La Fonda Expands Wine List
Wines from California, Chile, Argentina and Spain dominate the list

(SANTA FE) La Fonda’s La Plazuela restaurant has recently expanded its wine list, offering a selection of 45 wines by the bottle and 30 wines by the glass.

"We’ve discovered some really interesting, very complex and unique wines out of Spain, Argentina and Chile," said Bert Leyva, director of food operations at La Fonda. "These wines marry well with our menu. I’m particularly impressed with wines coming out of Spain that are a very good value and fine quality.

"Spain’s Tempranillo grape, the hallmark of most of its fine wines, is the noble grape of Spain. Many of the wines produced in the Rioja and Ribera del Duero regions of Spain rival the fine wines of France but cost much less."

La Fonda’s La Plazuela is known for its sophisticated spin on Nuevo Latino cuisine created by executive chef Lane Warner. When selecting wines, Leyva chooses varieties that will pair well with Warner’s menu. Two of his suggestions are the Priorat, Cataluna, Miserere 1998 or Alejandro Fernandez’s Pesquera with chef Warner’s Filet con Chipotle, a char-grilled filet mignon served with chipotle infused demi-glace, roasted garlic mashed potatoes and fresh seasonal vegetables. Leyva also suggests that the Pesquera pairs equally well with Chuletas de Borrego, char-grilled lamb chops served with mint chimichurri, roasted garlic mashed potatoes and fresh seasonal vegetables. As an accompaniment to La Plazuela’s famous New Mexican dishes, Leyva recommends the Bodegas Palacio, Rioja Reserva 1997, which is available by the glass. For diners enjoying seafood dishes such as the Salmon y Camarones, pan seared Pacific salmon and grilled shrimp with roasted tomatillo salsa, Leyva suggests the Lusco Albariño, Rias Baixas, Spain, 2002, also available by the glass.

"We recently bought a commercial cruvinet," said Leyva. "This allows us to offer more wines by the glass, which allows guests the opportunity to sample more than one wine with a meal. Also, with more wines offered by the glass, guests can drink more responsibly."

A cruvinet is a CO2-pressurized wine keeper that preserves open bottles of wine, this allows for much larger selection and better quality of wines by the glass.

La Fonda also recently held a five-day wine seminar for La Plazuela’s entire wait staff. Presented by a wine distributor, the course included wine tastings, instruction on how to perform wine service and information on pairing wines with dishes on La Fonda’s menu.

To view La Plazuela’s wine list and menu online, visit www.lafondasantafe.com. To make dinner reservations, call 505-982-5511 or 1-800-523-5002.