Recommended in Milan, Italy: Bicerin wine bar

MIlan's dramatic Castello Sforzesco by night.

Dear vinous friends, this is the kind of moment that makes wine blogging so exciting. It’s a pleasure to share the news: a new wine bar star is born! Let me introduce you to the astonishingly beautiful, relaxed, friendly, and first and foremost, highly professional wine bar in Milan: Bicerin.

Bicerin has been open for only three months now, which I find hard to believe since this place has such a feeling of history, of being an establishment. Full of wine and food enjoying customers, Bicerin is bursting with vinous life even on a Sunday evening. Everything I see here is so very beautiful: the design furniture with retroish swag, the enormous, space creating windows, the wine bottle filled walls in two storeys that decorate the room with what is essential: wine.

Bicerin is about small producer wines with soul.

Maybe this place has so much soul due to the fact that, as a project, it has a long history based on passion for wine. Bicerin’s owners Alberto (a publisher and a sommelier), Lorenzo (an architect) and Silvia (a real estate agent) were busy with their careers and didn’t really need any extra activity, but nevertheless, as devoted wine lovers, they dreamed of an idea of a wine bar/shop . Then, around five years ago a turning point was reached. Alberto and Lorenzo got bored with collecting wine just for the sake of investment. They wanted to start finding wines that would be special for their high quality, but affordable and intended for drinking, not only for glancing at in the cellar. Since then they have searched for small, artisanal producers around Italy, as well as elsewhere (e.g. Georgia, Croatia), and collected wines for their wine shop and bar to come. Furthermore, Alberto became a sommelier. And one day, approximately three months ago, Bicerin opened its doors for us, fortunate wine lovers. 

Bicerin's sommelier Alberto tells you the story of the wine.

Alberto’s heartfelt way of sharing the stories behind these wine bottles makes me realise how very living Bicerin’s wines are. They are true pearls of the wine world: most are rare, small volume, high quality products that reflect the utmost care their producers have taken throughout the process of production.  And still, the wines can be bought at an affordable price. Most of these wines never end up being exported due to their rarity (nobody knows them) or small production volumes. But you can find them at Bicerin, because this wine shop has done its research. I’m delighted to have found it already now, three months into its existence!

Our night at Bicerin is such a pleasure. Hosting here is impeccable, personal and warm, the food so tasty, modern and unmistakably Italian, and the wines - simply divine. We finish our vinous night with minimalistic and sinfully delicious ”dark chocolate caviar” accompanied with the outstanding 1981 Il Colle Brunello di Montalcino. This wine will be reviewed later on Divine Wine, I promise. For now, suffice it to say these kinds of experiences make a wine lover’s visit to Milan definitely worthwhile. You can find them at Bicerin.

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Coordinates

Bicerin

Via Panfilo Castaldi 27, Milano

M: Porta Venezia

02 84258410

info@bicerinmilano.it

www.bicerinmilano.it

Recommended in Cormons, Friuli, Italy - Enoteca di Cormons wine bar

Colourful old buildings surround the piazza where underneath the yellow sunshades you can hear the laughter of locals, many of them wine producers, as well as see couples and even a few tourists enjoying the fruits of Cormons and broader Collio area vineyards. A group of friends sitting in the table next to us cheers and applauds as one more arrives on a buzzing Vespa. Spontaneous and cheerful, the mood on this wine bar terrace is contagious.

Plates of delicious local prosciutto and formaggio, of which Friuli is famous for, arrive alongside with wine glasses that conveniently have clothespins attached as a reminder of the producer in question. This labelling is very appropriate, as going forward with the tasting the table gets more and more crowded with wonderful glasses of wine. These treasures are not to be mixed! At Enoteca di Cormons a wine lover is at a true risk of getting stuck to the chair  - there is always one more interesting Merlot to taste from a different producer, and surely you can’t leave before trying that producer’s Schioppettino since their Bordeaux blend was so marvellous!

Enoteca is a cooperative wine bar owned by local producers.

Enoteca di Cormons is a co-operative wine bar of local producers situated on the attractive main piazza of the 7000 strong village of Cormons. The co-operative was established in 1984, and today the wine bar is the heart of Cormons wine village. Over thirty producers from areas of Collio and Friuli Isonzo are represented on the wine list. Alongside with offering their production for tasting, the objective is to inform visitors of the area’s wines as well as their producers. On the contrary to a conventional wine bar, this place wishes to bring the customers and the producers in contact, and advance the awareness of the local wine culture.

