La Cuchara, Baltimore’s Basque-inspired restaurant, has been named one of the 100 Best Wine Restaurants in America by Wine Enthusiast Magazine. La Cuchara, one of only two Baltimore restaurants to make the list, was awarded for “enriching [its] communities and influencing the national scene.”

La Cuchara’s wine program emphasizes the rich diversity of wines in Northern Spain and Southern France, highlighting classic and up-and-coming regions including Burgundy, Bordeaux, Cahors and Catalonia. Curated by Advanced Sommelier Greg Schwab, the wine list changes to feature wines that complement seasonal menu items.

“Our goal is to create an “amusement park”—a wine list that diners can explore and get involved with—not a museum of wines too fine to be tried,” said Schwab. “Moving forward, we’ll be furthering our exploration of the Basque region and adding new wines to our “By the Glass” list. We recently acquired Maynard's Colheita, a 60-year-old port, that’s received rave reviews from our guests.”

In September, Schwab was named an Advanced Sommelier by the Court of Master Sommeliers—only one other sommelier in Baltimore holds that distinction.

La Cuchara hosts regular wine dinners highlighting interesting pairings, rare wines and up-and-coming regions. The next installment, pairing bold red wines with vegetarian dishes, is on June 28. More information can be found at www.lacucharabaltimore.com/events.

Inspired by the Basque region of Northern Spain and Southern France, La Cuchara prepares all its dishes on the Asador (wood-grill), including its signature pintxos (two-bite snacks). Beginning June 19, La Cuchara will serve brunch every Sunday. The menu changes daily based on the freshest produce and provisions available, and is complemented with creative craft-cocktails and house baked bread. La Cuchara is located in the Meadow Mill building in historic Woodberry at 3600 Clipper Mill Road, Baltimore, MD. For more information, menus or to make a reservation visit www.lacucharabaltimore.com or call 443-708-3838.