The popular Mexican restaurant celebrates with a traditional fiesta – Los Cabos Magazine Issue #33

María Corona has just the recipe for a perfect Mexican fiesta. Must-have ingredients include live music, mariachis, folkloric dancers, plenty of tequila, great food, and fun-loving people. Mix well and you have the makings of a grand, traditional Mexican party. That is exactly what María Corona did—in concert with Cabo Wine Club—to celebrate its fourth anniversary with a gastronomic wine and tequila tasting event March 8.

The well-executed event was attended by more than 100 patrons, who started arriving early and converged in the beautiful open-air patio. Paper lanterns hung in the trees, creating a lively array of lights over the colorful Mexican cloth–covered tables. Tana Craighead, of Cabo Wine Club, and Emmanuel Tirado, manager of María Corona, welcomed guests, while representatives from several vineyards and tequila brokers manned a freestanding wine and tequila bar and extolled the benefits and virtues of each. Francis Jonquoy of La Europea exhibited wines and olive oil from the Guadalupe Valley, known as Baja California’s wine country; Erika Zuniga represented Casa Madero Winery; Rodrigo Silva was there with Tequila Mexicano, as was a representative from Vinoteca. The Los Principes trio entertained while the party grew in size, eventually expanding onto the terrace and into the beautiful covered dining room. Special guest Natalie Garcia displayed some of her fine wine–inspired paintings.

Casa Madero is the oldest winery in México; it was established in 1597. The Casa Madero vineyards and winery is located in the foothills of the Sierra Madre Mountains in the north-central part of México in the state of Coahuila. The valley is blessed for its abundant spring water coming from the rain on the mountains, and its high elevation offers warm days and cool nights, which create the perfect conditions for growing grapes.

Each table at María Corona had a card depicting the six-course food tasting menu, starting with guacamole and cream of poblana soup, followed by a mini chile relleno. Many of the recipes date back to the time of the Mexican Independence movement and have been kept alive by the grandmother of the owners of the Baja Cantina Group (www.bajacantinagroup.com), which also owns Baja Cantina and the Tiki Bar on the Cabo San Lucas Marina and Baja Cantina Beach on Médano Beach.

As the party progressed, a handsome band of mariachis dressed in traje de charro (style of the Mexican cowboy) made an impressive entrance playing time-honored Mexican ballads on trumpets, guitars, and violins. The group, known as Nuevo Jalisciense, was followed by beautiful señoritas from a local folklórico ballet, Folklórico Fiesta California, attired in costumes that reflect traditional culture of various regions of México. The mariachi music and folklórico ballet are representations of national patriotism, symbolizing Mexican pride to the people.

The tasty dishes that followed included huachinango (red snapper); Veracruz-style fish; pork Yucateoc marinated in achiote chile, orange juice and spices, then rolled in a banana leaf; and grilled fillet of beef served with panela cheese and grilled onions. To top off the dinner was a dessert of homemade flan and corn bread. All was prepared by the capable kitchen, under the orders of María Corona executive chef Javier Galindo.

Tana Craighead, a wine aficionado, founded the Cabo Wine Club (www.cabowineclub.com) in 2002 and joined in with María Corona for a combined birthday celebration. Craighead has been instrumental in coordinating wine and tequila tastings and culinary events including hands on cooking classes at different venues, including María Corona.

For more information: https://www.loscabosguide.com/mariacorona/index.html