The perfect wine list shows guests that the proprietors understand what great things wine brings to a restaurant: connection, culture, and cohesion.  Wine has been with us for more than 6,000 years - don’t banish her now!

There’s a new generation of wine drinkers, and they’re telling us what they want. As more local wine shops sell off to chains and family groups, shelves around town contain more big-brand, chemical-laden, uninteresting plonk than ever.  This makes the hunt for what’s pure and just plain delicious all the more challenging, and I think these spirited youngsters relish that.

My generation needs to get it right as we teach them and taste with them!

Tasting wine throughout the five sub-zones of Navarra in October, I experienced garnacha like never before. Garnacha, like Navarra itself, is ascendant.

Welcome to the second installation of the “What’s Cool in Navarra?” blog.  I hope you enjoy my overview of each winery and some highlights in the glass. I am pictured here utterly enraptured by a glorious garnatxa called Lakar, 2020 as the cold drizzle slid down my neck.

An aerial view of the marvelous tasting spread at Ochoa, a winery that impressed me with its progressive views on agriculture, as well as its delicious wine, long history, and feminine vibe.

What made you choose Spain? I am asked that question frequently. Simply put, Spain is where my very belief system got turned onto its head.