Enjoying dinner at La Nena Cantina brings together Los Angeles’s Modern Mexican Coastal Cuisine and the Valle de Guadalupe wine from Casa de Piedra, with Hugo D’Acosta, the grandfather, or one could say the Robert Mondavi, of Mexican wine. This was the highlight of a recent wine dinner at La Nena Cantina’s Disney Center location in Downtown Los Angeles.
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La Nena Cantina: Modern Mexican Cuisine in Los Angeles
Disney Hall already has Frank Gehry’s iconic architecture, but add a new restaurant that will draw in music and theatergoers, or Los Angeles City workers, for lunch or dinner, and you have a real winner. The restaurant’s modern décor is welcoming, the vibe is authentic, and the food is outstanding.
Le Nena Cantina is one of three restaurants of the same name owned by Vicente Del Rio. It is the most recent to open, in addition to Vicente’s other two Le Nena Cantina restaurants in Malibu and Hollywood.
Hugo D’Acosta: A Pioneer of Valle de Guadalupe Wine
The winemaker dinner honored Hugo D’Acosta, known as “the pioneer of Mexican winemaking.” Casa de Piedra was his first project. Hugo graduated from the School of Agronomy in Montpellier, France, and the Agricultural University of Turin, Italy. He was the first to start a winemaking school in Baja called La Escuelita.
For Hugo, “wine is made in the vineyard.” His passion for wine shines through in his wines, and one knows immediately that he wants to show us that Mexico can stand on its own in making excellent wines.
Not only do Hugo’s wines reflect his influence from studying in France, particularly in Bordeaux, but they also take on a uniqueness of their own due to his creativity in blending.
The wines of Valle de Guadalupe are known for their salinity, driven by the area’s proximity to the Pacific Ocean, maritime influences, ancient seabed soils, and saline irrigation. Together, these factors define the style of Valle de Guadalupe wines.
This was my first time tasting the wines of Hugo D’Acosta from the Valle de Guadalupe. I also had the privilege of tasting the wines he made for Milagra Farm Winery in the Ramona Valley region of San Diego. Interestingly, both regions share a similar topography. My experience in Ramona was that the area reminded me of Tuscany, specifically Maremma. Although I have never been to the Valle de Guadalupe, my understanding is that it, too, is similar to Tuscany.
Valle de Guadalupe Wine and Food Pairings at La Nena Cantina
The dinner featured five courses, each paired with wine except for dessert.
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We began our deep dive into the wines of Valle de Guadalupe with an aperitif, the Espuma de Piedra Blanc to Blanc, a Mexican sparkling wine made using the Traditional Method. The blend captured my fancy. This wine combines Chardonnay with Sauvignon Blanc. This sparkler speaks of Valle de Guadalupe, with an emphasis on its saline quality.
Our first course was Hamachi (Yellowtail) with avocado and a light sauce. It was paired with the Espuma de Piedra Rosé. The Rosé was a Traditional Method Barbera. It was light, bright, and fresh, accentuating the Hamachi’s lightness.
The Second Course consisted of pan-seared white fish with a garlic white-wine sauce topped with capers. The wine was the Aborigen Clandestino Blanco, a Chenin Blanc created by Lucas D’Acosta, Hugo’s son. This light, refreshing Chenin Blanc ferments and ages in stainless steel. Its light, citrusy flavors paired nicely with the fish.
The third course was my favorite. I don’t think I have ever had such large shrimp. They were succulent, grilled, and topped with a parsley-lime sauce, along with carrots, corn, and squash. The wine, Parteaguas, a Cab/Merlot blend, is a dry red with plum and cocoa flavors.
The next course was a steak Medallion, filet mignon, served with a pepper and red wine sauce and asparagus. The chef cooked the steak to my liking, rare, pairing it with the Vino de Piedra Tempranillo-Cab blend. The wine ages in French and American oak for 12 months. The wine was the most complex of the evening.
Rounding out the excellent Mexican-themed dinner were churros and a carajillo. Carajillo is an alcoholic coffee cocktail created with espresso and a vanilla-based liqueur such as Licor43.
A Taste of Mexico in Los Angeles
The evening at La Nena Cantina was an exceptional dinner and an introduction to the character of Valle de Guadalupe wine. Paired with modern Mexican coastal cuisine, Hugo D’Acosta’s wines showed how beautifully they complement food while expressing their terroir. For me, discovering Casa de Piedra and experiencing Hugo’s winemaking approach was memorable. It reminds us that Mexico deserves a place on the world’s wine map. La Nena Cantina and Casa de Piedra proved to be a delicious partnership, bringing together the flavors of Baja, coastal California, and the spirit of Mexican winemaking in downtown Los Angeles.
Note: As is common in the travel and wine industry, this writer received a hosted dinner and wine tasting. While it has not influenced this review, the writer believes in full disclosure.