Ms. Hansen’s first trip to Spain at the age of 19 was deeply formative. Revelations came fast and furious. Wine is drunk at lunchtime! Wine can be served in earthenware pitchers, filled by a spigot! Wine bottles may have gold netting on them to signify quality from across the room! Youngsters drink wine diluted with sweet soda! Wine is inexpensive and approachable! Spanish food is unique and scrumptious! Food is indubitably enhanced by wine! Wine is a given and wine is everywhere!

By the age of 28 Deborah co-owned her first restaurant in Madrid, Cornucopia, and by 33 she had become a Sommeliere, trained in Spain, first in her graduating class. Back in Boston, she co-owned and operated Taberna de Haro from 1998 until 2007, whereupon she became the sole owner-operator when she bought out her partner. She quickly took the wine list to a highly competitive level, and became renowned for having created one of the largest and most highly regarded all-Spanish wine lists in the country. Taberna de Haro offered more than 300 wines from Spain, 94 of which were Sherry, making it the second largest Sherry list in the world. Awards include James Beard Semi-Finalist for Wine Program in 2018, The World of Fine Wine from yearly 2018 to 2024, and Wine Spectator awards yearly from 2004 to 2024. (Complete list of awards here).

Deborah Hansen became a tastemaker for all things Spain, devoted to authentic cuisine and unique wines. Hansen teaches in Boston University’s Culinary Arts Program and is considered Boston’s leading voice for the food and wine of Spain. She holds a B.A. in Spanish from Bates College, and M.A. in Spanish from New York University, and has spent more than 8 years living, studying, and working in Madrid. She has traveled extensively throughout Spain, with a focus on wine-producing regions. Her passion for Spanish food and wine remains unwavering. After 31 years at the helm of restaurants (Cornucopia in Madrid, Spain; Taberna de Haro in Brookline, MA; and Azafran in Winchester, MA), Deborah has chosen a fresh path, a natural offshoot of being a wine-obsessed restaurateur. She now dedicates her time to finishing her cookbook “Lambs, Clams, and Hams” (seeking a publisher); and consulting on matters of Spanish wine and cuisine, because for this Spain-enamored professional, Wine Matters.