Pied à Terre Fitzrovia
34 Charlotte St, Fitzrovia, London W1T 2NH
http://pied-a-terre.co.uk/020 7636 1178
Pied à Terre is a London classic, one of the city’s longest running Michelin-starred restaurants; so getting an invitation to visit their private bar for a Wine Tasting Event was too good an opportunity to miss. 
We were to enjoy a selection of hand-picked wines from one of the best cellars in London – apparently it holds £360,000 worth of wine! – chosen by Pied a Terre’s Sommelier Oli to be paired with a selection canapés, created by the team’s talented brigade of chefs. 
The bar itself is intimate, warm and elegant, perfect for a post-work get together or a get together with friends or family. I love good restaurant bars – a pre-dinner cocktail is the best way to start an evening.
Oli explained that we would be sampling the Discovery wine flight (£62 per person). His explanations were very accessible and could clearly be tailored to a wide range of experience and expertise. We started with the light minerality of a 2016, Koshu, Kayagatake, Grace, Japan with its citrus and lychee notes. Koshu wines are in get demand in Japan and a rarity on Western wine lists so this was a real ‘discovery’. Next up was a 2016, Petritis, Kyperounda Winery, Troodos Mountains from Cyprus. This had more body and was fresh and aromatic with a hint of oak. Another surprise was the 2015, Trenzado, Suertes del Marques, Valle Orotava from the island of Tenerife in Spain which had an apple-flavoured acidity with a hint of vanilla. Moving onto reds the 2015, Kekfrankos, Wetzer, Hungary was full of plum and red berry flavours but the 2012, Naoussa, Markovitis from Greece with its deep red colour and ripe red fruit flavours was even richer. It would be a great match with venison! Finally we drank a pale gold 2000, Pinot D’Alsace, Domaine Zind Humbrecht, Alsace, France with pineapple notes and a lime zing to it.
Drinking on an empty stomach is always a bad idea but fortunately we didn’t have to. A selection of delicious canapés arrived through the wine tasting included Grouse Croquet with Carrot Puree, Saltbaked baked beetroot with Liquorice sauce, a Japanese influenced Seaweed cracker with Cod roe mousse, Pork cromesqui with black pearl curry crust, a wonderfully earthy Mushroom beignet with truffle sauce and a plate of cheeses from the trolley.
If you want to indulge your inner oenophile then Pied à Terre gives you lots of options. As well as the Discovery Wine Flight they offer a Classic Fine Wine Flight (£90.00 per person) and Private Wine Tastings in the Private Bar for up to 10 people. Five different wines are selected by the Sommelier Team to accompany canapés, cheeses and petits fours (£55.00 per person). All of the restaurant’s tasting menus have wine pairings so the possibilities are endless.
Please call Manu or Oli on 020 7636 1178 to discuss and book.