Food & Wine USA - (10)October 2020

OCTOBER 2020 83

Maria Alfonso from Finca Volvoreta in the Toro region of Spain visited Napa to talk with me about biodynamic farming. Instead, we spent

most of our time talking about vegetable gardens and the best Bomba rice for paella. So intense was the conversation that she ran out to

her car and returned with a kilo of paella rice that she swore was the best! It turns out she had hauled it from Spain and was just waiting

to give it to someone who was as passionate about rice as she is. Alfonso uses all the vegetables in her garden—zucchini, peppers, toma-

toes, and eggplant—for her paella, which she serves at harvest time. Pair it with the 2018 Bigardo Tinta de Toro from Kiko Calvo or another

youthful Spanish red full of black and purple fruits with an underlying earthiness. (See p. 90 for the recipe.)

It’s worth investing in high-quality rice and

saffron for this dish. To achieve a crispy

bottom, known as the socarrat, finish the

paella on the stovetop and let the pan rest.

GARDEN PAELLA Toro, Spain

FOOD STYLING: MAGGIE RUGGIERO; PROP STYLING: AMY WILSON