My Article: Thoughts of El Bulli and Wine

I was watching the video today of the co-owner of El Bulli, Juli Soler, and it was taking me back to my two experiences at the famous Michelin three-star restaurant. I say experiences because I can’t really say I had dinner there; it was something else.

El Bulli doesn’t really serve food, as we know it. It’s deconstructed organic substances reconstructed in a way that tests all of your senses. It is the equivalent of a gastronomic rave party.

That’s why it was always so hard to figure out what wine to drink at El Bulli. The wine list at the restaurant was large. And Juli, who I have drunk many good bottles with in Spain and France, is a huge wine lover with a vast knowledge of vineyards and producers. But even he said on various occasions that Champagne or beer was his preferred beverage with the creations of Ferran Adria.

In any case, I always tried to find the perfect wine for an El Bulli experience. I never succeeded. I once drank nothing but Burgundies. It was fun but some dishes, particularly frothy cocktails, didn’t work. My last visit that was captured in videos posted last week included many different wines, from Champagne to Burgundy to One Wine One World. I guess the Champagne was best, and El Bulli’s own beer.

But nothing really worked as far as wine. We had fun trying. And that was always my view about El Bulli. I don’t think it is the best restaurant on earth, or was. But its surreal and inventive approach to dining was certainly an incredible and entertaining gastronomic experience.