We are accustomed to thinking of Mexico as rich in the tradition of beer and mezcal. But did you know that Mexico is the first place in the Americas where wine grapes were planted? In fact, the oldest winery in the New World, Casa Madero, opened in 1597 in the northern Mexican state of Coahuila and is still active to this day.
It is against this backdrop of antiquity that the Mexican restaurant La Contenta Oeste in Greenwich Village proffers one of the most authentic exclusively Mexican wine programs in the country. Chef and wine director Luis Arce Mota’s 150-plus collection of bottles might be regarded as an ode to Mexico’s viticultural renaissance. His wine list is more of a “liquid atlas” of Mexico, spanning sun-baked valleys, high-altitude deserts, and volcanic slopes where vines defy the odds.
Chef Mota’s culinary philosophy is rooted in a celebration of Mexico’s vibrant flavors by pairing each of his dishes with a wine that both elevates and complements its ingredients. He takes the most elemental of dishes — nachos — and creates unexpected harmonies by pairing it with the Sparkling Brut Rosé from El Bajío, a blend of Syrah and Macadeo that resonates on the tongue with subtle berry notes. The pan-roasted cod at the foundation of the house’s bacalao Veracruz derives a double flavor boost, first from the tomatoes, olives, capers, and jalapeño, that sauce the fish, secondarily from the hints of citrus, most notably grapefruit, in the Sauvignon Blanc from Monte Xanic that he recommends as a liquid accompaniment.
The list features an extensive collection of natural wines and includes bottles from wineries on the forefront of biodynamic and organic winemaking practices, including Mina Penélope, Finca La Carrodilla, and Santos Brujos in Baja California.
One of those wines, the small-batch 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon from Mi Prima Vera in the Valle de Guadalupe delivers a roundness and depth that stand up to the rich and complex mole sauce that graces roast chicken enchiladas.
To accompany the lone red meat selection on the menu, hanger steak a la parrilla, Chef Mota recommends the 2017 Tempranillo-Cab blend from Madera 5, which is aged 10 months in French and American oak barrels.
Several of the labels on the list at La Contenta Oeste are boutique wineries owned and operated by women, such as Pouya in Baja California and RGMX in Coahuila. It is the latter’s intensely aromatic and fruit-forward Naranja de Tierra, a natural wine with orange accents, that the restaurant offers up as a companion to its churros.
Price range: $14 to $20 for starters, $23 to $31 for main dishes, and $10 for dessert.
La Contenta Oeste, 78 W. 11th Street, 212-533-2233, is open Saturday and Sunday for brunch, daily for dinner, and “late night” (till 3 a.m.) Thursday through Saturday.
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