La Fuente Is Auckland's New Wine and Mezcal Bar

Following a pop-up in Britomart last year, La Fuente Wine & Mezcal opens its doors as a permanent establishment in Auckland's city centre. Owned by Mexican-born sommelier Edmundo Farrera, the opening will operate as a wine bar and 'shoppe', where customers can taste wine and mezcal on-site, as well as buy it to enjoy later.

An intimate space down Snickel Lane off Customs Street, La Fuente is the first bar in the country to devote itself to Mexico's indigenous spirit. Generally consumed straight, mezcal is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from the heart of the agave plant — it's also known as tequila's smokey cousin.

Farrera spent ten months sourcing products for the new venture. "Throughout my travels, I've found limited releases and outstanding vintages not otherwise found in bars or specialty wine stores, and sourced mezcales direct from local, small scale, sustainable producers in Oaxaca."

La Fuente will offer around 30 variations of the spirit from Oaxaca, Mexico with entry level, artisan and ancestral categories on offer. In the wine department, there's around 100 drops available by the bottle or glass, spanning everywhere from Loire Valley to Bordeaux, Waipara to Wurttenberg, Adelaide Hills to Yarra Valley, and everywhere in between.

Farrera and team member Meg Abbott-Walker (Masu, Lovebucket) will give customers the option of choosing their wine or mezcal from a list or letting the house take care of that decision, with tasting flights designed as an introduction to new wine and the world of mezcal. The tasting flights will be served with Mexican spiced salts to match, which are said to enhance the flavour profile. 

The beverages on offer will be complemented by a small menu of Mexican-inspired dishes and bar snacks curated by Johannes Carroux (ex-Ostro, Rosebank Kitchen). The menu includes tapas dishes such as ceviche, cured salmon tostaditas, cheese croquettes, a Yucatán pulled pork sandwich, and cheese and charcuterie platters. To finish will be mezcal-infused truffles, while a "secret menu" will feature daily specials.

The shoppe will also host regular wine and mezcal appreciation sessions to showcase the different aspects of production.

Find La Fuente at Shop 9 Snickel Lane, 23 Customs Street. It's open from today, seven days a week from 11am till late.

Images: Anna Kidman, Izak Van Der Merwe.