino Tinto – a 2005 wine from Adobe Guadelupe, which was similar to a Pinot Noir or a Beaujolais, . Next was a Casa Madero Red which was a delicious Cabarnet Sauvignon. Very nice!

I was enjoying the wines so much, I'm sad to say that I skipped the tequila tasting and headed straight for the food. My favorite hors d'oeuvre was Conchinita Pibil — pork marinated in achiote chilli, wrapped in banana leaves and cooked in a kiln. It was tender and cooked with the perfect amount of seasoning. Several artists and painters displayed their work, including Julieta Sánchez-Hidalgo, Hernández and Victor de la Vega de la Peña, to name just a few. I didn't have a chance to talk to everybody, but I did enjoy a long visit with sculptor Salvador Silvestre, whose impressive work was attractively presented. With the help of a friend who translated for me, I discovered that Salvador is the president of 'Casa de L'Artisan' — the Artisans Association of Baja California Sur. The stone sculptures he creates are made from a type of rock fungus that miners discard, so rather than letting it go to waste, he is recycling it into art. Similarly, the wood he uses is donated. As there are few trees in this dessert-to-sea climate, and cutting trees down is illegal, when a tree falls from natural causes, the government donates the wood to Silvestre's organization. He, in turn, creates his dramatic art pieces, and also shares the wood with other local artisans. Furthermore, he helps some of the unskilled laborers in Baja California Sur who can only find seasonal work. Silvestre teaches them how to make crafts, art and jewelry from natural resources, like seashells, in the off season. It reminded me of that old saying, 'Give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day, teach a man to fish and he'll eat for a lifetime.' It really was an amazing night, and it really proved the point that Mexico has a LOT more to offer than burritos and margaritas! The food and wines were world-class.