Eataly London's 1st Birthday
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Eataly London : 1st birthday and wine festival
To celebrate Eataly London's first birthday. I joined them for their Italian sparkling wine festival. Running over the last weekend in April 2022.
With two ticket options available for attendees to purchase. Entitling the lucky owner to either 6 wine tastings or 10.
It was a tough decision. Choosing just 10 out of the 60 incredible wine options. Available to sample over the course of the weekend.
Italian wine manufacturers had even travelled to be there over the weekend long birthday celebration.
Eataly is a successful gourmet Italian restaurant and fine food store. That I came to know and love through another Bougie youtuber like myself - Ms Kelly Stamps. Check out her channel here. And mine here
At the height of Kelly Stamps love for all things Eataly. London was yet to be blessed with its own Eataly store. Now one year later. Here I stand. Drink in hand to raise a toast to luxury Italian food and drink store Eataly.
Eataly London houses the largest number of Italian wines in the UK! Along with gourmet Italian food available to fill up your basket. I purchased some of the fancy looking. Colourful pasta on my first visit to Eataly last year.
The Truffle salt and Truffle parmesan paste are also on my radar for a future purchase. As well as their lemon olive oil.
On my first visit to Eataly. I also bought a chocolate cigar by Venchi and tried some tomato focaccia bread. Both looked the part but tasted bland. However, you can't go wrong with Truffle and authentic Italian wine. So I'm back and will be again!
I had arrived early for the wine tasting festival, but it ended up being the perfect time. As free tiramisu and glasses of bollicina prosecco were being handed out. In celebration of the stores 1st birthday!
I got talking to a regular shopper at Eataly who let me know that Eataly was the only place in town that sells pink Lambrusco.
Speaking of Lambrusco. My wine tasting session began with a delicious. Generously sized sample of rose lambrusco - Brut rose by Chiarli cleto. The sommelier said I would receive about a whole bottle worth in my 10 tastings. So it worked out to be excellent value for money.
To help stay sober, I nibbled on some savoury biscuits and water that was stationed at each wine stand. Plus downstairs there was even some really delicious chocolate to sample. By an Italian chocolate pop up.
I tried their dark chocolate with chilli. Dark chocolate with cinnamon and white chocolate with strawberry. I recommend all three. They were mouthwatering.
My second tasting was the Altaranga - A chardonnay from Piedmont. I can't say I tasted anything that didn't agree with me. All samples were aromatic and pleasant to drink.
The Brut lugana camaiol uses a unique grape turbiana and is made close to the lake garda region. Whilst the 100 percent pino blanco is bottled close to the dolomite mountains.
Kettmeir pino blanco nero and chardonnay require more than 36 months maturation.
The Dubl rose team started in the 1980s. When a French champagne maker teamed up with an Italian wine maker to preserve a dying grape.
From the Firriato hospitality team I enjoyed samples of Spumante Saint German. A brut wine that goes through a very special process. I also tried Gaudensius and cavanera etna. A wine made at Mount Etna. An active volcano in Sicily!
I took my time strolling through Eataly. Stopping at the different wine stands throughout the store. It was so much fun and really peaceful upstairs. Where most of the tastings took place. I was glad I chose the very first wine tasting slot. As I can imagine it to become super busy throughout the Bank Holiday weekend.
In the end I stayed for over two hours. There's no time limit on your stay. I could have even stopped for a late lunch/early dinner and then carried on. So I would highly recommend buying tickets for the prosecco event happening at Eataly in June. I didn't dare finish all my wine samples as I wanted to keep my composure!
I tried a lot of different sparkling wines. From prosecco to Lambrusco. Extra dry to slightly sweet and finished with one red wine sample.
I was intrigued by the wine grown and harvested right from mount etna in Sicily! A place I've always dreamed of visiting. I learnt a lot of interesting facts and discovered a brand that was Co-founded by a French champagne maker. Who wanted to preserve some rare Italian grapes that were going extinct.
I left with a new wine glass and two large panettone. I had no expectation for the panettone breads I purchased from Eataly. I only bought them because I was drunk. There was a 2 for the price of 1 birthday offer and panettone had been trending as the most popular dessert last Christmas.
Well I'm glad to report that the first panettone I tried is so very delicious. A huge. Super soft brioche bread with tasty. Melt in the mouth chunks of chocolate and delicious crunchy pieces of icing throughout its delicate Crust.
The second limoncello panettone was another pleasant surprise coated in chocolate drizzle and sugar crystals. Both beautiful to look at. Divine to smell and fun to unwrap. As they're packaged in wrapping paper with ribbons.