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Wine Spectator Awards for Pueblo Bonito & Quivira Restaurants
Three restaurants in the Pueblo Bonito Resorts collection (Fellini’s at Rosé, LaFrida at Sunset Beach, Peninsula at Pacifica) and Quivira Steakhouse have each earned the coveted Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator, a leading wine authority. This is the fourth consecutive year this quartet of restaurants has earned the magazine’s prestigious award, a tribute to their expertise in selecting wines that pair well with the cuisine in their respective dining rooms.
“This hard-to-achieve award is bestowed upon restaurants that show unwavering passion and perseverance in strategically building thoughtful wine selections,” the editors stated.
“The Award of Excellence is given to restaurants offering well-curated lists with approximately 90 selections or more. These lists feature quality producers and wines that diners wouldn’t easily find at local wine stores and drink at home. These wine selections also match the restaurant’s cuisine in both style and pricing, giving guests a well-rounded experience.
“The art of hospitality is alive and well, with restaurants finding new and exciting ways to satisfy both their regular clientele and attract broader audiences,” the publication reported. “With sophisticated AI and other technologies spreading more broadly throughout our lives, restaurateurs and wine professionals are proving to be indispensable, offering advice, guidance and a sense of connection and community that the likes of ChatGPT cannot achieve.”
Under the guidance of Federico Martinez, Pueblo Bonito Group corporate director, the restaurants recognized by Wine Spectator at Pueblo Bonito and Quivira, each captained by a best-in-class sommelier, offer a range of versatile, fairly priced wines.
For example, at Fellini’s Ristorante, the signature Italian dining spot at Pueblo Bonito Rose, wine strengths, derived mainly from Mexico, Italy, and California, were selected by sommelier Andres Padilla to pair with menu items ranging from rich pasta dishes and flavorsome risottos to thin-crust pizzas and roasted meats. Pricing, based on the wine list’s general markup and high and low price points, is rated Moderate by Wine Spectator. Fellini’s selection of Italian wines (both red and white) is one of the finest in Los Cabos.
At LaFrida, the outstanding gourmet Mexican restaurant at Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach, the wine list, with bottles drawn mainly from Mexico, California and Italy, complement the inspired cuisine of Chef Anaisa Guevara. Wine pricing at LaFrida, its candlelit dining room dedicated to the eponymous Mexican artist, is rated Inexpensive, with many bottles priced under $50 USD. Sommelier Alberto Sanchez, who commands a cellar with 245 selections (and a 950-bottle inventory), can guide diners to a wine that’s a perfect match to LaFrida’s delicious appetizers and entrées. The wine list has great depth in red blends from Mexico’s Baja California Norte, Coahuila and Chihuahua regions.
Peninsula, the elegant indoor/outdoor restaurant at Pueblo Bonito Pacifica, is renowned for its farm-to-table cuisine, especially fresh local seafood. Under the guidance of Pueblo Bonito’s head sommelier Armando Mora, wine strengths on the moderately-priced carte de vin, drawn primarily from Mexico and California, pair beautifully with the dining room’s array of dishes which feature modern cooking techniques in an interpretation of traditional Baja cuisine. Diners can start with a glass of sparkling Prosecco from Italy’s Veneto region before moving on to a delicious Mexican Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc.
Quivira Steakhouse ranks among the very best steakhouses in Los Cabos. Overseen by head chef Carlos Arriaga, this stylish beachfront outpost at Quivira Golf Club turns out superlative steaks cooked on a charcoal grill. As at Peninsula, sommelier Armando Mora has crafted a very representative wine list, primarily vino tinto for the Steakhouse. The wines, mainly from Mexico and California but with options available from Spain, France, Argentina, Chile and Australia, were specifically chosen to complement (but not overwhelm) the robust flavors of the Certified Angus Beef Prime quality steaks. Pricing is rated Inexpensive, though diners can shoot the moon with a top-notch Cabernet Sauvignon from California’s Napa Valley or a Super Tuscan (Sangiovese blend) wine from Italy.