Arguably, Bogota’s best attribute is its expansive selection of unexpectedly enchanting dining establishments.  Others may argue that other characteristics deserve that title … its charming people, its wide variety of delicious subtropical fruits, its coffee shops, the prominent mountains that form a distant wall around the city … but in my humble opinion, the restaurants are the hands down winner.

Below are a few options in Colombia’s capital city waiting to delight your senses.

BREAKFAST

To start the day off on the right foot, visit Abasto in Usaquén district for an amazing weekend brunch.  (Preferably on a Sunday; Saturdays are usually quite packed, as this place is not exactly a well-kept secret.)  You’ll be charmed the moment you walk in the door, by the cozy Colombian country-style décor, the tempting baked goods placed strategically near the entrance to keep starvation at bay should a table not be immediately available, and the decadent scents wafting from the kitchen, which can immediately be glimpsed through a large open window by the entry.  You may see bakers preparing the thickest pancakes you’ve ever seen in your life, or arepas crowned with any number of toppings, or waiters may be bringing out trays of freshly squeezed juice or steaming coffee.

Abasto is furnished with an eclectic mix of wooden tables – as far as I could tell, no two are the same.  My favorite is the big wooden table in the back room, where you’ll be surrounded by baskets of fruits and vegetables and shelves of wine, journals, salt and pepper shakers, jars of dates and other such items available for purchase.  Once you’re seated, you’ll be faced with the difficult decision of what to order.  You can’t go wrong with anything, really – all of Abasto’s dishes are prepared with fresh, natural, locally sourced ingredients and are without exception mouthwateringly delicious – but my personal recommendation is a glass of granadilla juice, fruit salad, huevos rancheros, and if you’re really hungry, accompany all of that with a cheese-topped arepa or one of the raspberry crumbles sitting enticingly on the counter.  Then, wash it all down with locally-sourced coffee, or a beautiful aromatica (similar to a tea, but prepared with dried fruits rather than tea leaves.)

To walk off some of those calories, take a stroll afterward through the neighborhood before heading off to your next destination.

LUNCH

If your appetite returns in time for lunch, head to Restaurante Casa at Carrera 13 # 85-24 for a fresh and delicious Mediterrean meal.  This is a very pretty part of town, on a street lined with other restaurants and a few classy bars.  If it’s a nice day, you can eat outside in the small back courtyard, under leafy oak trees.  If it’s not a nice day, and you’re lucky, you’ll get the table inside next to the fireplace.

The juices here are too good to miss, and as beautifully presented as any cocktail.  Try the maracuya con menta (passionfruit with mint.)  Unusual combination, but it works.  If you like seafood, the grouper and avocado appetizer doubles very well as a light meal, or if you’re hungrier, the sea bass with quinoa will delight your tastebuds and fill your belly.  If that’s not enough, the French fries here are also sublime.  And you should save room for at least a bite of the apple crumble with vanilla ice cream – although I bet you won’t be able to have just one bite.

Another lunch option, if you are really hungry and in the mood for traditional Colombian dishes, is Club Colombia.  Like Casa, it was formerly a house, and this restaurant still exudes the serene feeling of a stately older home, with its polished wooden floors, wide staircase and fireplaces.  The impeccably dressed waiters seem to have stepped out of a time gone past.

Portions here are generous: a cup of ajiaco or sancocho with a side of empanadas is likely to fill you up.

DINNER

For dinner, if you happen to be craving sushi or seafood, take a cab to Sushi Gozen.  They have the best seaweed salad I’ve had in a long time, consistently fresh, well-prepared sushi and a magnificent seafood and rice platter.

For a unique beverage, try the Umeshu, a Japanese liquor with an unusual taste: complex and slightly sweet.  The wine list offers plenty of options to please the palate, or choose a perfectly shaken caipirinha.

You can also find a very nice wine list and exquisite seafood – or meat – or vegetarian options – at Matiz, the perfect choice for a quiet, elegant meal.  It could be romantic, but it doesn’t have to be.

