Wine with mole?

Can I ask for some wine pairing advice? We are celebrating a friend's birthday at Sol de Mexico next week. I'll be bringing my really, really excellent margaritas and beer but I know some in our group will prefer wine. I've never paired wine with moles. What would you suggest? I know we're open to either reds or whites. Thank you.

The thing is, moles vary widely, from fairly simple to quite complex- also from green to red. (Without getting into other colors and variations)
General rule of thumb for the red moles, which can be quite complex, is to avoid tannic wines, and concentrate on fruity varieties. Red wines such as pinot noir or tempranillo can be okay with some of the red moles.
For the green moles, white wines seem to work better, again usually(but not always) ones that are not too complex or oak oriented. Perhaps a crisp sav blanc.
All this really depends on the specific mole, and the manner in which it is made. Successful pairings for this stuff usually takes a fair amount of tasting and experimenting.
Sometimes it is surprising to find what wines work with moles, however getting too complex with the wine when eating complex moles can be a pretty negative experience. Hope this helps, although it does have a discouraging tone.

stewed coot wrote: Sometimes it is surprising to find what wines work with moles, however getting too complex with the wine when eating complex moles can be a pretty negative experience. Hope this helps, although it does have a discouraging tone.

I think this is a key point. Moles, especially Carlos', can range from simple and clean to complex with layers of sweetness and spice. The differences beteween the mole verde and the mole negro are vast. The contrast is stark.

If you plan on sampling different types, which I hope you are, I'd stick with beer. Something clean and not too hoppy. Perhaps a clean pilsner like Czechvar?

Best,
Michael

Once upon a time, faced with a deeply-chocolate, rich complex red mole, I opted for a late-harvest zin, high-alcohol with loads of jammy fruit. Worked much better than it should have done.

Geo

Thanks to everyone for your advice. I figured that beer is the best bet given the variation in moles, but I was hoping to find one white and one red that might go with at least some of the moles - and that you've graciously provided. Thank you!