Angela Hartnett’s Pastificio, the ‘pasta factory,’ deli and wine shop adjoined to the recently opened Cafe Murano Covent Garden, launches a series of intimate wine events for winter.
A good excuse to swot up for the party season, the series is designed to offer practical instruction at different events to suit the novice or the more experienced oenophile. The evenings will be led by Emily Harman – whose experience comprises sommelier roles at River Café and The Zetter Group, and winemaking in Italy and Australia – and will introduce guests to artisanal Italian wines selected from the lists she has created for Café Murano and the Pastifico. Throughout the series Emily will also be inviting over some of her favoured small-scale winemakers to talk through their own wines, offering guests a personal insight into their provenance.
The first event in the series will take place on Monday 19th October and is an introduction to Matching Italian Wine and Cheese. Requiring nothing more than an eager palate, guests will be led by Emily through the basics of pairing Italian wine with various cheeses and how different pairings might work for different occasions.
On Tuesday 27th October the evening will be hosted by the Italian wine maker Giuseppe Ferrua of Fabbrica di San Martino wines, which produces organic and biodynamic wines in Tuscany. Giuseppe, who takes personal care of every step of the production from vine to bottle, will guide guests through a tasting of wines that express the terroirs of the splendid hills of Lucca.
On Tuesday 24th November, guests will have a chance to meet Filippo Rizzo, winemaker for Lamoresca wines, organic producers in Sicily. Filippo’s vines are produced right in the middle of nowhere, on a raised patch of rolling hills in Sicily’s interior, the only reference point being the smouldering peak of Mount Etna peering over the hills. The unique atmosphere of the vineyard, with 60 year old vines planted over a mix of sand and clay, 430m above sea level, in a temperature that fluctuates dramatically between day and night, makes for unique and vibrant wines.
Finally, just in time for Christmas, the event on Wednesday 9th December will focus on Italian sparkling wine. Emily will guide guests in a discovery of the best bubbles from the ‘bel paese’, from Prosecco to the prestigious Franciacorta.
Guest tempted to take home a bottle after any of the above events can do so at a 10% discount.
Confirmed Series Dates
– Monday 19th October, Matching Wine and Cheese £35
– Tuesday 27th October, Meet the Winemaker Fabbrica di San Martino £30
– Tuesday 24th November, Meet the Winemaker Lamoresca £30
– Wednesday 9th December, Italian Sparkling Wine for Christmas £40
Tickets to all events available here: