LA FONDA HONORED AGAIN WITH
WINE SPECTATOR AWARD OF EXCELLENCE
Magazine’s annual restaurant awards issue on newsstands now
(SANTA FE) Wine Spectator’s annual restaurant awards are to wine lovers what the Grammy’s are to music lovers: Just as fans anxiously await the annual music awards ceremony, wine enthusiasts all over the country look forward to the magazine’s annual “Best Restaurants for Wine Lovers” issue. Aficionados – who look to the guide to decide where to dine – will be pleased to find the coveted August 31, 2008 issue of Wine Spectator’s annual restaurant guide on newsstands today.
For the second consecutive year, La Fonda’s La Plazuela received the magazine’s Award of Excellence, making the short list of restaurants not to be missed in Santa Fe. The prestigious award maintains La Plazuela’s ranking among more than 3,000 restaurants worldwide, and 26 in New Mexico, that are recognized for their wine selections.
Wine Spectator praised La Plazuela for its concise, well-chosen wine list, the list’s thematic match to the menu in both price and style and its offerings of wines from quality producers, which are selected by Bert Leyva, La Fonda director of food services.
“We are honored to be recognized again for our efforts in offering an interesting selection of wines that appeal to a wide range of wine lovers,” Leyva said. “Maintaining an award-winning list of wines that pair well with our menu requires diligence. Our wine list is ever-changing. Twenty, thirty and sometimes up to forty selections are switched out two to three times a month.”
Leyva focuses on wines that marry well with the restaurant’s Latin American cuisine created by executive chef Lane Warner. A wine lover and collector himself, Leyva has visited vineyards in Spain and attended courses through the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone.
“I'm looking for nuances of flavor – cassis, cherry, cocoa and vanilla – in the wines we offer” Leyva said. “I love introducing new wines to our guests. 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 more than 30 selections offered by the glass, allowing guests to sample a wide variety of wines with an assortment of dishes. La Plazuela’s sommelier, Gustavo Azurdia, assists Leyva in compiling the wine list and is on hand to guide diners in their choice of wine to accompany their meals. Whether the diner is a savvy wine connoisseur, or a novice slightly intimidated by a 120-selection wine list, Azurdia makes it easy to find a wine with which they’ll be pleased.
On September 25, La Plazuela is hosting a Wine Maker Dinner during Santa Fe's Wine and Chile Fiesta, featuring wines by Justin Vineyards. The meal will showcase a 2007 Chardonnay, a 2007 Viognier, a 2007 Syrah, a 2005 Isosceles and a 2007 Obtuse by Justin Vineyards. The wines will be paired with five courses, the main course of which features a beef duet of butter-poached beef tenderloin and barbecue beef accompanied by fresh sweet corn flan, sugar snap peas and roasted garlic potato cakes. Tickets for the dinner are $135. Call 505-995-2316 for reservations.
View La Plazuela’s wine list and menus online. To make dinner reservations, call 505-982-5511 or 1-800-523-5002.
Located in Santa Fe, New Mexico, at the end of the historic Santa Fe Trail, La Fonda Hotel is a member of the National Trust Historic Hotels of America. One of the oldest hotels in the country—and the only one situated on the city's downtown Plaza—La Fonda has retained its historic Santa Fe ambiance while acquiring all of the modern amenities. It has 167 uniquely decorated guest rooms and suites, including 14 luxury rooms built around a rooftop garden, and more meeting space than any other Santa Fe hotel. Further information is available at www.lafondasantafe.com; for reservations, call 800-523-5002.
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