Ideally structured, the wine list serves this purpose magnificently: each producer has their own page listing their products. Most of the wines can be bought by the glass for a couple of euros. Also, it isn’t improbable at all to get acquainted with the producer himself at the bar counter and get an improvised round of tasting there and then! And even if you didn’t meet a producer, there is plenty of knowledgeable staff around to tell you about the wines in detail.

The adorable view over Cormons from our room at Subida di Monte.

On the Enoteca’s website there is a map of the wineries of the producers involved, which demonstrates in how very compact geographical area they actually can be found. As we walked the less than two kilometre from the Enoteca member winery Subida di Monte, where we stayed (they also have a small B&B, highly recommended) to the Enoteca, we managed to pass another member winery, Barbara Bastiani, who’s wines we also tasted at the Enoteca. It is worthwhile to keep in mind that the Enoteca of Cormons is exactly that, a very local establishment, not covering the entirety of Collio wines and styles. Aware of these limitations, however, a wine lover will find Enoteca di Cormons a wonderful starting point to explore the surrounding wine region. This place offers an especially rich opportunity to get introduced to the richness of Friulian local grape varieties, and to learn to understand them in an instant, through comparatively taste e.g. Schioppetino varietal wines from several producers.

Cormons as well as its Enoteca are welcoming and charming, and in Northern Italian style, tranquil and uncomplicated. On top of this, Cormons is still completely free of any touristic influence. Furthermore, in this wine-appreciating village there are particularly fine restaurants, which I’m convinced a culinaristically oriented wine traveller will value. Finding an accommodation is extra enjoyable fo a wine lover as many of the area’s wineries have a B&B alongside with their core function, winemaking. With all these qualities, Cormons serves as an ideal base for delving into high quality Friulian wine scenes of Collio and Colli Orientali after you have been initiated to Friulian wine at the lovely and informative Enoteca di Cormons. Highly recommended.

Coordinates

Enoteca di Cormòns

Piazza XXIV Maggio 21

34071 Cormons GO, Italy

cormons (at) gmail.com

www.enoteca-cormons.it

Recommended in Copenhagen, Denmark - Antidote wine bar

Antidote is the cure for wine lover's craving. (Image: Antidote.)

How relaxed can a wine bar possibly be? In Antidote’s case: very. When, on top of this, us two ladies were served with astonishing helpfulness, we left the bar grinning. Let me tell you how it all went down.

Antidote. Late Saturday night. The place is packed, the waiters are practically running. But let’s stop here for a while. l’ll brief you the background: at this point I’m very familiar with Copenhagen’s wine bar king Kenn Husted’s places. I’ve visited his attractive wine bars many, many times. The wine list is fairly uniform from place to place, and even though there is a lot to choose from, I, as an efficient customer, have already tasted several of the wines. OK. Let's get back to Antidote, and to the moment of placing our orders. I tell the friendly waiter that I’d like to have a glass of red wine, and I’d like it to be something I haven’t tasted before. And that just now I long for a red that has plenty of fruit, but also tannin and acid to at least medium level. (I’m being a very easy customer…) He suggests a number of wines, but alas, I’ve tasted all of them before. He admits that there’s a challenge. Challenge accepted!

And so he starts bouncing back and forth between the bar and our table, bringing a new bottle after another. The first wine doesn’t have enough acid. Second: not enough fruit. Third: not enough tannin. Finally, the fourth wine ticks every box. (It is Maquinon Garnacha.) A glass of this wine, please! Yes, this all actually happened, just to find me a single glass of the right wine. And no, he didn’t know that I write a wine blog.

Maquinon Garnacha 2013.

The man behind Antidote is Kenn Husted, a wine importer, wine bar entrepreneur and wine merchant. He says his wine bars are unique due to the unique level of service. Anyone, Husted claims, can put together a decent wine list and a decent menu, but impeccable service is a different story. Although I often find even the wine list and the menu to be a tough challenge, I will have to concur with Husted, when he says his aim is that the clients leave his bars surprised by the quality of service they received. Bull’s-eye. At Antidote Husted’s service standard is living reality.

Amongst Husted’s wine bars, Antidote’s mission is to me the medicine against ”stresses of everyday life, Danish weather, anonymous wines, bland food and not-so-present service” (freestyle transl. from Danish by me). Aptly, it is located on a very hipster street Jægersborggade, in the multicultural neighbourhood of Nørrebro. Husted and his team personally search everything that is on offer from wines to sausages out. They travel constantly to find new delicacies and premium wine producers with craftsmanship and passion. Antidote’s wines have one thing in common: they all tell a story.

