Sommeliers' favourite wines

Today's sommeliers are not the aloof stereotypes of a bygone era, as the wine team at Skylon is proving. Every month head sommelier Alexis Meszoly gets each of his sommeliers to nominate their favourite wine and tell diners about it on the list.

The Artful Diner asked his team to spill the beans on the little-known yet fantastic wine producers you really should know about...

Marco, sommelier

Age: 24

Originally from: Salgareda, Italy

Favourite wine: Cantine Maschio from Conegliano Veneto. "A very good, modern winemaker."

Loves wine because: "Ever since I was born I have been around vineyards and have worked on some harvests, but mostly it's because of the variety of wines you can discover around the world."

Mattia, commis sommelier

Age: 22

Originally from: Udine, Italy

Favourite wine: The Vie di Romans from Friuli in Italy.

Loves wine because: "My family owns a little vineyard. I enjoy always learning, tasting the differences between wines."

Valentino, assistant head sommelier

Age: 29

Originally from: Sabaudia, Italy

Favourite wine: " I don’t have a favourite wine. It depends on the day; if it’s sunny or cloudy, who is with you. For me, the best wine to drink depends on your feelings."

Loves wine because: "It's style, culture and art all rolled into one. I gained a passion for food and drink from my family."

Alexis, head sommelier

Age: 25

Originally from: Chantilly, France

Favourite wine: Les Cretes from Valle D’Aosta, Italy. "An example of fantastic wine making from pre phylloxera vines [ie. dating from before the 1980s], which are grown at an altitude of 1000m. The chardonnay and fumin are exquisite."

Loves wine because: "My former head sommelier, who I followed for the three years after my arrival in London, instilled in me a passion for wine. I'm passionate about history and the first thing I need to know about all my wines is why, where and how come."

Further information:

Find out more about wines at Skylon.