THE AFTER PARTY

Finish the night by dancing off some of those calories at Andres. (Conveniently located downtown, it’s a smaller version of the original Andres in Chia … smaller, but just as much fun!)  Along with live music and a fun-loving crowd, Andres has an enormous menu of scrumptious beers, cocktails, appetizers and full meals.  The lulada is an irresistible concoction including aguardiente and lulo juice, guaranteed to put you in the mood to dance the night away! 

Natalie! She’s…

Congratulations to Natalie who just won the Sony Cyber-shot WX9! We used Random.org to select the winner and her winning comment is:

Fave destination? That I’ve been to? Paris.

But on my “I know this will be a favorite” list is Greece or Italy.

Natalie is the amazing woman behind The Bobby Pin, a blog about everything and anything. A firm believer that “that life is best lived when you have a plane ticket in your hand,” Natalie always has a camera in hand whether she’s jet setting around the world, cooking, or showing off her latest bargains. The Bobby Pin is the wonderful blog that it is because of Natalie’s natural gift for the written word and an eye for beautiful photography. We have no doubt the camera will be put to good use.

We can’t wait to see your Sony Cyber-shot WX9 picture and hear what you think about it! Keep us posted.

I often crave fresh, seasonal veggies as well as astoundingly delicious international eats and have a tendency to not feel so great until I get my fix.  I also incessantly yearn to travel to places on the other side of the world, like Europe, in part because I covet their fine dining and superb wines.

Because it has been a few months since I’ve had my dose of European culinary delights in Europe, I have found myself in the kitchen cooking up chic new twists to these culinary experiences I dearly miss.

Keep in mind, when you eat like a European, you have to drink like one too. With each dish, I find myself browsing our wine cellar to find the ideal wine to go with the latest creation. Such a tough life…

This week I made a simple, lip-smacking Lemony Miso Pesto Pasta paired with an Austrian Grüner Veltliner.

Here’s how:

This Lemony Miso Pesto Pasta is tart, delicious, and totally worth a trip to the locals farmer’s market for as may fresh ingredients as possible. If you can find fresh, handmade pasta your taste buds will experience double the pleasure.

Sauce

• Bunches of basil

• Bit of baby spinach

• Oooo so delicious olive oil

• Mega spoonful or two of white miso paste

• Lots of lemon zest

• Enough lemon juice to satisfy your love for tartness

• Toasty pine nuts

Toppings

• Sauté or steam seasonal veggies (ideas: asparagus, mushrooms, broccoli, onions, bell pepper)

• Parmesan

• Arugula

Base

Your favorite type of pasta, but I used fettuccine.

Directions

As the pasta cooks, place all the sauce ingredients in a Cuisinart and chop until it reaches your preferred consistency. Sauté or steam the veggies. Combine everything and top with Parmesan and arugula as desired.

The Wine

While the obvious wine pairing with an Italian dish would be, of course, an Italian wine, I prefer to mix the countries and flavors a bit more. While a Pinot Grigio or Prosecco would be a nice choice, I wanted to take this opportunity to pair one of my favorite Italian home cooked dishes of all-time with one of my favorite white wines of all-time, an Austrian Grüner Veltliner. I know this grape is capable of both holding its own and complimenting such a zesty dish.

I chose a 2008 Grüner Veltliner Haarlocke Hajszan from Vienna (yes, the city limits of a European capital… how many wines can boast these type of credentials!) because I wanted to compliment both the lemon in the sauce as well as the arugula topping. Grüner Veltliner wines, in general, have a tendency to be lemony, peppery, and full of minerality. This particular wine tasted slightly of stone fruit (apricots) and had pleasing levels of acidity that matched quite well with the creamy, lemony basil sauce. The peppery finish, synonymous with Grüner Veltliner, goes hand-in-hand with freshly picked arugula.

In reality, it doesn’t matter which Grüner Veltliner label/vineyard you enjoy with this dish, but I highly recommend you give this grape variety a taste. If you love funky, fun, dry, different, and unoaked white wines… you can’t go wrong with Grüner Veltliner.

It’s also a great wine to sip while you cook.