All of Husted’s wine bars have a different menu. Antidote’s dishes are french-spanish-american with a comfort food twist. You can order a bunch of tapas to share with your friend, or a single larger dish. The wine list is extensive. Or how about around 30 wines by the glass and 23 pages long list for bottles of wine? Here you can find everything from legendary old world producers like Borgogno from Barolo to rock stars of the new world wine, like Charles Smith from Washington State. Whatever is hitting the charge just now or is the next big thing in the world of wine, Antidote is the cure for your craving.

Coordinates:

Antidote Vinbar

Jægersborggade 56

2200 Kööpenhamina (Nørrebro)

www.antidotevinbar.dk

info@antidotevinbar.dk

+45 3811 3030

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Antidote’s wine list includes these Divine Wine reviewed wines:

CharlesSmith Boom Boom! Syrah 2013 Washington State, USA

Borgogno No Name 2011 Piemonte, Italy

MaquinonGarnacha 2013 Priorat DOCa, Spain

Recommended in Helsinki, Finland – Latva Bar

Latva's interior is rustique and minimalistic.

My criteria for a delightful wine bar are pretty straightforward: a smart, extensive wine list and engaged, wine wise service. If the interior is atmospheric, it is a definite bonus. Some of the best wine bars still manage to go beyond these expectations. They focus their wine thinking creating a centre of gravity for their business concept – a true wine philosophy. Dear wine lovers, all this is achieved by Latva Bar.

Latva’s philosophy is to present premium wines from small produces, craft beers from Finnish small breweries and drinks made of fresh, local produce. Ensuring the high quality of wines is Latva’s primary aim, which is obtained by finding small, passionate, artisanal wine producers with true craftsmanship. Their wines have heart starting with the people who made them. As a positive side product of these producer prerequisites, Latva's wines tend to be organically produced – either certified, or even if lacking certification, minimally interventionist in style. No industrial large volume wines enter Latva’s wine list. 

Jesse introduced me to Latva's wine philosophy.

Ah, let’s then discuss the wine list. At the moment, Latva has no cellar list but concentrates on wines that drink well just now. Altogether there are around 50 wines and champagnes on offer. Amazingly, you can order around 40 of them by the glass. And of course, you can sample the wines first before choosing what to order - otherwise this wouldn’t be Latva. The wine list is constantly changing according to seasons and depending on the sizes of deliveries obtained from the producers. Most represented are old world countries such as Italy, Germany, Spain and Austria. However, amongst them are some pearls from the new world, such as Julicher’s Pinot Noir made by a Finnish winemaker Outi Jakovirta in Martinborough, New Zealand (review coming soon). Sometimes there are also interesting rarities on the list, such as Greek wines. 

Customers seasonally changing needs are reflected by the list, as there are more white wines on offer in the summer when you can sip them luxuriously on Latva’s sunny terrace. And to warm you up, there are proportionately more red wines in the winter. The ever-changing wine list is always staying current.

Should you be hungry, Latva offers lunch as well as ”sapas” in the evening. Sapas are a Finnish version of tapas prepared from local produce. Latva’s big brother, gourmet restaurant Juuri, has created the famous concept. Compared to the ones offered by Juuri, Latva’s sapas are more substantial in size and more rustique in style, fitting to the bar environment. The menu is written anew on a chalkboard every evening. Needless to say, also foodies are at home at Latva.

Relaxed, current and winesavvy wine bar in the center of Helsinki. Warmly recommended.

Info in a nutshell

Latva Bar

Korkeavuorenkatu 25, 00130 Helsinki

latva@latva.fi,

+358 50 3818544

http://latva.fi

Wine lover’s paradise in Tampere, Finland: Gastropub Tuulensuu

Gastropub Tuulensuu, Tampere, Finland.

When in Tampere, Finland, it’s a no brainer where I’m headed. There’s a magnetic pull between Gastropub Tuulensuu and the tips of my shoes. Amongst the several reasons to this is the brilliant, ever-changing wine list that Tuulensuu fosters. But it doesn’t stop there. Tuulensuu in best explained by being a Gesamtkunstwerk (Ger.), a complete art-work. Everything you would wish for in a wine bar is intertwined here: simple, cosy yet stylish interior, a relaxed atmosphere, wine (and beer and gastro) savvy staff, friendly service, a brilliant and vast selection of wine and beer and finally, a delicious belgian-french menu.  You can just drop by for a glass of your favourite red or enjoy an extensive dinner, whatever suits you the best.

