Above: Dylan Storment. Photograph by Douglas Merriam.
If you’ve ever visited the bar at Campo, in Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, you know that the drinks are as much of a draw as the food. That drinks menu is made and seasonally remade by Dylan Storment, the director of wine and spirits. Storment is a certified sommelier—one of only a few in the state—and he’s currently studying to reach his advanced-level certification.
How did you gravitate toward working in wine and spirits?
I learned a lot working at bars and working with wine at some Italian restaurants in Santa Fe, so I gained my certification through the Court of Master Sommeliers, then to restaurant management, then opening up this place [Campo]. Then I took over the wine program, and three or four years ago they made the director of wine and spirits position.
Is there a particular wine or winemaker that you’re into right now?
Wines from the Canary Islands are really exciting. There’s the Envínate Benje Blanco, a racy listán blanco from Santiago del Teide, on Tenerife [the largest of the Canary Islands]. It’s dominated by intense citrus, green apple, and stone fruit on the nose, with smoky and nutty characteristics rolling across the palate. There’s also the Dolores Cabrera Fernández “La Araucaria,” a serious expression of listán negro, from the Valle de La Orotava, also on Tenerife.
What New Mexico wines do you like?
There are some really amazing producers here: Milagro, in Corrales, is one of them. Rick and Mitzi Hobson are amazing people, and together they make amazing wine in a very delicate manner. Luna Rossa, out of Deming: They make all sorts of varietals but particularly reserve Italian reds. Sean Sheehan is incredible. He’s based out of Albuquerque, but he purchases fruit from farms all over the state. And then Gruet, obviously.
COMPLIMENTS OF THE SOMMELIER
The next time you visit Bar Campo for drinks and small plates, try one of these wine pairings recommended by Storment.
LP Charcuterie Board with Cleto Chiarli “Centenario” Lambrusco. A frequently changing selection of house charcuterie and accompaniments pairs beautifully with the slight sweetness and effervescence of the Lambrusco.
Tomato Leaf Triangoli with Milagro Grüner Veltliner. The green notes of the tomato leaf and eggplant sing with the bright citrus of this Grüner Veltliner, made just a few minutes away in Corrales.