* Disclaimer: Wine provided as sample from a PR agency; Photos taken on a Sony Cyber-shot WX9 courtesy of Sony Electronics.

Ricardo and Katie with Amelia Ceja

Thanks to the power of social media we got in touch with Amelia Ceja, a very fun and energetic woman entrepreneur and one of the founders and President of Ceja Vineyards, a boutique winery in Napa.

It didn’t take more than a couple of tweets to quickly connect with Amelia and schedule a visit to their tasting room located right in beautiful downtown Napa.

The colorful story of Ceja Vineyards, a Mexican-American winery, goes back several decades and its successful growth is due to their true love for the land and the great values of family bonding they share.

And I must say that when Amelia welcomed Katie and me to their tasting room, it felt as if we had known each other for years making us feel like we were part of the family.

Their tasting room is beautifully decorated and welcoming. There is a colorful mural that shares some of the history of Ceja Vineyards. Above the bar, you will see the iconic bell logo with the Latin phrase Vinum, Cantus, Amor meaning Wine, Song, and Love. The only thing I would add to the list is Travel (wink, wink).

When it comes to the wines, Ceja Vineyards feature 13 varieties all of superior quality. I was really impressed because typically, when I visit wineries, I identify one or two bottles that stand out from the rest, but in this case all the wines from Ceja Vineyards were of exceptional value.

And before I move on to talk about some of the wines, I want to acknowledge Amelia’s love of cooking Mexican food and how this is directly related to their winemaking. As she says, they make wine to compliment food their own way.

We started with the two Sparkling wines they produce: the 2009 Ceja Brut and the 2009 Blanc de Noir. Both are from Carneros in Napa Valley and made using the traditional methods from Champagne, France.

The Ceja Brut, made with 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir grapes, is fresh with dominant flavors of citrus and apple. I love how Amelia describes the surface of the wine when you hold the glass up almost like contemplating liquid stars.

If you are having a “quesadillas & bubbles” night, this is your wine!

The Blanc de Noir (see photo) has a gorgeous copper color and it’s made out of 88% Pinot Noir and 12% Chardonnay grapes. With hints of fruity berries, it has a very elegant dry lingering finish, perfect to celebrate any special occasion.

Moving on to the whites, Ceja’s single-vineyard Sonoma Coast 2007 Sauvignon Blanc is a crisp and dry gem of a wine. Fermented in stainless steel and aged in French oak (but not malolactic), it has intense citrus aromas and delicious tropical fruit flavors with hints of guava and peaches.

It can pair tremendously well with Mexican dishes containing green tomatillo salsa. Shall I suggest chicken enchiladas?

Their 2007 Napa Carneros Chardonnay is simply one of the best Chardonnays I have tried. With a radiant color, rich aromas of pear and marzipan, and a clean zesty palate (no malolactic fermentation), this wine has a perfect harmonious balance that will make people Chardonnay lovers again.

The next jewel to bow in respect is the 2008 Bella Flor Rosé (see photo). Katie has been on a serious mission to bring Rosé back and she was definitely blown away by this wine.

With a shiny ruby color and pleasant aromas of berries and vanilla, this 100% Rosé of Syrah is enjoyably tart and refreshing on the palate.

It is very well balanced across the board and in Katie’s words: “this is what a Rosé is supposed to be.”

The 2007 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon was presented together with the Ceja Vineyards Cabernet Chocolate Sauce. Have a sip of the Cabernet followed by a sip of the chocolate sauce and your quality of life immediately increases by 1,000 points; what an incredible combination!

You can actually have the Cabernet by itself, but it also makes a great food wine. With smoky aromas and rich fruit on the palate, it has a silky smooth finish. Overall a superb Cab!

Next comes my absolute favorite wine from Ceja: the 2007 Carneros Pinot Noir (see photo). Katie actually liked the 2006 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir better.

In my opinion, both are excellent full-bodied wines, very similar in complexity, structure, and balance. However I felt the Carneros floral aromas and bright fruit brought a greater elegance to the composition of the wine compared to the Sonoma Coast which was a bit more earthy and mineral.

