Australian Gourmet Traveller - (05)May 2019 (1)

124 GOURMET TRAVELLER

W

ellover 500 grapevarietiesare

growninItaly,andthereare

almostas manyreasonswhy

consumingwineinthebel

paeseis anunpretentious,

everydaypleasure.Apartfrom

theregionaldiversity,there’sthepalpablesenseof

traditionandoftenastonishingvalueformoney.

Gotothesource,thoughmanyvineyardsandwineries

requireadvancereservationsfortastingsortours,or

headtothebars,bottleshopsandrestaurantsthat

elevatethedailyglass– theseonesarerecommended

bywineindustryfolk who know their vino Italiano.

PIEDMONT

RistoranteConsorzio,Turin

“Consorziois a beaconoflightina prettyconservative

town,”saysDanClark,ownerofItalian-wineimporter

AddleyClarkFineWinesand 1889 EnotecainBrisbane.

ThisunfussyrestaurantinTurin’sQuadrilateroRomano

is celebratedforitsforward-thinkingwineselection

(“theywerelistingSelosse,Valentiniandotherhands-

offproducersbeforeanyoneelsewasinterested,”Clark

says)andriffsonPiedmontesemainstays– thinkravioli

stuffedwithfinanziera.Animatedservicekeepsthe

dinner-partyvibebuoyant.ViaMontedi Pietà23,

10122 Turin, +39 01 1276 7661, ristoranteconsorzio.it

LeCaseDellaSaracca,Monforted’Alba

Makingthesteepascenttothiswinebarandrestaurant,

housedina rowofstrikinglyrestoredmedievalhomes

inMonforted’Alba’soldestneighbourhood,is well

worththeeffort,suggestsMarkProtheroe,former

headsommelierat GuyGrossi’sMelbournerestaurants

andownerofTheRecreationinFitzroy.“Giulio,the

owner,is alwayskeentotakeyoufora walkthrough

hisamazingcellar,”hesays.“Onceinside,you’llfind

noteworthyBarolovintagesthatdatebackseveral

decades,fromGiacomoConternoandeveryother

namethatcounts.”ViaCamilloBensoContedi Cavour

3, 12065Monforted’Alba,+39 017378 9222, saracca.com

FRIULI-VENEZIA GIULIA

LaSubida,Cormons

Foralmost 60 yearstheSirkfamilyhasbeenwelcoming

gueststotheirbucolicestateneartheSlovenianborder,

featuringa casualosteriaandtheMichelin-starred

TrattoriaAlCacciatore.“It’sallaboutappreciating

thatrealwarmandgeneroussenseofruralhospitality,”

saysItalian-wineimporterPieroTantini,ownerof

Sydney’sGodotWines.Drinktotherichtradition

ofskin-contactwinemakingovera longlunch,orstay

fortheweekendandhirea Vespafordaytrips– Gravner,

RonchiDiCiallaandotherstellarproducersarea

half-hourdriveaway.ViaSubida 52, 34071 Cormons,

+39 048 160 531, lasubida.it

TUSCANY

Il Santino,Florence

InlivelySantoSpirito,Il Santinois “likeFlorence’s

versionofa Spanishtapasbar”,saysFlavioCarnevale,

owner-operatorofMartainSydney.Theintimate

winebarmatchesby-the-glasspourswithequally

consideredstuzzichinifor 10 eurosorless,witha

spotlightonTuscanproduce.“Theirbrilliantpairings

giveyoua reasontokeeptryingnewwines,”says

Carnevale.TrytomatobruschettawithIl Palagione’s

VernacciadiSanGimignano,say,orCiroPicariello’s

aglianicowithpecorinodiPienzaandonioncompote.

Viadi SantoSpirito60,50125 Florence, +39 05 5230

2820, ilsantobevitore.com

Vinie VecchiSapori,Florence

Arrivewitha booking– oncethe 18 seatsare

occupied,they’lllockthedoors.A handwrittenmenu

ofTuscanhits– ribollita,pappardellewithduckragù,

chickenliversandwhitebeans– changesdaily,but

alwaysfeaturesanunapologeticwarning:“Nopizza.

Nobistecca.Noice.Notakeaway.Nocappuccino.”

Wineis similarlystraightforward,withjusta handful

bytheglassandbarelya whiteinsight.Two-fistedfor

some,butthat’swhyMalloryWall,thelongstanding

maîtred’at Melbourne’sCafédiStasio,keeps

returning.“Sometimes,”shesays,“rulesaregood.”

Via dei Magazzini, 3r, 50122 Florence, +39 055 293 045

OsticcioRistoranteEnoteca,Montalcino

Therearebig-ticketbottlesfromSalon,EgonMüller,

AlvaroPalaciosandRobertMondavihere,amongthe

900 orsolabels.Thefocus,however,restsonhyper-

regionalreds.ShouldthestaggeringrangeofBrunello

failtoimpress,thelikesofpolentagnocchilivened

byleeks,misoandmilkcurdscertainlywill,likewise

thepanoramicviewsoftheundulatingVald’Orcia.

“Requesta tableat therear,lookingoutat what

couldbeTuscany’sbestpicturewindow,”saysMichael

Trembath,generalmanagerofTrembath&Taylor,an

importeranddistributorofItalianwinesinMelbourne,

“andyoucouldbeforgivenforalmostnotpaying

attentiontoanythingelse.”ViaGiacomoMatteotti

23, 53024 Montalcino,+39 057784 8056, osticcio.it

TRENTINO-ALTOADIGE

AnsitzPillhof,Appiano

Thebestwaytoapproachdecision-makingat this

enchantingbottleshop,winebarandrestaurant

is to“staylocalandgoforthefullnorthernItalian

experience”,saysLaraCaraturo,directorofthe

ItalianWineandFoodFestivalinSydneyand

Melbourne.Takeinthealpineviewsfroma seat

inthe15th-centurymanor’sleafycourtyardand

startwithmountaincheesesandsalumi,perhaps,

followed by chestnut risotto or roasted venison.