Wine Connection

“Wine is bottled poetry,” wrote Robert Louis Stevenson. It is the special gift that one brings or the perfect complement to an excellent meal. It’s the extra dash of flavor in a simmering pot of coq au vin or the pot au feu.

Whatever the reason or the season, you can find excellent wine selections in La Antigua Guatemala; many restaurants feature extensive wine lists, as well there are always hidden and not so hidden treasures at Tienda Delicio and Epicure (deli and garden restaurant). Far from a chore, searching out a great bottle of wine in Antigua is a delightful adventure.

This month’s highlight: Ricardo Rueda’s Tabacos y Vinos features an excellent Le Petit Mouton de Mouton Rothschild. Its mid-range wine, and a personal favorite that I hadn’t expected to find is the Coppola Diamond Series from one of Napa Valley’s premier wineries. Champagne? He stocks the very good Laurent-Perriet and the Pommery, two of France’s favorite exports. For the last-minute shopper who needs a chilled bottle of chardonnay, there’s a small refrigerator full of a variety of white wines. The gift bag? It’s included and just tasteful enough, with room for an extra bottle or two.