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About this Episode

Robert Tas and Tina Johansson, WSET Diploma Graduate and Michelin restaurant sommelier, review the wine list at Bocca di Lupo in London. This authentic Italian restaurant has received many accolades for its simple but genuine food. All 20 regions of Italy are represented on the menu, and it is ever-changing to follow the seasons. So, no matter what time of year you come here, the experience will be fresh, adventurous, and new. 

Wines reviewed include:

  • 2015 Perlé Nero Riserva Brut, Trentino, Italy

  • 2016 Casanova di Neri Brunello, “Cerretalto”,  Tuscany

  • 2018 Freisa Kyè , Vajra, Italy

 

Transcript: Bocca di Lupe

CorkRules Script

Bocca di Lupo

RT: Hello and welcome to CorkRules!

I’m your host Robert Tas along with Tina Johansson, WSET Diploma Graduate and Michelin restaurant sommelier.

Hi Tina, thanks for being back with us on another episode of CorkRules, - a podcast where we help simplify and demystify the wine lists at some of your favorite restaurants. We talk with certified sommeliers and wine professionals who point out interesting bottles, classic food and wine pairings, hidden gems, value wines, or splurge wines that will take your dining experience over the top.

 

TJ: Thank you Robert, good to be back here with you.

 

RT: Today we’re visiting Bocca di Lupo in London, an authentic Italian restaurant that have gotten many accolades since opening in 2008, due to their simple but genuine food. All 20 regions are represented on the menu, that is ever-changing to follow the seasons. They make as much as they can on their own, like pasta, sausages and mostarda and they even have their own gelato shop! A dream place for anyone into the amazing Italian cuisine.

TJ: Yeah, Italian food is one of my favorites, as is the wine. But yes, the food made here really takes me back to all the times I’ve visited Italy and I just love it. And the wines here! The list is Italian only, they don’t even serve champagne! I really admire restaurants that stay true to their concept like this one.

RT: Wow, not many restaurants are brave enough not to serve champagne these days. So if you want to start with something bubbly, what should you drink instead?

TJ: Well Italy actually makes some amazing sparkling wines as well. Everyone knows prosecco, but they have other styles of sparkling wine as well that are made with the traditional method, meaning the same as in champagne. To really dive into the Italian vibe here I would start with a sparkling wine from Trentino in the north of Italy. One of the Top producers here is Ferrari and one of their most prestigious wines has a place on the list here, their 2015 Perlé Nero Riserva Brut made from Pinot Noir. Fantastic start, fresh but quite full-bodied to handle different cheeses and salumi for the classic antipasti platter.

RT: Sounds delicious! I’ve been admiring the menu and what better way than to start an evening with sparkling wine, burrata cheese and Parma ham?

 

TJ: Definitely! They do something else I love here, all food has a region of origin next to them which is so cool. As you might now by now I’m a big fan of eating food and drinking wine from the same area, so listing region for both wine and food is just the best idea. And listen to these courses; risotto nero with cuttlefish in its own ink from Veneto, the classic aubergine parmigiana from Campania and a pot dish with chickpeas, tomato and mint from Puglia. Getting hungry yet?

 

RT: Yeah absolutely! And thirsty. What are we drinking with all of this amazing food?

 

TJ: Well for me, a safe bet with food containing a lot of tomato is anything Sangiovese-based. They have an amazing Brunello di Montalcino from Tuscany, and the Brunello DOCG area has to make their wines with 100% Sangiovese by law. So I’d drink the Casanova di Neri Brunello called Cerretalto from 2016. A fantastic bottle!

 

RT: Wow, bringing out the big guns here! Brunello wines are amazing. So Besides this one, is there anything else you must try on the list?

 

TJ: Yes, I see a Freisa I would love to drink. Freisa is a less know grape variety from Piedmont that usually makes a bit lighter and fruitier styles of wine. The name Freisa comes from the Italian word for strawberry. Let’s open a bottle of 2018 Freisa Kyè from the producer Vajra.

 

RT: Sounds great, always fun to try something less common when out dining. Thank you for your recommendations today Tina. To our audience, thank you all for joining us here on Corkrules.

 

If you would like us to review one of your favorite

restaurants, please send us email to: Info@corkrules.Com or visit our web website where we have a request form available and we will do our best to get it in the queue as quick as possible.

We are looking forward to being with you on another CorkRules episode soon. In the meantime, please check out our website for other episodes of your favorite restaurant wine lists wherever you get your podcasts.

And finally, drink what you love and please make sure you drink responsibly.

 

END

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