Every wine lover also has his or her little quirks. For example, I rarely drink the same wine several times (in a short period of time), especially not in a restaurant. It always has to be something different, and the wine list is often far too small for me. I'm just curious and want to get to know as much as possible. That goes for the wines, too.
There is only one exception. In the Spanish restaurant "Metzg" - my favourite restaurant on special occasions - I always order Alvaro Palacios' "Les Terasses". Not necessarily because it's my favourite winemaker, not because the restaurant only has Spanish wines on the menu (no, Bordeaux, Napa Valley, Burgundy are also there), not because the selection of Spanish wines (not only from Priorat) is small. No - this is quite atypical for me - "Les Terasses" is on the table here, again and again, and - even though I rarely go there - I haven't been "put off" by it yet. What's wrong? I no longer trust myself. Of course, it is an excellent wine: juicy and precise, yet medium sweet and fresh, Mediterranean scents: oranges, almonds. It shows itself veiled - I read somewhere - and Stephen Tanzer (International Wine Cellar) even calls it "sexy". I can even agree with that, if you translate sexy with "delightful".
But it's not this sexy note that appeals to me so much (I think). It's rather the combination of wine, food, atmosphere, ambiance, hospitality that connects me with this wine. Somehow it is fixed in me that "Les Terrasses" belongs to this restaurant and the restaurant belongs to this wine. Full stop! I would call something like that ridiculous in anyone else (including me, actually), unbelievable stubbornness, even bias. Maybe it's the word secret that (unconsciously) comes into play here. I don't know, it's just a secret. And that is a good thing. Because wines also need their secrets, just like people. Not everything needs to be explored, not even the absurdity that the "Metzg" and "Les Terrasses" belong together, for me. Forever?