Anhelo Restaurant, located at 114 W. Adams St., is doing things differently in the food and beverage industry… and putting Phoenix on the culinary map as it does so. Opened by Chef Ivan Jacobo in 2021, the fine-dining restaurant has been quietly earning a distinct reputation in Phoenix and around the country for its food—and its wine program, developed by Wine Director and Cellar Master Ryan Ansell.
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“Within a year of being open, we received Wine Spectator’s Best of Award of Excellence,” says Ansell. “We are in a position where we can select wines other restaurants don’t have access to because we work directly with the wineries, not through vendors or at auctions. We only pick excellent vintages. And we price our wines reasonably. Our promise to our guests is that we will always have the highest quality wine.”
In addition to their wine program, Anhelo features a robust wine dinner series. Spearheaded by Ansell, a self-described wine-obsessed introvert, the program brings some of the globe’s most highly lauded winemakers to the restaurant to present guided tastings that are paired with multiple courses showcasing Chef Jacobo’s masterful culinary creations.
Ansell is quick to point out that Anhelo’s wine program isn’t unique because it only presents the most expensive and sought-after wines. Rather, wine selections are made based upon Ansell’s self-taught and first-hand wine education, which has been earned through his many travels to wineries all around the world—in addition to his formal certification as a Level 2 Sommelier. But wine snob he is not. Ansell simply uses his obsession for wine to seek out the best wine for the best price that truly fits each person’s palate. He insists that if it’s not in his own cellar, he would never put it on the wine list at Anhelo.
However, through his world travels seeking out the best-quality wines, he has had the rare opportunity to form relationships with the globe’s most outstanding winemakers. It is through these relationships that Anhelo can offer some incredible wines that other restaurants simply may not have access to. Furthermore, they can present exclusive wine dinners featuring the winemakers of iconic estates such as Hundred Acre, Château Margaux, Château Angélus, Château Cheval Blanc and D’Yquem, Château Léoville Poyferré and many others.
During these events, guests of the intimate restaurant, which seats just 50, will be treated to a multi-course dinner paired with excellent varietals of the featured winery. Coming up on Thursday, March 21 is a one-of-a-kind experience featuring Château Margaux, one of the most recognizable, historic and important Chateaus in the world and many others are planned for the coming months.
For more about Anhelo and its upcoming events, visit anhelorestaurant.com.
