By the glass at Sella Vinoteca
Randwick has recently gained a gem of a restaurant with Sella Vinoteca opening its doors. Owner Fabio Dore, formerly of the popular Balmain eatery, One Ford Street, offers his customary generous Italian hospitality to his new venture in Sydneys East.
Sella Vinoteca is a wine destination, Fabio's wine list is 350+ wines strong and there is a boutique wine shop incorporated into the site where he offers regular wine tastings. You can take home a bottle from an excellently curated collection of wines including many wines from Chent'annos.
We started with a crisp glass of Valpiana Prosecco . A perfect way to celebrate Friday lunch and to take in the gorgeous interior by Tim Levenson.
Sella Vinoteca menu has tapas style offerings where you can order one serve of each along with more classically sized entrees and mains. We ordered Scallops, the marinated feta cannoli with tomato jam and black olives and a baccala eclair.
These scallops with ginger and beurre noisette were delicious. Subtle, buttery, bring you back good.
Macchion dei Lupi Alos is a new wine for us and has quickly become one of my favourites. Carlo Parenti is a passionate natural winemaker in the hills of the Tuscan coastal town of Suvereto. The Alos is made with biodynamic Vermentino grapes and had had two days macerated on its skins. This would be a great introduction to skin contact white wines if you haven't tried them or have been scared away by past experiences! The Alos is fresh, dry, sapid and mineral. It was a very versatile wine when paired with all of the dishes we tasted with but was its brightest when matched with seafood.
For our main course we ordered the king prawn ravioli with Trapanese pesto and the Hiramassa kingfish crudo which were both excellent but the winner and possibly the best side dish I have ever eaten was the grilled sugarloaf cabbage with smoked eggplant, parmesan and chives.
By the glass we could order Chent'annos reds 2019 Pietro Caciorgna 'Ciauria' Etna rosso, 2017 Attilio Ghisolfi Nebbiolo and 2017 Cantina Giba Rosso. I couldn't go past the Paolo's Ciauria. The 2019 Etna Rosso is drinking so well, fresh and lively with silky tannins and a medium body. Red berries and herbal notes on the palate with a subtle spice. Made with Nerello Mascalese, an indigenous local grape, from un-grafted vines ranging in age from 70-100 years old. You can buy these three reds as a pack on special here.
The caramelised macadamia crumb underneath this 'cheesecake' was out of control. I didn't leave much for my dining partner Ann Ouchterlony, extraordinary co-creator of Sella Vinoteca.
We are loving taking our three kids for long Sunday lunches while we watch them play across the way in a great new playground. Winning!
See you there.
Book Sella Vinoteca - Shop 6 / 162-164 Barker street, Randwick
Call 0421343311
A Chent'annos
Rachel x
