Southern Italy triumphs at Ealing Wine Club Event
North vs South tasting evening sees six bottles judged by guests
Wine club members give their views on the wines submitted for tasting
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June 28, 2026
Southern Italy swept the board at the Ealing Wine Club’s latest event, a lively and well-attended tasting evening held on 22 June at Friendship House in Ealing Broadway. The session, titled Northern Italy vs Southern Italy: A Wine & Food Pairing Evening, invited guests to compare six wines from four regions, each paired with carefully prepared Italian gourmet bites. By the end of the night, Southern Italy had claimed the top three places — and won over the room.
The event brought together wines from Veneto, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Puglia and Sardinia, offering a journey through two distinct traditions: the elegance and precision of the north, and the aromatic richness and generosity of the south. Each wine was served with a bespoke food pairing presented in delicate telline — shortcrust pastry shells used to showcase the flavours. All pairings were curated by NonnaLisa Catering, marking the first time the company had overseen the entire food element of an Ealing Wine Club tasting.
Guests tasted and voted throughout the evening, producing a decisive result. Sardinia’s Horus Passito Montespada took first place, paired with blue cheese, truffle honey and walnut granola — a combination that earned a perfect 10/10 score from every participant. Puglia secured both second and third place with Primitivo Corte Sant’Elia, paired with chilli pepper pâté, aubergines and chickpea hummus, and Clarus Minutolo Armonja, matched with summer truffle pâté, whipped ricotta and pistachio granola.
Northern Italy’s entries — Chardonnay Montespada and Prosecco San Leo from Veneto, and Merlot Dri from Friuli Venezia Giulia — completed the ranking.
Cav. Valeriano Drago, Vice President of the Ealing Wine Club, said the evening marked an important milestone for the newly formed organisation. “Following our club’s launch back in May, this was our first proper tasting and pairing event, and I’m pleased to say it was a great success,” he said. “I noticed a lot of interest from the local community, and I’m confident this will translate into many new memberships for the club. Anyone interested simply needs to email ealingwineclub@gmail.com.”
The event was supported by Heroic Vineyards, The Italian Pantry and NonnaLisa Catering, whose work on the pairings was widely praised.
Buoyed by the success of the evening, the Ealing Wine Club is already planning its next tasting, aiming to continue offering distinctive, high-quality experiences for wine lovers.
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