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December/Januar y 2023 V MAGAZINE ATTENTION TO PLANNING AND DESIGN Wine bars with kitchens do not only provide the opportunity to drink fine wines and eat excellent food. Behind what one sees or looks for when entering the establishment - whether large or small - there is careful work on architecture, design and marketing. It is Franco Costa , head of the Costa Group, who gives the general outline on the subject: ‘First of all, we need to pay the utmost attention to the customer’s wishes, his idea and philosophy. From here we move on to creative and functional projects, enhancing environments with customised furnishings and light design, enriching the brand and highlighting the history of the venue itself’. In some cases one has to deal with reduced spaces: ‘ Formats of any size can be realised,’ continues the Costa Group’s owner. ‘An example? Ciro Amodio in Naples, in a space of 5 square metres: here you can find hot bread, ham, mozzarella, wine and other foodstuffs. Today, from that ‘small’ idea, the Ciro Amodio in Via Spadari in Milan was opened, a shop with authentic flavours, with 20 places, where the products are the undisputed protagonists. The product, as mentioned, is an element that must always be favoured, in some cases even sacrificing design. Speaking of costs, it is difficult to quantify them first. Each project is unique and there are a number of variants to be evaluated that affect the ‘final price’. It is certainly possible to realise beautiful, practical, high-performance rooms that make an impact on the customer, even without great expense. You have to take the budget that the customer wants to invest and work from there to achieve excellent results’. PLAYING WITH COMBINATIONS A spontaneous evolution, children of the times, of taverns and old inns, wine bars with kitchens have generally ‘built’ their wine and food offerings on the types of wines available. Not an easy job, the result of a team of sommeliers and chefs. But which wines should never be missing among the many on display? Luca Gardini , world-renowned sommelier, gives some indication. “There is no absolutely valid formula. To those who decide to start this activity, I would suggest that they first check how many similar establishments there are in the area. The world of wine is vast and constantly evolving, and customers are becoming increasingly informed and curious. One can therefore decide, after analysing the competitors’ range, to focus on national products, to offer a wider choice of foreign wines, to propose a selection of sparkling wines (Italian and foreign) or to emphasise wines from organic and biodynamic agriculture’. The tastes and skills of those who undertake are fundamental, just as important as selecting the most appropriate food proposal. ‘Some rules on food and wine pairing are rigid and outdated. However, I would say that pairing regional products and recipes with local wines is almost always a winner. Green light instead to more original pairings if you want to experiment. For example oysters with a dry Marsala, or venison stew accompanied by a young, crisp red wine such as, for example, a Valle D’Aosta Chambave Rouge’. And when it comes to classic charcuterie and cheese platters, Luca Gardini adds: ‘The time has come to give Italian rosés their rightful place and value. They are excellent, intense and versatile, but treated badly for too long. I recommend them in combination with cured meats and cheeses: more concentrated and intense the rosés from the south, savoury and crisp those from the centre, elegant and floral those from the north’. Not only Italian wine bars... looking outside the borders Gardini concludes: ‘We can look abroad to draw inspiration from the many successful examples such as Spanish Tapas Bars, French Bar à Vin or Wine Bars scattered around the world. The key word is always ‘consistency’: if we offer wines from organic farming it makes sense to think that the customer might like organic products, with vegetarian and vegan options. If we focus on local labels, it makes sense to think that the culinary offer should also follow the same line, and if we decide instead to propose a choice of Italian and foreign sparkling wines, customers might appreciate fish-based preparations or a careful selection of cheeses or preparations with a rich and creamy taste. A retro-tasting example? Aspic of meat and vegetables (also called Marbré) paired with Franciacorta’. AN EXAMPLE OF SUCCESS So there are many elements that contribute to the success of wine shops with kitchen, applauded by consumers and also worthy of attention by the Guides, which have for some time now been pointing out the quality with stars, bottles, snails or specific distinguishing marks. In the cities, there are many signs that welcome and satisfy customers, but among the best-known names, to give one example, stands out Signorvino, in this case a wine shop franchise with kitchen. Located in Italy’s major urban centres, it is interesting to see the numbers: a 50% increase in takings in 2022 compared to 2021 with a total of around 1,800,000 bottles sold. And there