All kinds of wine, beer and delicacy theme weeks abound in Tuulensuu. Stepping through their doors there’s invariably something special going on. Throughout the years I’ve had the pleasure of enjoying at least of the following: champagne and sparkling wine weeks, cheese weeks, Trappist beer weeks, schnitzel weeks, port wine weeks, sausage weeks, Riesling and Spätburgunder weeks, fondue weeks… The list goes on and on.

A very special week is the Tamperrada festival in August starting this year on the 15th. It is a tribute to Basque pintxo culture of enjoying mini-size delicacies with their beer and wine. In San Sebastian La Tamborrada fiesta is celebrating its 202nd year in 2015, and Tampere’s hugely popular delicious adaptation Tamperrada is now on for the third time. During this foodie heaven the top restaurants of Tampere, including Tuulensuu, make their contribution to a pintxo competition. The pintxos are on offer for a price of 2 EUR each, while cheerful foodies run around Tampere’s restaurants tasting them. Finally, people vote for their favourite pintxo and the winner restaurant conjuring the very best pintxo is announced. Personally, I have absolutely stuffed myself with pintxos during the two previous Tamperradas, and will make certain to do that again this year. Should you miss Tamperrada? No worries, dear wine lover. There’s always something wonderfully gastro and/or wine going on in Tuulensuu that you won’t want to miss.

In addition to Tuulensuu being awarded the best beer restaurant in Finland in 2014, it has an impressive wine list.. Since I lost my count facing the abundance, suffice it to say the wine list continues page after page. Along with the constantly changing wine list, Tuulensuu offers seasonal theme wines. For certain, there is always something new and exciting for a wine lover to sample. When I’m served wonderful food and a glass of quality red recommended by Jani, one of the wine pros at Tuulensuu, it is as good as it gets. In those circumstances I can concentrate on the essentials of life: just being there, enjoying my friend’s company and Tuulensuu’s great offerings.

Searching for the crème de la crème of wine bars, I require them to make me feel at home. These places are simultaneously effortless and professional – just like Tuulensuu. I warmly recommend this wine lover's paradise in Tampere.

These divine wines are recommended by Jani:

- P-U-R Beaujolais-Villages 2013, Beaujolais, Ranska

- Andrea Calek Chatons de Garde 2012, IGP Ardeche, Ranska

Coordinates:

Gastropub Tuulensuu, Hämeenpuisto 23, Tampere

+358-3-2141553
tuulensuu@gastropub.net

Recommended in Hamburg Germany: wine bar Zur Traube

Zur Traube by night. (Image: max.de)

When you ask for wine bar tips in Hamburg, the locals recommend Zur Traube. Established in  1919 it is the oldest wine bar, or Weinstube, in town. Although its facade looks classical and the dark wood panel decor is the original from 1920’s, there is nothing fossilized about Zur Traube. Its jazzy, unpretentious atmosphere is complemented by warm and youthful service as well as a part hand written bohemian looking menu and wine list where there are ”ausgetruncken” stamps on the finished wines. The night we visited Zur Traube there was a Spanish guitarist playing his traditional favourites from Spain, adding to the lively atmosphere.

Zur Traube is a true wine bar that specializes in wine. Nomen est omen: Zur Traube could be translated something like ”about the grape” or ”to the grape” or ”because of the grape”. Their wine list is extensive with approximately 50 wines by glass and 250 wines by bottle. Naturally, German high quality white wines are impressively represented, and there is a fine selection of international red and white wines, too. Should you be hungry, there is no need to look any further. In the upstairs restaurant a French chef serves his delicious French-Mediterranean inspired menu. If the restaurant is fully booked, you can order dishes from the menu to the down stairs wine bar.

Zur Traube is located in the cosy and beautiful district of Altona-Ottesen. You can easily reach it by taking a local train from Rathaus in Hamburg center to Altona station. Altona is a home for a number of good restaurants, wine and cocktail bars. Amongst the recommended ones is also Weinberg, a wine bar with a modern twist, founded by Zur Traube’s owner.

Info in a nutshell

Zur Traube

Weinstube und Restaurant

Karl-Theodor-Straße 4

22765 Hamburg-Ottensen

Tel. 04039908236

Opens daily at 18.00

Kitchen open until 23.30