Last but not least, there’s dessert magic with the 2006 Napa Valley Dulce Beso. The name Dulce Beso translates into Sweet Kiss and it is a late-harvest wine made from Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc which Amelia accurately describes as liquid gold.

The opulent and fresh flavors of apricot, vanilla, honey and citrus will awaken your palate for a big fiesta. The right viscosity and sweetness of this wine perfectly matches creamy cheeses or desserts with vanilla ice-cream.

Other great wines in the Ceja repertoire include a Syrah, a Merlot, a white blend, and a red blend.

The best thing about Ceja Vineyards is that Amelia and everyone else at Ceja love talking to people and they do an amazing job in making you feel at home. There’s no need to feel intimidated if you do not know a lot about wine; they will make sure you leave with a memorable experience.

I definitely recommend giving yourself plenty of time when visiting Ceja Vineyards. And don’t forget to follow them on facebook, twitter, and check their YouTube channel.

I know I can’t wait to visit Ceja Vineyards again!

Bistro Sabor

If you are looking for the best Ceja wine and food pairing experience, then head over to Bistro Sabor, just one block down from their tasting room.

Bistro Sabor is operated by Ariel Ceja (Amelia’s son) and it offers gourmet Mexican street food.

As paradoxical as it may sound, Bistro Sabor will impress you with their contemporary concept and eclectic cuisine.

You can view their menu here, but I strongly recommend the Dungeness crab quesadilla, the shitake mushroom & braised green onion quesadilla with Oaxaca cheese, the Cornish game hen, or the fire-roasted poblano chile relleno.

There’s something for everyone including great options for vegetarians, colorful salads, traditional pozole with the Ceja touch, and fantastic desserts.

And if you are wondering which of the Ceja wines pairs best with your selection, just ask Ariel; he’s very friendly and helpful.

But wait! The party is not over until you first head to Bistro Sabor on Saturday nights for a fun evening of Salsa Dancing!

Due to their fantastic wines and great atmosphere, Ceja Vineyards is a top TravelPlusWine.com wine destination!

Valentine’s Day is here and you’re probably starting to think about what you want to do for the big day o’Love. If you’re planning on making a restaurant reservation, you better do it fast! Otherwise, creating your own romantic food and wine pairing feast for Valentine’s Day at home can be easy.

Here are a few wines that can be easily accessorized with the right meal:

For busy wine lovers…

2007 Red Splash – St. Francis Winery:

Perfect for a meal that lingers… this super dry, smoky wine makes a full-bodied splash in a HUGE way and then sticks around to tickle your taste buds. It’s fruitiness suggests dark stone fruits and if you pay close attention, you’ll notice a trace of clove as well as a delicious caramel finish.

Red Splash is definitely a food wine. Order a pizza, nook lasagna, or grab some burgers to create a simple and easy Valentine’s Day dinner.

At $10/bottle, this wine is a great deal and a real Valentine’s Day winner.

For wine lovers who want earthy, balanced, and bold…

2008 Domaine Carneros Pinot Noir

Black cherry and with a strong sense of earthiness, this Pinot Noir is smooth as silk and great for those who prefer a dry, strong, down-to-earth red for their Valentine’s Day feast. If you’re looking for a Pinot Noir that isn’t very fruity, you may have found your match! The raspberry notes are present, but never really stand out. This wine offers a nice balanced, spicy finish.

Be sure to enjoy this Domaine Carneros Pinot Noir with a food such as red meats and earthy mushroom dishes. At around $30/bottle, this wine is a bit overpriced, but enjoyable.

For wine lovers who want cool refreshment…

2009 Bollini Trentino Pinot Grigio

If you’re looking for a young, fresh, crisp, and citrusy wine to pair with your Valentine’s Day feast… look no further than this Pinot Grigio.

You’ll get refreshing floral and honeysuckle notes while grapefruit boldly greets your palate.

We paired this wine with spinach ravioli topped off with a Meyer Lemon Miso Sauce and it was heavenly!

At around $12/bottle, this wine is priced just right.

(These were all sent as sample wines)