Alice Anzanello and her sister, Nicole Cosmo Anzanello, offer expert recommendations for those new to the world of Italian wines. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
DeVino Wine and Salumi is a neighbourhood bottle shop with a difference.
Located under the new WOVA apartments in Phillip, this cosy store focusses on Italian wines, European beers and deli goods that you won’t find anywhere else.
Treviso-born Alice Anzanello and her husband were running a wine importation business when they took on the challenge of organising a wedding in Italy for two good friends. While on the trip, they looked at all the food and wine around them and thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be great if we could get these back home in Canberra?’
So – along with the newlyweds – they set out to open DeVino.
“The concept is to have an enoteca (traditional Italian wine bar) with authentic products. And we want to educate people about Italian wines and how to pair them with food,” Alice told Region.
Because the owners also have an import business, many of the products are very reasonably priced. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
Alice’s sister, Nicole Cosmo Anzanello, is the manager and face of the business. She is a new arrival from Italy – coming to Canberra just a few months ahead of DeVino’s opening in January – but she’s loving it here already.
Nicole and Alice explained that there are over 360 different grape varieties grown in Italy for winemaking, so there’s lots of variety in Italian wines.
“Many people don’t know much about Italian wines,” Nicole said.
“They might just be used to Chardonnay or Sav Blanc, but they trust us and keep coming back when we make recommendations.”
Sometimes customers come in looking for a particular bottle, but more often they might say: “We’re having carbonara for dinner tonight. What wine should we drink?”
Alice also posts regular tasting notes and pairing suggestions for different wines on DeVino’s Instagram page.
DeVino is at the base of the new WOVA Apartments. Photo: Lucy Ridge.
DeVino always has three wines available for tasting, which rotate weekly. There are four tables tucked into the corner under a quirky mural of Danny DeVito in full Bacchanalian costume where you can sit with a drink and salumi and antipasto board. A rotating trio of wines are always available by the glass (red, white or sparkling), or you can select a bottle from the shelves. There are also single servings of Nicole’s homemade tiramisu (including a tempting pistachio flavour) in the deli fridge.
The antipasto can also be ordered for offsite catering or to take home. Alice says they have many regular customers who live in the WOVA building above them or who visit after working at one of the nearby offices.
In addition to the broad range of Italian wines, there is also a selection of French, New Zealand and Australian wines, many of which usually sell directly to restaurants, so it’s rare to find them at a bottle shop. European beers, local and Italian spirits and a wide range of amaros are also available. They also stock a range of organic Italian soft drinks, which are an excellent non-alcoholic option. Visiting on a work day, I enjoyed the bitter, citrusy Chinotto flavour.
Catering is available from the DeVino website. Photo: DeVino/Instagram.
Asking for a recommendation to take to dinner next weekend, Alice pitched a bottle of Sardinian Cannonau, made with Grenache grapes. Like many of the wines in their store, they have sourced this from a family-run operation. There are several options at different price points, and I’m surprised at how affordable many of the wines are. Alice explains that because they also run an import business, there’s no middleman involved, which allows them to keep prices low.
If you’re looking for something different or find yourself in that part of town, DeVino is well worth a visit for a little Italian inspiration.
DeVino Wine and Salumi is located at 2 Furzer Street, Phillip, and is open from 10 am to 8 pm seven days a week. Visit the website to book a tasting or follow them on Instagram.
Original Article published by Lucy Ridge on Region Canberra.
