Wine tastings at Marco

A monthly wine tasting at the home of Chelsea Football Club in west London seeks to educate consumers and provide an entertaining aperitif before an evening out.

This new series of tastings will take place at Marco Pierre White’s restaurant at Stamford Bridge, Marco, which will be hosted by the manager and sommelier, Livio Italiani.

The tastings will be held once a month on a Thursday from 5.30pm to 7.30pm and focus on four wines from a region or country, sourced from local retailer Friarwood.

Italiani wants the evening to be a fun, informal affair. “It’s about having an aperitif a bit like in Italy but more educational, not just choosing a wine off a list or shelf,” he said.

In keeping with the informality of the evening, Italiani will not overwhelm guests with huge amounts of information and will instead limit himself to giving out “pills of information” on the wines and being on hand to answer questions, allowing guests time to relax and talk among themselves as well.

The tastings are also designed to raise the restaurant’s profile as a “hidden gem” on the Fulham Road, tucked away as it is around the side of the stadium.

Guests are not expected to stay for dinner after the tasting but it could easily be a natural progression and the venue has attracted good reviews since it opened in 2007.

The next tasting will be held on Thursday 15 April and will focus on Italian wines. Tickets cost £15 per person and booking is essential.

For further information or to book a ticket, email: info@marcorestaurant.org or call +44 (0) 207 915 2929.

Rupert Millar, 06.04.2010