Tom Parker Bowles bacchanalia lunch at Blacks

Tequila is having a moment. Once the preserve of the Aztecs, who used to drink it an a digestif, the spirit fell spectacularly from grace, and until recently was more readily associated with cowboys, bandits and stag weekends than discerning drinkers. But with ultra premium brands like Patrón now on the market, Tequila has got the makeover it desperately deserves, and is not only cool again, but the fastest growing spirits category in the UK.

To toast Tequila's newfound success, I was invited to attend a Mexican-themed bacchanalian lunch whipped up by Tom Parker Bowles and Alberto Figueroa at Soho institution Blacks members club. Reached by descending a black steel staircase, the 18th century Georgian townhouse is modeled on the dining club created in the same spot 300 years prior by writer Samuel Johnson and painter Joshua Reynolds. Quintessentially English, Blacks is furnished with roaring fires, creaky wooden floorboards, powder blue walls, painted ladies, fraying armchairs and the odd ghost or two.

Taking my place by the roaring fire, a welcome Margarita is thrust in my hand. Noticing it contains no ice, I sheepishly ask the barman for a few cubes, to dilute the super strong concoction. Gesticulating wildly to my left is flame-haired one time Kenny Everett sidekick turned Tequila ambassador Cleo Rocos, who is so potty about the drink, she founded The Tequila Society to promote Tequila in the UK. To my right are Guardian food writer Matthew Fort and MasterChef winner and Wahaca founder Thomasina Miers, sporting a perfectly round bump.

Rescued from the fire before I begin to melt, we are ushered upstairs and asked to take our seats among the school-like wooden bench. On my table is Zeren Wilson of Bitten and Written fame, boy about town Ben Norum and Scotch eggspert David Constable. Foodie banter soon ensues. Having just been asked to be a food critic for the erotic review, Constable whips out his black notebook and begins writing sordid descriptions of our citrusy sea bream ceviche and crunchy tostadas served with lashings of luscious guacamole.

We all get in on the act and take to reading our lewd passages aloud. In need of slaking after our literary endeavours, we crack open a biodynamic Cortese from Piedmont producer Valli Unite. Golden in colour, it has a mineral core and a green fruited nose of apple and pear. After scandalously simple and pleasingly cheesy quesadillas, we move onto the main event, 'Drunken Lamb' – made tipsy by its beer marinade – served with fluffy tortillas and juicy black beans, and silky slow roast pork with Seville orange wrapped in banana leaves.

The highlight of the feast is raspberry red hibiscus and Tequila sorbet served in a modest glass goblet. Fresh, fruity and fun, the forest fruit flavours are lifted by the Tequila kick. Whilst savouring the sorbet, Tom PB emerges in a besmirched Tabasco apron and grey T-shirt. Humble as pie, he immediately defaults to thanking Figueroa, then scurries back downstairs. Catching up with him after the meal, I ask whether it's possible to do a quick video interview, but he concedes to having had one too many Tequilas to be sufficiently coherent for the camera. Disappointed, I ask him what he thinks should be served at the forthcoming royal wedding. "Cottage pie!" he exclaims. "I had it at my wedding and it's the ideal dish to serve to hundreds of people: it's simple, full of flavour and unmistakably British."

Hugo D'Acosta: the Mexican Mondavi

Another year, another tasting. Last Wednesday, while most people left their desks before dark, I braved the snow and pigeon-stepped my way to Wahaca in Westfield.

Bibendum were hosting a Mexican food and wine dinner to showcase the wines of Hugo D'Acosta, the Robert Mondavi of Mexico.

Mexico City born D'Acosta, who trained in Bordeaux, owns four wineries in the Guadalupe Valley and consults for a number of others in the region. Widely considered the best winemaker in the country, his influence is almost Kurtz-like.

His first venture was Casa de Piedra, a boutique winery in Baja California, 90km from the US border. Releasing his first vintage in 1997, D'Acosta's focus was on small production and low yields that would allow for concentration of fruit. Today his wines are known for their clean, terroir-driven style, and have achieved cult status, commanding up to £100 a bottle in top Mexico City restaurants.

