I MANAGED to squeeze into the last remaining parking slot and made a dash for the stairway. It was a Wednesday night, it was drizzling, it was a long crawl along Ortigas, but the invitation to discover new wines at Barcino was one I couldn’t pass up. “You came for the winetasting, ma’am?” Absolutely!

It had been a while since I was last at this tapas bar. Has it stood its ground amid the new watering holes in the area and the addition of two new branches in Makati? The latest Barcino is a retail wine and deli store at the basement level of Greeenbelt 5. When Barcino at The Fort opened last year, bar regulars from Makati and Alabang breathed a sigh of relief. And soon, I was told, two more Barcinos are to open at Greenbelt 2 and at the Il Terrazzo complex on Tomas Morato in Quezon City. In a little over four years, Barcino has expanded its operations—and wine list, too.  Spanish wines still lord over the list that now includes wines from South Africa, Argentina and Portugal. That’s a hundred brands from almost 20 producers, Sergi Rostoll, Barcino’s most visible owner, said with wide grin.

In August, with some members of the Cheese Club of the Philippines, I tasted 10 new wines at Barcino Greenbelt 5. (The Vallformosa Huala Tradicion Torrontes and Malbec were the standouts.) And now, he and his business partners are bringing in wines from another five producers. These were the wines up for tasting that evening, plus the new tapas on the menu.

The wine tasters were already on to the first wave of tapas and the first bottle when I arrived. Sergi extricated himself from his place on the bench backed up against the wall and loped over to greet me before making the introductions. Our table, the largest one in the nonsmoking area, seats eight comfortably, making a rather tight squeeze for our group of 10. But no one was complaining. Sergi and his partners have turned this tightness of space into an asset, making for the laid-back, convivial atmosphere that characterizes all the Barcino shops. Stacks of cardboard boxes and wine crates, empty bottles and wine corks—what looks like clutter passes for décor here.

Barrels-turned-tables; wooden benches to match tables; chalkboard menus and not-too-dim lighting—“ambiance” is not an empty word here, but part of the formula that keeps the customers coming. And, oh, how Barcino packs them in.  (Or does it just look that way because, well, space is tight?)

But there was no disputing that on that Wednesday night, all the tables were taken, down to the little ones set outside the walkway. And at least each table had one bottle of wine (red, mostly). Ours had two bottles at a time, as we worked our way through 12 wines and some of the new tapas and desserts on the Barcino menu.

Creamy seafood canelon; bread topped with caramelized onions and salmon; a brocheta of chorizo, butifarra and morcilla; and the dip de alchacofas y queso gave an insight into Barcino’s new take on tapas—more flavors and textures and better plating. (There is octopus too, pulpo à la Gallego.) Dessert, largely overlooked, now makes a strong point with the likes of a decadent-enough chocolate cake and the sugared churros for dipping in more chocolate.

There was a 100 percent Xarel-lo from the Penedes (rather wimpy and watery) and an elegant, lightly perfumed Gewurtztraminer from Somontano, a new (and rising) winemaking region in northeastern Spain near the Pyrenees. The most expensive wine (P3,995) of the evening, the “III a.c. Beronia”, a Rioja, was easily the favorite, with its lush fruit and superb balance. The Jean Pericot Brut (P625) and the Cava Albert de Villarnau (P2,995) presented contrasting styles (and prices), the Jean Pericot as vivacious and leesy as the Villarnau was subdued, with creamier fruit.

Is Barcino getting more expensive? The question hovered over glasses of the Apostoles, a slightly sweet, intriguing palo cortado (P2,995 or a half bottle). Perhaps “expansive” is the better word.

Vinofile

·         Huala Tradicion Torrontes 2008—P650. A sweet-smelling but dry white. Fresh and bright, with a clean, lemony finish.  

·         Huala Tradicion Malbec 2008—P650. Round, yet gripping tannins frame creamy mocha, spice and red fruit aromas.

·         CARE Syrah -Tempranillo 2007—P450. Full-bodied, with a spicy, tart cherry finish.

·         Frontaria Douro Branco 2007—P650. Medium-bodied, flinty and mineral-ly. A burst of freshness in the mouth.

·         Finca Costancia 2007—P795. Floral, vanilla aromas; ripe, smooth tannins and a cassis-tinged finish.

·         Finca Moncloa 2005—P1,675. A Cabernet Sauvignon-Syrah blend. Full-bodied, with ample fruit and lush tannins.

***Available at all Barcino shops: Second Floor City Golf Plaza, Julia Vargas Avenue, Ortigas; Unit 101 Forbeswood Heights, Rizal Drive, Fort Bonifacio; Lower Ground Level Greenbelt 5, Ayala Center.