
The bustling town of Playa del Carmen, set in the middle of the Riviera Maya is home to Las Palapas hotel. With palapa inspired bungalows tucked away in a tranquil jungle setting, this is the perfect backdrop for poolside or beachside wine tasting while listening to live improvisational or Latin jazz. Toss in various regional cuisines and an affable and knowledgeable sommelier, Guillermo Gomez and you have all the components for a truly sensory experience. One balmy poolside night we joined Guillermo for an interview and sampling of Mexico’s inspiring wines, Monte Xanic, a sauvignon blanc and Casa Madero’s Merlot. Wine and jazz evenings have become a weekly ritual at Las Palapas, just steps away from the yearly Riviera Maya Jazz festival at Mamitas beach. The hotel hosts’ forty-five different wines with eighty five percent devoted to showcasing the well established and younger/experimental breeds from various parts of Mexico.














