Once upon a time, there was a handsome man named Antonio. He went for a walk in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico and soon came upon a building. He said this might make a good restaurant. But the space turned out to be too awkward and too small.

So Antonio went for a second walk and found another building and again said this might make a good restaurant. But the restaurant turned out to be too far away and too big.

So Antonio went for a third walk and found another building and again said this might make a good restaurant. And the restaurant was not too big, not too small, not too awkward, not too far away. The restaurant was just right.

Firenze, the third edition, is a very special edition. Chef and owner Antonio Delgadillo has found a very manageable space, very close to the heart of San Miguel, with an elegance that perfectly matches the elegance of the food and service.

And now, there’s even a sign out front, a very classy sign carved out of cantera stone that heralds the handsome interior that awaits inside.

I was at Firenze a few days ago helping Antonio Delgadillo review some new potential wines for the restaurant’s list (if you write enough about something, people might actually think you know something about it). Joining us were Don Day’s Wife, fellow wine enthusiasts Chip Swab and Antonio Tovar, and Alina Morales and Rosario Arvizu from Queretaro’s The Wine Stop.

Antonio was pairing each of the wines with some of Firenze‘s most celebrated dishes, ones that over the last few years have made the restaurant one of the most respected and cherished in San Miguel.

The burrata that was served with sweet grape tomatoes, prosciutto, arugula, balsamic vinegar and olive oil was “simply exquisite” according to Don Day’s Wife. I’m not sure there’s a better starter in San Miguel with every ingredient complimenting another.

Some great wines were poured. Including a magnificent Amarone with a duck ragu and a rare Aglianico with a beef tenderloin bathed in a summer truffle sauce. But both of those wines had that nasty extra digit on their price tag that would prevent them ever being ordered by Don Day.

The wine I got most excited about though was the one with the seafood course, featuring the ever-increasing-in-popularity robalo, a fish that, sadly for those living in my other home, in Toronto, currently registering -23 degrees, is impossible to get. Antonio paired it beautifully with scallops on a bed of creamed leeks. The wine was a red, a red light enough to go with fish but not too light that it wouldn’t work with poultry or pork.

And why did I get so excited. It was because it brought back fond memories of the wines I drank when I first started to drink wines. And even more important…or is it more importantly…it was a wine I could afford to order the next time I go to Firenze.

When I first got into wine, it had to be French. And, if you had money it had to be Bordeaux or Bourgogne. Or, if you didn’t, it had to be Rhone. I chose the wines from the Northern Rhone. Wines that were usually made exclusively with the Syrah grape.

They had names like Cote-Rotie, Crozes-Hermitage, Hermitage, Saint Joseph, and Saint Péray. I used to like to say those names, especially hairrrmeetaaaaaaj. But those are names I have never ever said in San Miguel de Allende because those are names I’ve never seen in San Miguel de Allende. And it’s just as well. For those names now command the same big prices as Burgundies and Bordeaux.

The Syrah we tasted at Firenze comes from further south in France. An area called the Languedoc that is the source of most of the best bargains in France these days. The wine is called Aimery and it’s made by La Cave des Vignerons du Sieur d’Arques. There are flavors of blackberry, with a touch of pepper and a hint of mint.

I was walking down Recreo a couple of days after the tasting and Antonio Delgadillo was walking up with an armful of flowers (we forget all the things chefs might have to do before they even get to work). I asked Antonio if we was going to stock Aimery Syrah.

“Yes. For sure. I’m just about to order it”, he told me.

Once upon a time there was handsome man called Antonio who had a little restaurant with very few wines available. Then Antonio moved to a new and bigger location and there were more wines available but they sometimes weren’t the most inspired choices. Then, finally, Antonio moved to a very nice, very convenient, middle sized location and, even though the selection wasn’t very large, there were enough good, well-priced wines available to make at least one of his customers very happy.

Don’t you just love happy endings.

Sieur d’Arques Aimery Syrah is now being poured at Firenze for $80 pesos a glass or $390 pesos a bottle. Firenze is located at Recreo #13 in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. They are open from 1:00 pm every day except Sunday. If you are interested in purchasing Aimery Syrah directly, by the case, you can email Rosario Arvizu of The Wine Stop at rosario.tws@hotmail.com.