New on Wine List Confidential: Petersham Nurseries

A floral feast for the eyes, Petersham Nurseries is an aromatic, aesthetic delight of a restaurant with a considered, all-Italian wine list and ingredient driven dishes.

Scarpazza began as a waiter at Petersham Nurseries, quickly progressing into wine, ‘and never looking back.’

Scarpazza is particularly fond of wines from the Alto-Adige (such as Essentia Riesling and Incrocio Manzoni, Pojer e Sandri) and Etna (Doppiazeta Nero d’Avola, Zisola) and larger format bottles such as the double magnum of Tenuta Belguardo, even posing the question as to whether the concept of a one litre bottle might be the best option for a couple to share. Overall, prices feel fair given the loveliness of the setting, with plenty of interest between £30-60 per bottle.

Wines such as Belguardo, Doppiazeta, as well as Siepi and Ser Lapo, are crafted under the mantel of Giovanni Mazzei, head of a winemaking dynasty which invented the Chianti recipe in 1435. Mazzei is in fact married to Lara Boglione, MD of Petersham Nurseries. ‘Together they founded Petersham Cellar in 2013, an Italian wine merchant and wine club, curating the wine menus and supplying all Petersham Nurseries restaurants, including the delicatessen at the new Covent Garden operation where sommeliers are on hand to advise and suggest wines from its ever-evolving selection of carefully sourced, handpicked Italian wines,’ notes Scarpazza.

Scarpazza is conscious of their producers green credentials. ‘Organic and biodynamic certifications are admirable, but it’s also worth remembering the smaller producers who practice sustainable methods even if they find the certification costs too expensive for their business,’ he says. ‘Petersham likes to support little growers like this who add a different side to the list.’

Of the dining room, which is in fact one of the greenhouses at the foot of Petersham House, scented by bougainvillea and jasmine, a de-stressing 25 minute stroll from Richmond station, Scarpazza notes that maintaining a constant temperature can be tricky. ‘Hence, in 2013 we built a bespoke cellar with top of the range temperature and humidity controls. There is no danger of wines served in the Petersham Nurseries being affected by temperature fluctuations, therefore.’

Five producer lunches have stood out over the years for Scarpazza and the team: San Leonardo, Ca’ del Bosco, Passopiciaro, Sesti and Travaglini. ‘We accommodates up-to 25 people and provide a carefully selected four-course menu from Petersham Nurseries Café to showcase the wines from each specific producer.’

Respecting the Slow Food philosophy, dishes by chef director, Damian Clisby, a former Cotswold Chef of the Year, may include appetiser of hake and dill crochette with horseradish and crème fraîche, starter of Tuscan bean soup with Pancetta and Cavolo Nero, then chargrilled leg of lamb with atrichoke and wild asparagus as main, followed by blood orange sorbet with almond wafer.

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Restaurants are graded on a 100-point scale based on five criteria: size, value, service, range and originality. For a full guide to London’s best wine lists visit winelistconfidential.com

the drinks business published the inaugural 2017 Wine List Confidential: One to Sixty-One guide last year. We are currently working on a new 2018 edition and are busy re-reviewing top-scoring restaurants and adding new entries to the database. Check back later in the year for final scoring and position of restaurants.