La Fonda Wins 2007 Wine Spectator Award
La Fonda is proud to announce that our La Plazuela Restaurant has received Wine Spectator magazine's Award of Excellence for 2007. The award is given to restaurants with wine lists "that offer a well-chosen selection of quality producers, along with a thematic match to the menu in both price and style." The most influential wine magazine in the world, Wine Spectator recognizes restaurants whose wine lists offer interesting selections, are appropriate to their cuisine and appeal to a wide range of wine lovers. Wine Spectator had more than 900 new entrants for the award, and La Plazuela was among the 60 percent that made the cut, meaning that La Plazuela is now among the prestigious ranks of nearly 4,000 restaurants worldwide, fewer than 40 of them in New Mexico, that are recognized for their wine lists.
“We are very honored to receive this distinction,” said Bert Leyva, La Fonda's director of food services, who is responsible for selecting the restaurant’s wines. “We have worked hard to establish a wine list that offers tremendous quality, marries well with our menu and is as alluring as our chef’s creations are.” In building the list over the past several years, Leyva has focused on wines that pair well with the restaurant’s Latin gourmet cuisine created by Chef Lane Warner, C.E.C.
Leyva has visited vineyards in Spain and attended courses through the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone. He is a wine lover and collector who especially enjoys finding unknown treasures to offer guests wines. “We’ve discovered some very complex and unique wines produced by some wonderful vineyards in Spain, Argentina, Chile, Portugal, Australia and South Africa,” Leyva said. “We also showcase a selection of fine California wines. Many are amazing examples of truly memorable, outstanding wines that offer a balance of beautiful aromatics, rich, bright fruit, and long length.”
Among La Plazuela’s wine offerings are nearly 40 selections offered by the glass, allowing guests a wide variety of wines to sample with a variety of dishes. La Plazuela’s head waiter and sommelier, Gustavo Azurdia, assists Leyva in compiling the wine list and is on hand to guide diners in their selection of wine. Whether the diner is a savvy wine connoisseur, or a novice slightly intimidated by the 120-selection wine list, Azurdia makes it easy to find a wine they’ll be pleased with.