Isa Bal MS on Trivet’s unique wine philosophy

The wine list at Isa Bal’s two-Michelin starred restaurant, Trivet, is moulded by viticultural history, with roots in Georgia, Armenia, Turkey and Greece. But the somm’s gearing up to open his second site in September, which will feature a fresh wine list, Eurocentric at heart, with bottles starting at £29.

In 2019, Isa Bal joined forces with chef Jonny Lake to launch Trivet in central London, following their time as executive head chef and group head sommelier at The Fat Duck in Bray. The restaurant soon saw the Michelin Guide’s celestial lights, scoring its first Star in 2022, and its second in 2024. The Guide praises the eatery’s “refreshing lack of formality”, combining “imaginative, fuss-free dishes” with a wine list championing lesser-known regions.

Bal’s recognised as one of the world’s top sommeliers. But when he came to launch Trivet, he found himself somewhat disenchanted by the classics; the Burgundy Grand Crus, the Bordeaux, Barolos and Californians, after tasting them day in, day out. So, he decided to take a different tact. Trivet’s unique wine list follows the chronology of winemaking into the modern day. The catalogue includes more than 450 wines ranging from classic producing countries such as Italy and France to the root of viti-viniculture. It begins with 7,000 BC areas that made wine – like Georgia, Armenia, Turkey and Greece – and is guided by the history of viticulture.

At a wine pairing dinner on 19 August, for instance, we’re treated to Georgian wines like 2015 Mildiani Brut Reserve, and a 2020 GVino Khutsaidze Vineyards Kisi. Both are standout, with the second paired perfectly with a marinated tomato dish with Poivrade artichoke, harissa, olive brioche and green shiso.

The future of Georgian wine

The wine list was built on trust, says Bal, who was awarded the 2022 Michelin Great Britain & Ireland Sommelier Award, but it was welcomed with an “amazing reception” by the UK public, who are “very perceptive and open-minded to wine”. Now? People come through the doors specifically in search of these wines from less discovered regions.

Bal’s claims are supported by recent data revealing Georgian wine has seen a surge in UK supermarkets, with a 200% sales increase at M&S in 2024 and increased distribution in Waitrose, too, thanks to new listings at the retailers: Waitrose welcomed wines from producer Teliani Valley, and M&S recently introduced a Kisi from Dugladze. Meanwhile, Majestic saw sales for Georgian wine soar by 66% in 2024, after adding a Saperavi to its range last year.

Traditionally, Georgian wines are made through the ancient winemaking technique of using qvervi (large clay vessels) to ferment and age the wine. The lineage of this production harks back 6000 years BC, but according to The Buyer, it now only constitutes for 5% of the wines produced there, with the majority commercial and made with steel and wood vessels, aimed at a rapidly increasing mainstream market. Drinks writer Peter Dean tracks the category’s boom of differing techniques and styles, and warns, “the onus will very much be on winemakers here not to lose sight of their viticultural identity”.

Does Bal reckon this is a risk? “I hope not,” he discloses. “That would be awful. What makes them special is their unique identity.”

Turkish traditions

And while the history of Turkish wine, too, harks back to the origin of wine itself, it’s only gained prominence again in the modern world over the last few decades. Wine writer Feride Yalav-Heckeroth, for one, believes the sector’s on the “cusp of change”, with a surge of reviving indigenous grapes making it one of the world of wine’s “most exciting new frontiers” (Decanter).

And some of the producers at the cutting edge of that shift are picked out by Bal for the tasting. There’s a Thracian Chardonnay from Chalija, and a Centum Syrah from Sevilen. But one 2019 wine we taste from Thrace producer Gurbuz stands out: it’s made from a local grape, Okuzgozu. The winery’s founder, Akin Gurbuz founded the Winemakers of Thrace Group, and runs local and international seminars about vineyard management. According to wine blog The Quirky Cork, Gurbuz brings the Okuzgozu grapes back from Eastern Anatolia to his Thrace winery, crushes them, ferments them in steel tanks, before ageing the wine in barrels for 13 months.

From the outset, Bal knew he wanted Trivet to offer a fully-fledged à la carte menu. But he also wanted to create a space where people would feel at ease coming in for a simple cappuccino or glass of wine. Members of Trivet’s tasting club are even allowed to bring in their own wine at lunchtimes, free of charge.

The value of wine

But Bal attests that they have to “at least make it interesting”, when bringing in a bottle. The wine maestro clearly values the club-goers: he plans to never increase the cost of membership for those who’ve paid already.

Last year, Trivet also opened Labombe Wine Bar, a wine bar concept popping up in Trivet on Monday nights when the restaurant was normally closed. Each week, the full wine list is available, but one particularly intriguing wine is also chosen and cracked open and sold at around cost price. But while Bal alleges that the bar puts on wines for less than shop retail, he claims many people “don’t appreciate the value you give”, but instead are in search of something familiar and expected.

And while Bal shines a torch for lesser-explored regions, he’s clear to add that, all in all, “I wouldn’t put wine ahead of the food, it enhances it.” That becomes clear with the final match of the evening: dessert arrives, and it’s met by coos of awe from around the table: a round sesame cake injected with sour cherry; artfully balanced with black olive caramel and yoghurt gelato. This is Bal’s reimagining of a ‘Turkish breakfast’, masterminded, of course, by Lake. It’s coupled with a fitting Centum Syrah – Guney-Denizli from Turkey’s Aegean region (perhaps breakfast should always begin with wine, Turkish or otherwise), but the food sums up the blend of tradition and imagination that defines Lake’s deft culinary poise.

The story of Jonny Lake

Hailing from Burlington, Canada, Lake was brought up in South London, and his mother would often amalgamate local dishes into their meals. Since then, the chef has toured the globe, including stints in Canada, Italy and the UK, working in establishments like Savona, Quintilio and Albertta, before joining the Fat Duck.

There’s no tasting menu at Trivet – unique for a two-starred Michelin restaurant. Lake’s menu is swayed by the changing of the seasons, and he’s renowned for using fermented elements, like pickled lingonberries, to add complex layers to dishes, in the open kitchen. Pivotal dishes have included a spin on the French classic, chicken with vinegar sauce, and a fresh lobster and sake-infused noodle dish, that reveals Lake’s ability to blend cuisines like an artist blends paints. Grilled Cornish turbot served with cockles, razor clams, white asparagus and sorrel, new for the summer menu, is a masterclass in capturing fresh ingredients at their prime.

Now for the exciting news: Bal and Lake are stirring up their second site. Labombe by Trivet will launch in Mayfair on 16 September. In partnership with COMO Metropolitan London on Park Lane, the wine-forward concept will have an extensive grill menu and wine-by-the-glass list.

Labombe launch leadup

It’s set to be a “far more relaxed environment” than Trivet, says Bal, with the design pioneered by the same Turkish architect, Umay Çeviker of Derin Yeşil. Lake says Covid “delayed everything” (no surprise there), and although hospitality is currently grappling with challenges, the timings for starting a new restaurant are “not always in your control”.

Bal promises it will be “more accessible and more Eurocentric” than the Bermondsey site. He says wines will start at £29 with 150 wines on the list priced at less than £100 and 60 wines under £60.

“We don’t have time to get nervous,” he tells me. “This is not the time to get nervous, this is the time to do it.”

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