An evening at Veeno...

You all know by now how much I love a good wine tasting, so I was pleased when an invitation to an evening of food and wine at Veeno landed in my inbox recently. Veeno is a cute Italian wine café which quickly became a firm favourite of mine when it opened in August last year on Castle Street in the heart of the business district of Liverpool. Veeno was founded when two Italian guys met by chance in Manchester in 2013. They discovered that they both missed the Italian tradition of the Aperitivo, the ritual of meeting for drinks and Spuntini (platters of nibbles) after work, and the first Veeno store opened later that year, bringing customers the chance to enjoy delicious platters alongside fine Italian wines.

 

I have popped in to Veeno many times to enjoy some of the impressive family produced Sicilian wines  as well as the Spuntini, platters of Italian food. The wines served are exclusive to Veeno and they are sourced from the family vineyard.
We were welcomed by the team with glasses of prosecco and we took our seats to enjoy a night of wine paired with a selection of Spuntini chosen to complement each wine. 

Huge platters were brought to the table arrayed with cold meats, cheese, olives, oil and bread. The Spuntini at Veeno consist mainly of platters of meats and cheeses which are imported solely from Italian producers.

We commenced proceedings with Tasari Catarratto, this is the house white at Veeno and it is a dreamy easy drinking white with flavours of apricots and honey similar in style to a Pinot Grigio. We ate bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar alongside the Catarratto, the simple flavours of which really offset the wine.

We moved on to Terre di Giumara Inzoli from Sicily which was a dry and fruity white wine paired perfectly with the bread and olive pâté. Moving on to the reds, Frappato Nerello Mascalese was a smooth and spicy treat which was delightful with the salami Milano it was paired with. A full bodied Nero d’Avola was a complex wine with smooth layers, which we enjoyed with glossy wafer thin strips of Parma ham. We learned that palm trees are sometimes planted around the vines so that palm oil nourishes the soil and ameliorates the growing conditions. Cusora crowned off the selection of reds, this is the Veeno spin on a Cabernet Sauvignon a smooth and bold wine which is softer than a French Cabernet Sauvignon.

Wine expert Ryan talked us through the wines and he was so knowledgeable, answering all our questions before he kindly treated us to a sample of Cutaja, a special 2013 Nero d’Avola reserve which was a vibrant red full of rich fruit.

The delights of the evening did not end there, as we enjoyed huge slabs of Veeno tiramisu, layers of sweet perfection which went beautifully with Marsala Superiore Riserva which is aged for 5 years to create a syrupy dessert wine. I am not usually a great fan of dessert wines but this was a sensation with plenty of currant flavour and a creamy smoothness which rounded off the evening tasting. We were encouraged to drizzle a little Marsala over the tiramisu, which really enhanced the flavours of the dessert and made it even more indulgent. 

There are so many reasons to visit Veeno, from the boards and platters to the selection of Italian wines and the cosy ambience. I really enjoyed the night and I would recommend a Veeno wine tasting to anyone who enjoys wine and wants to learn more about it in a relaxed and welcoming environment. The wine tastings on offer can accommodate anywhere from two guests to large parties, so there is definitely a Veeno wine tasting to suit everybody.

What do you all think, have you ever visited Veeno and do you like the sound of a relaxed wine tasting which quenches a thirst for knowledge as well as wine?! As always I cannot wait to hear your thoughts and thank you so much for reading this post!

Veeno 

46 Castle St
Liverpool
L2 7LA

0151 236 1691

www.theveenocompany.com/

Until next time,

Camille

xo