Barcelona Wine Bar

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

Clean, Rustic, and Deeply Spanish

On Larimer Street in Denver's RiNo neighborhood, Barcelona Wine Bar brings a particular kind of Spanish hospitality to Colorado: food that is clean and rustic, with tapas shaped by Mediterranean, Spanish, and South American influences, and a wine list that runs to nearly 400 bottles. That list earned the restaurant a Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence — recognition that reflects not just breadth but genuine curation.

A Wine Program Built by Specialists

The depth of the wine program is no accident. Gretchen Thomas, VP of Food & Beverage Innovations, holds certifications from WSET, CMS, CSW, and NOSA, and is a certified Spanish Wine Educator from the Wine Academy of Spain — where she scored in the top 15 in the world. She is also a blender of Libélula Tequila and the creator of several small-production wines.

Beverage Director Emily Nevin-Giannini brings complementary expertise: an Advanced Certification from the Wine & Spirits Education Trust, a Master Certification in Rioja Wines, and a Certified Sherry Wine Specialist credential. She travels extensively to source bottles from small producers committed to high-quality methods, with a particular focus on Spanish and South American regions.

Together, they have shaped a Spanish wine selection that spans Rioja's oak-aged Tempranillos, the bold and muscular reds of Ribera del Duero, the wildly complex Mencías of Bierzo, and the intensely concentrated Garnachas of Priorat — regions the team explores in depth through on-site wine classes open to guests at every level of knowledge.

More Than a Wine List

The food and drink program at Barcelona Wine Bar is rooted in the tapas tradition — shareable, ingredient-forward plates that travel across the Mediterranean and dip into South American flavors. The Spanish cuisine here is not a backdrop for the wine; both are taken seriously, which is precisely what the Wine Spectator recognition rewards.

For anyone who wants to understand why a Priorat tastes the way it does, or why Rioja's tendency toward extensive oak aging makes it unlike anything else in Spain, Barcelona Wine Bar offers that conversation — over a glass, or in a formal class setting.