Private Label

This week we are happy to announce the arrival of the private label portfolio of Spanish wines from Luis Moya.
Luis is Cuban by birth but he honed his wine skills selling wine in New York before moving west to start his own company. As an importer and distributor Luis tastes many [...]

Learning About Spain

The Wine Academy of Spain, an educational organization run by Pancho Campo (Spain’s first Master of Wine) stopped in San Francisco last week as part of a US tour currently wrapping up in Washington DC.
I joined a group of Spanish wine enthusiasts for the three day seminar that covered all of [...]

Summer Wines & Padrón Peppers

Pimientos de Padrón Alert
We interrupt regularly scheduled wine news to announce the arrival of the new crop of Pimientos de Padrón. These small, seasonal  green peppers are traditional bar snacks in the north of Spain and  are one of the few fresh vegetables that we carry here. Simply fry a batch up in some good [...]

Bar Lata

What is it about a small Spanish tapas bar that inspires thirst, hunger and conviviality all at the same time? The atmosphere is informal and friendly, the food is simple and ready to serve, the wines are well chosen and everything is modestly priced. It’s fast food for people who care about what they consume.
So [...]

Daylight Savings Time

How does that little mnemonic device go; “Spring forward, fall back”?
This Sunday we all ’spring forward’ as we reset our clocks for Daylight Savings Time (and lose an hour in the process). Yes, it will be dark and cold in the early morning hours until the Sun catches up with the clock, but the evening [...]

Popularity Contest

This weekend many of us will devote ourselves to a trade association’s annual awards ceremony that, over the years, has grown into the enormous spectacle known as ‘The Oscars’.
I love movies as much as anyone (heck, I was a film student in college), but I am always surprised at our collective desire to participate in [...]

Grape Love

As Valentine’s Day is this Saturday it is my duty (and a pleasurable one at that) to remind you of the many excellent ways you can express your love with a well chosen bottle of wine.  From the traditional to the unusual, a unique and delicious wine can set the right tone for a romantic [...]

Feliz Navidad

Since opening in Berkeley seven years ago The Spanish Table’s reputation has grown steadily, mostly by word of mouth, as one of the few specialty stores featuring the food traditions of Spain, Portugal and Latin America. Now, with Christmas a week away, we are stocking many of the traditional holiday items that are difficult to [...]

Giving And Getting

Now is the time for holiday parties. Chances are you are invited to, or are yourself hosting, a gathering of family, friends and/or coworkers in the near future. Even in today’s gloomy economic climate holiday traditions must be observed. Disowning your relatives or ignoring your friends is not a good solution, no matter how tempting [...]

Fall Flavors

The autumn harvest season is currently at its peak. The summer crops (tomatoes, eggplant, peppers and such) are slowly dwindling away while fall fruits and vegetables (winter squash, shell beans, persimmons and so forth) are starting to crowd the shelves at local stores.
My favorite harbinger of autumn is the [...]