BOTTLES recommends:
Wines To Drink Now

Opened in June by Franco Mancini and Daniele Marano, BOTTLES is already a popular end-of-day destination for the Old Spitalfields Market community thanks to the 180-strong wine list hand picked by them and a laid-back atmosphere that they describe as “Italian warmth with London edge”. And with Sood Family in the kitchen it’s the closest you’ll get to being in Italy without getting on a plane.

For those who aren’t quite ready for the summer to be over, here are the duo’s recommendations of the best wines to soak up the last few rays with, complete with food, fashion and music to complete the picture.

1. Malibran Sottoriva
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This Prosecco is made with a method known as ‘ancestral’. It is unfiltered and has a second fermentation in bottle. Cloudy in colour, it is almost grey. The unique character gives it an honest, fresh identity. It is particularly popular because of its lightness and dryness. Best served on the beach surrounded by a group of friends.

Eat: Fritto Misto
Listen to: The Beach Boys, ‘Good Vibrations’
Wear: a bikini and sea salt
Go to: any Italian beach

2. Il Torchio Vermentino
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Il Torchio is the name given to the traditional stone olive presses found in every village along the Ligurian coast. The villagers would press their own olives at the communal village torchio and then share the extra virgin oil among themselves. This wine has a very pleasant acidity with citrusy notes, hints of tropical fruit, a nice minerality and a bitter almond finish.

Eat: spaghetti with clams, parsley and lemon zest
Listen to: Fools Garden, ‘Lemon Tree’
Wear: a colourful T-shirt
Go to: the Amalfi Coast

3. Lezer Teroldego
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From the alpine Dolomites, ‘lezer’ means ‘light’ in the local dialect. In 2017, 30-40% of the grape crop here was lost to a disastrous late summer hailstorm. Because of this, the producers could no longer make one of their popular wines so they decided to experiment. The result is 100% bio-dynamic and has turned into a perfect summer wine.  Elisabetta Foradori and her sons have taken a bold gamble but the result is impressive. She is our hero.

Eat: canederli with speck and trentigrana cheese followed by an oven baked perch with summer herbs.
Listen to: David Bowie, ‘Heroes’
Wear: lederhosen
Go to: the shores of Lake Garda

4. Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo Le Cince
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This traditional yet modern bio-dynamic wine seems to have it all. Strawberries, raspberries, rose petals are just a few of the notes that come through after you first sip. The De Fermo family [who make the wine] have had a presence in the Loreto Aprutino area since 1785. The husband and wife run the vineyard operations full time now, after they left their successful careers as lawyers.

Eat: fish stew
Listen to: The Beatles, ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’
Wear: flowers in your hair
Go to: Abruzzo, Italy