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Umbria: The Enoteca Wine Club, A Family Affair

Umbria: The Enoteca Wine Club, A Family Affair

Cheeses at Enoteca Wine Club

Tucked into an anonymous strip mall in the town of Umbertide in Italy, the Enoteca Wine Club is a hidden little jewel box of a wine shop and osteria.
By Judith Klinger

It’s a wine lover’s tasty oasis. Tucked into an anonymous little strip mall, it’s a hidden little jewel box of a wine shop and osteria.  It’s casual enough that you can stop by for just a glass of wine and a simple meal, or if you are in the mood, some serious wine tasting and discussing.

The little town of Umbertide in Umbria, Italy has been trying to promote itself as a wine destination, and the “Enoteca Wine Club” restaurant and osteria is going a long way to making this a reality.

Patrick Piccioni is the sommelier and host. Antonella rules the tiny kitchen, and sometimes their son will help out serving dinners.  Absolutely a family affair.

Patrick Piccioni Enoteca Wine Club
Patrick Piccioni, Enoteca Wine Club

Our Enoteca Wine Club evenings have taken on a delicious routine: we walk in the door and Patrick just takes care of us. There is no dinner menu, so Patrick tells us the evening’s offerings, we nod in full agreement and then discuss the wine pairing and tasting possibilities.  It’s a wonderful thing when you completely trust the kitchen and the wine pairings. The hardest decision is what to have for dessert.

Wine, Umbertide, Italy
Good foods, friends and wine

This is light osteria style food: simple plates of different kinds of salumi, cheeses, vegetables and maybe a delicious pasta or two.

Last night, on our luscious salumi plate, there was an outstanding small round salume that had been cured with sagrantino wine, along with five or six other delicious salumi and prosciutto.

Salumi Platter at Enoteca Wine Club
Mixed Plate of Salumi

This was accompanied by a plate of local cheeses, including  a fresh, raw sheep milk pecorino that was paired with a little honey which was everyone’s favorite. Although the rosemary infused cheese was one of my favorites and Jeff, of course, loved the goat cheese.

Cheeses at Enoteca Wine Club
Cheese Plate at Enoteca Wine Club

Patrick paired this with the Bastianich “Vigne Orsone” Sauvignon Blanc. This Friulian wine is fresh and lively, with a pronounced floral flavor that makes it a perfect aperitivo choice for sampling salumi and cheeses.

This was followed by a grilled vegetable plate, with an absolutely stellar marinated eggplant rolled around a bit of cheese. There was a good deal of angling to see who was going to get seconds on the eggplant. Other nights we’ve gone there and jousted over who gets the last bite of roasted sweet onions or peppers. Another night we were served a simple braised artichoke finished with a drizzle of good olive oil. Everyone got into the scarpetta act:  swabbing chunks of  bread around in the artichoke bowl to make sure we got every last morsel.

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With antipasto behind us, we opted to switch to red wine, so Patrick thought we might enjoy “Ebo Val de Cornia” a sangiovese, cabernet, merlot blend from Tuscany. Patrick was right; this inky dark purple wine has a lovely balance that makes it a delicious, easy sipping wine which paired nicely with the tangy marinated vegetables and a roast pork and pepper dish. We had a budding young oenophile with us  who thought it would be very interesting to buy a case and taste it every year or so. I have to agree with Willow, it would be a tasty experiment to see how the tannins will soften and develop in this wine.

While others moved onto a selection of light desserts, there were a few of us who opted for Patrick’s digestivo suggestion: Tajadea by Poli. A blend of 50% grappa and 50% distilled amaro type liquor, the star anise and orange peels flavor shine with just the right touch of bitterness from the cinchona bark, making this a very unique and light digestivo. Cinchona bark is used for making natural quinine.  Jeff thought it was an easy going introduction to grappa, someone else at the table called it a “girly grappa”, I thought we should buy a bottle and bring some home.

Between the very reasonable prices, Patrick’s warm welcome and knowledge of wines, and Antonella’s charming cooking, my only worry is that Enoteca Wine Club is going to become so popular we won’t be able to get a seat!

If you find yourself in our corner of Umbria, let us know..maybe we can join you there, because any excuse to visit Patrick and Antonella works for us.

Enoteca Wine Club
via V. Gabriotti, 18C
Umbertide PG 06019
PH: (39) 075-942-0214

View Comments (5)
  • Patrick,
    I am coming to stay with Gilly and Gordon Carey on 16th September.
    Can I Oder and pay for some wine for you to deliver to them
    Thanks
    Brian

  • Hi Patrick,

    Encouraged by the last question – can you deliver wine to an address in nearby Spedalicchio? If so, can I call you this evening or tomorrow to make arrangements with you?

    The grappa ‘Tajadea’ by Poli sounds wonderful – and maybe you can suggest some light pudding wines?

    Many thanks.

    Simon
    +44 7710409916

  • Hi Patrick,

    Hope you may remember us vaguely! Friends of Tom and Ann Black.
    We had delicious lunches with you and the Pecorino was to die for!

    Coming over on May 24th and looking forward to purchasing more wine and other goodies.

    Marilyn and Vin

  • Hi patrick
    We are coming to your area on September 15-23
    ,2017
    We would really like a wine tour/ tasting. Can we hire you for 1/2 day or so. There are 6-8 adults depending if we all want to do this. We are staying at Altabella villas / Elizabeth Wholey

    Are wineries open on Monday or are they closed

    We plan on eating and drinking at your establishment.

    The only day we can not do a wine tasting is Wednesday September 20, 2017

    Thank you for your help
    Jamie

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