We went to the Nopa restaurant for the first time yesterday. And it was amazing.

The place is decorated simply and tastefully, with a casual bar area slightly separate from the dining area. There’s a big communal table for socially-inclined patrons, and a nice mezzanine for more intimate dinners. That was not the best part though. The food was. I had the duck breast and the other wino brother had the tagine and suffice it to say that we were both thoroughly satisfied.

Chris Deegan, Nopa’s wine buyer, is into natural wine and therefore we were eager to meet and have a chat with him. He actually knew about our project before we could introduce it to him, so it made things easier for us.

As for the wines, here is what we had:

Vouvray nv pinon, “brut non dosé” chenin blanc

• taste: grilled almonds, dry, green apple
• a minimum of sparkling
• 3/5, good start for the meal

Savennieres, Domaine aux Moines, chenin blanc, 1994

• nose: plastic, but also a pleasant Sauternes twist
• taste: plastic, semi-oily
• 2/5, disappointing

Cabernet franc “bebame” Eldorado, Aha wines, 2009

• nose: strong alcohol, fruit
• taste: fruit, nice acids, delicate, medium-bodied
• 3/5

We seem to be getting pickier about the wine we drink. But it was definitely a great night!