The popularity of Mexican wine extends well beyond the rich vineyards of Baja California and to the shores of Puerto Peñasco. On June 28th, wine tasting will be paired with music and craft beer at Puerto Peñasco’s 1st Wine & Beer Festival, to be held next to El Tapeo Wine Bar at Laos Mar Hotel. The evening will feature the popular guitar rhythms of Nicho Hinojosa, as well as a number of local musicians. At least seven wineries, a variety of Mexican craft beer houses, artisanal cheese crafters from the region, and possibly regional tobacco growers are slotted to be part of the evening, proceeds from which will go toward the second phase of equipping the City’s first Dialysis Center.
Each exhibitor will display their craft under romantically rustic gazebos, offering wine, beer, and cheese tastings as the evening begins. Laura Palacio, regional delegate for the Sonoran Tourism Commission and host of the Festival, explains tastings will be from 7 p.m. – 9 p.m. set to the music of local groups Rojo, Hijos de Mauricio, and Antonio Mosqueda. During that time people are invited to visit the numerous stands, taking in the wealth of rich wines and craft beers as they stroll through the Festival. One hundred tables will be available for attendees to continue the evening with the bohemian tunes of Nicho Hinojosa.
Tickets for Puerto Peñasco’s 1st Wine and Beer Festival run 275 pesos per person (approximately $23 US) and are available at the DIF offices (Mon – Fri 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.) and at El Tapeo Wine Bar (Laos Mar Hotel) after 5 p.m. For reservations and additional information: 638 380 5017 or 638 112 3189.
“This is not an event for El Tapeo, or just for the DIF, it is for everyone, it’s for the community,” stresses Palacio, inviting all to come out for a fun night of wine, craft beer and wonderful music while helping to further goals of equipping the Dialysis Center.
Hinojosa, who is originally from the city of Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, studied music at the Superior School of Music and Dance in Monterrey where he specialized in percussions and picked up other instruments including piano, the French horn, guitar, and song.
In 1993 he joined the group Guitars for the World, recording two albums and touring throughout Romania, the Netherlands, the US, and of course Mexico. On his ninth album, titled In the Bar (En El Bar), he recorded a series of songs by different well-known artists, though with his certain Nicho style and with solely a guitar accompanying his voice. He swiftly conquered the hearts of millions and continued this success with albums such as In the Bar 2, In the Bar 3, and From North to South, among others.
Thanks to Nicho’s recordings of many classic songs from the “new Cuban trova”, such as Silvio Rodríguez’s “Ojála”, many people became aware of this style of music which led to the often controversial title of “troubadour”, although he would preferred to be called a “bohemian singer.”