Masterchef winner Thomasina Miers was on hand at Wahaca, conjuring up a stunning six course menu of Mexican market food, including scallop ceviche, mole tacos and chorizo quesadillas. Each dish was paired with a different D'Acosta wine.

Around the table were Steven Spurrier (fresh from Spain), Peter McCombie MW, Waitrose Food Illustrated Editor William Sitwell, who regaled us with Gordon Ramsay anecdotes (none of them repeatable), Mark Selby (who co-owns Wahaca with Miers) dressed in a fetching green velvet jacket, and a sprinkling of long-standing Bibendum staff. 

Seated next to Spurrier was the silver fox, D'Acosta, dressed sensibly for the snow if a knitted gray sweater. He proved so modest and unassuming, he had to be asked to stand up and introduce the wines. I got the impression he was happy for them to speak for themselves, which they did, loudly.

At the end of the evening, while the chocolate con churros was doing the rounds, I managed to corner D'Acosta, keen to find out about the man behind the brand. Here's what he had to say:

"I like to keep growing my company because you should never stagnate. Inertia is my worst enemy. It's an exciting time for Mexican wine at the moment, there's a lot happening in a small region, both good and bad. It's still very fresh and experimental - there are things happening you'll never find again, and blends you like that you'll never get to see again."

On his Mondavi-like status in Mexico:

"Someone needs to be a leader and open the door. I'm very proud to have the key but it's a lot of responsibility and a big risk. If I have too much influence the region could become uniform, and all the wines might end up tasting the same. But it might get to the point where they don't need me anymore."

Has he considered expanding beyond Mexico?

"We don't have the vision to expand. We're not looking to export and perhaps that's a mistake. Perhaps we're too insular. We need to be part of the wine world to keep the project running. My aim is to show the world that Mexico is a serious winemaking country. My intentions are simple; I'm passionate about getting more people into making wine."

It's a mistake for D'Acosta to keep his wines within the Mexican borders. From their elegance to their concentration, there is so much to love about these wines, he should be sharing them with the rest of the world. I urged him to enter his wines into the 2010 Decanter World Wine Awards, a platform which will hopefully put Mexico firmly on the wine map; a place it very much deserves to be.

Tasting notes

Casa de Piedra, Emblema, 2008

Made in the Gaudalupe Valley from 100% Sauvignon Blanc, the nose was bright and fresh with lovely citrus fruits - lemons and juicy limes. Lively and elegant on the palate with a rich mouthfeel and lip-smacking acidity, it was seriously impressive. The best Sauvignon Blanc I've had in months.

Adobe de Guadalupe, Kerubiel, 2007

The winery's five wines are named after archangels. Kerubiel, a blend of Cinsault, Syrah, Mourvedre, Grenache and Viognier, is aged for nine months in new French oak barrels. It showed red fruit on the nose, with a smokey, almost charred character. Smooth and velvety on the palate, the French oak lent it an attractive spiciness. Steven Spurrier's favourite.

Union de Productores, Estapor Venir, 2007

The only wine of the spread available in the UK (£10.99; Bibendum), it's an adventurous blend of 40% Petite Syrah, 20 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Barbera and 20% Zinfandel. Grown on limestone and sandy soils and aged for eight months in French-American oak, the wine is a fascinating mix of sweet and savoury. On first sniff I got lovely savoury vegetal notes, but behind them were rich red fruits - cherries, strawberries and raspberries. Elegant, refined and smooth on the palate, it had a lovely long licorice finish.

Casa de Piedra, Ensamble Arenal, 2007

A similar blend to Estapor Venir, combining Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Syrah, Zinfandel and Barbera grown on sandy soils. The most expensive wine in D'Acosta's range (£22.50), it was a deep ruby with opulent red and black fruit on the nose. It had a lovely rich, velvety mouthfeel with an almost perfumed quality and a lingering spicy finish. Elegant and voluptuous, the French and Italian influence comes through wonderfully - sensational!

Tres Valles, Maat, 2007

Made from 100% Grenache grown on limestone soils and aged for a year in new oak, the wine showed hot red fruit on the nose - juicy morello cherries and ripe strawberries. Smooth and round on the palate, it was tasted very much in the shadow of the outstanding Ensamble Arenal; a tough act to follow.