This is low-key the best place to drink Italian wine in London…
Please put that Pinot Grigio down. I know you think this Italian wine is a safe bet, but you are missing out. Italian cooking traditions were recently added to the UNESCO World Heritage list and they deserve a more interesting dining companion.
Sale e Pepe Mare is the most anticipated opening this week, with the original restaurant being a locally adored Knightsbridge gem. Its parmigiana di melanzane is so good our waitress said it was better than her Nonna’s (which is as close to Italian familial treachery as one can get) but with this weighty slice of saucy satisfaction it is probably justified.
Don’t miss their spigola al sale, a whole sea bass baked in salt then flambéed tableside. The result is so good even the fish must agree it was an honour to be served thus. Michele Orbolato, the restaurant’s head of wine, recommends a Soave to pair, which “enhances the delicacy of the fish without overpowering it”.
Throw all thoughts of boring, generic Soaves from the 1990s out of your head; this is the good stuff, especially the superb “La Rocca” by producer Pieropan.
If you are lucky enough to get a seat at Sale e Pepe Mare then order the bluefin tuna otoro with crispy brioche and devour it with a glass of Friulano. Friulano is dry and fresh like a Pinot Grigio but has more weight and a delicate nuttiness. “It’s elegant, with subtle notes of white flowers and almond, perfectly complementing the richness and delicacy of the dish,” says Orbolato.
The most fascinating and fabulously food friendly wine I discovered is at 2Veneti, a beloved Marylebone institution celebrating 20 years serving up exquisite Venetian cuisine. Led by gregarious owner Simon Piovesan’s passion for wine, its list of over 200 Italian wines has both classics and curiosities.
I tried a Trentodoc traditional method sparkling wine, a voluptuous Piave (Piovesan tells me this is made by only three producers in Italy) and a ‘Roncaja’.
This last bottle, also known as Colli Pesaresi Roncaglia DOC, is the best Italian wine you have never heard of. A blend of rare native grape Albanella (a relation of Albarino) and Pinot Noir, this white wine has it all: freshness and versatility with citrus, salinity and structure. It can handle even the trickiest of dishes.
The 2Veneti smoked burrata with radicchio and blood oranges? Done. The creaminess of traditional baccala’ mantecato (whipped salt cod that is 100 per cent more delicious than it sounds)? Nailed it. A simple pasta pepped up with anchovies and onion? Perfection. 2 Veneti is a place to embrace and enjoy the best Northern Italy has to offer.
The Italian job: Three top Italian wines
Pasqua Hey French! You Could Have Made This But You Didn’t, £38, Majestic
I love this wine’s playful confidence in breaking the rules to create a multi-vintage blend of Garganega, Pinot Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc. Complex, silky, cool stone with tropical fruits and whispers of chamomile. A beguiling bottle.
L’Ornato Custoza, £13.99, Virgin Wines
A crisp, easy-drinking white created from a unique blend of Cortese, Garganega, Trebbiano Toscano and Incrocio Manzoni. Ripe orchard fruits, sun-warmed citrus and delicate blossoms send you straight to an Italian summer.
The Society’s Exhibition Barolo, £29, The Wine Society
The Exhibition range offers exceptional quality and here Silvano Bolmida has produced a finely honed example of the intriguing Nebbiolo grape. Refined, powerful and full of vitality. Enjoy with game or truffle pasta.