In Praise of Enotecas

And the knickerbocker glory wine that inspired all this

“A peach and mango sundae but with mascarpone instead of ice cream, and with grassy olive oil instead of chocolate sauce. Like a really freaking fancy Italian knickerbocker glory!” – is what my exuberant voice note said about a wine I tried at a bar in Sicily last week. I’d clearly loved it, and the best part was it only cost me €6 a glass or €22 for the bottle in the bar. It seemed like such good value, I asked the server whether I could buy a bottle to take home. “Certo,” she said, “that’ll be €17”. I didn’t know whether to feel more surprised that my knickerbocker glory wine had just got even better value, or that the mark-up between retail and bar prices was only €5. Then I remembered: I was in an enoteca.

A lot of things started clicking into place. When I’d arrived in Sicily a couple of weeks ago, I’d been searching Google Maps for wine shops, only to see a bunch of bars pop up. I’d assumed Google had made a mistake and wandered around until I came across a wine shop instead – problem solved. But the subsequent experience at the bar reminded me of something it seemed had escaped my memory entirely since the last time I was in Italy: here, a wine shop and a wine bar are often one and the same. And they’re called enotecas.

Outside Enoteca Vanni in Lucca

Enotecas are amazing for all sorts of reasons. There’s the value piece that I mentioned: the bottles look reasonably priced by shop standards, but they look like phenomenal value by bar standards. They often serve food as well – not full meals per se, but substantial enough snacks that you don’t need to eat afterwards (give me a taglieri for dinner any day). And they generally sell a lot of wines by the glass, which is a crucial way of letting customers try before they buy.

Side note:

Dave Baxter

talks about the importance of serving wines by the glass in his contribution to this month’s Wine Conversation, and I couldn’t agree with him more. The wine I described at the beginning was made from Grillo – a Sicilian grape that’s been extremely hit and miss for me. I’ve had plenty that are far too fruity and floral for my taste, and buying a whole bottle would’ve been a risk I wasn’t willing to take. But given its six months in barrel, I guessed this would be a different style of Grillo that I might like. In this case, try-before-you-buy led to its very predictable conclusion: I bought.

Why are there no enotecas in the Netherlands? (or elsewhere, for that matter)

I haven’t done the research into whether there are other countries taking an Italian enoteca approach to their wine sales (arguably Portugal has some similar examples, though the business model isn’t quite the same). But I do know that in the Netherlands and much of northern Europe, this is not a thing. I assume this has a lot to do with legislation: in Holland, premises either have a horeca licence (horeca stands for hotels, restaurants and catering – in other words, places that can open, pour and sell wines by the glass or bottle, on-premises); or they have a retail licence (in which case they can sell wine in closed containers for consumption off-premises, but can’t charge for tastings, glasses of wine or food).

The prices of wine in these two instances are wildly different. At the shop I worked in, we sold a very reliable, classic Cava for €12.95 a bottle. That same bottle in a restaurant/bar down the road cost €45. You might think that the restaurant owners and sommeliers of Amsterdam are all millionaires with these kinds of markups, but in reality many restaurants and bars are struggling to stay afloat – despite (or perhaps because of) charging prices that are barely affordable. If legislation were to allow it, I wonder whether there’s a third way: the Italian enoteca approach seems to benefit both business owners and customers. And I know I’m going to miss my local enoteca when I leave Sicily.

Four of my favourite enotecas in Italy

These listings were adapted from my foodie travel guides to Lucca, Sardinia and Rome – if you’re curious, I’ve linked to all the original articles.

Enoteca Vanni – Lucca, Tuscany

What makes Enoteca Vanni so special is its ginormous cellar stretching for hundreds of metres in the basement (it’s reputed to be the biggest and best in Italy and I could readily believe it). A rummage around the cellar, drinking in the scent of cork and gently fermenting grapes, is reason enough to visit. But Enoteca Vanni also has a regularly changing list of wines by the glass, which is how I discovered a fabulous sparkling Pinot Nero, plus a couple of different styles of Sangiovese – one fresh and fruit-forward, the other more complex – as well as some interesting whites: an aromatic Vermentino and a silkier Fiano.

A small part of the cellar underneath Enoteca Vanni

Enoteca la Bottega – Santa Teresa Gallura, Sardinia

With barrels set up as bar tables, Enoteca la Bottega is an atmospheric little wine cave on the northernmost tip of Sardinia. They have a large selection of natural wines and local grapes you’ve probably never heard of – Monica, Bovale or Torbato, anyone? – but the knowledgeable staff are happy to help. I fell for “De Vidda” – an old-vine Cannonau that was super smooth with ripe tannins – and the “Fria” by Deperu Holler: a blend of early-, mid- and late-harvested Vermentino that was salty and zesty yet full-bodied.

Divin Ostilia – Rome

Possibly my favourite find in the touristy Colosseum area was Divin Ostilia: a tiny enoteca that sells all sorts of Italian wines by the glass (including an excellent Amarone della Valpolicella) and even more by the bottle. Unlike other enotecas on this list, Divin Ostilia does serve proper meals: between us, we tried the Melanzane di Parmigiana, spaghetti all’Amatriciana, tuna tartare and friarelli. All were good, but the wines were even better.

The Sicilian Grillo at Evoè that inspired this article!

Evoè – Ortigia/Siracusa, Sicily

The enoteca that inspired this article, Evoè is everything you want from a wine bar and shop. The owner explains the wines in a way that’s simple but not patronising, and there are dozens of open bottles to try – predominantly Sicilian but other regions are represented, too. There’s that Grillo, of course, but you should definitely try some Etna wines while you’re in Sicily. If you’re hungry, Evoè plates up a fantastic taglieri: porchetta, mortadella, smoked prosciutto, various local cheeses, the works (plus veggie options).