Mark Gregorini, Verdicchio Ristorante, Sudbury, Ontario
Mark Gregorini, Verdicchio Ristorante, Sudbury, Ontario
In this month’s featured interview, Robert sits down with Mark Gregorini, the owner of Verdicchio Ristorante in Sudbury, Ontario. Stem Wine Group has been working with Mark for over five years and his passion and thirst for knowledge of both food and wine never seizes to amaze us!
RT: Tell me a little bit about Verdicchio- i.e. # of yrs in business, how it got started, how you became interested in the business?
MG: Ristorante Verdicchio has been open for 15 years. This family project was started with my brother Rob, my mom, Teri my sister in law and myself as a result of our passion for serving everyday Italian fare from Le Marche and Umbria. I have been in the restaurant business since I was 14 yrs of age while the rest of my family had knowledge in other areas. I took over the wine program shortly after the 2nd year where I started with a list of approximately 20 wines.
RT: I always brag to people in Toronto about your wine list being, in my opinion, the best Italian wine list north of the 401! How many wines different wines do you currently have on hand and how did you get interested in wine to begin with?
MG: Currently, I have about 800 labels. As for how I got into wine, I’m not quite sure. I drank very little wine when I was young, and to think back, I didn’t know what I was missing. When we opened Ristorante Verdicchio here in Sudbury, all of our staff were young and new in the industry so we were curious to learn about all aspects of the restaurant. We would all stay late into the night, experimenting with food and wine pairings and it was through this that I developed an appreciation for wine culture.
RT: What is the hardest glass of wine on the list to cook a dish for, and what do your chefs tend to pair with it?
MG: Amarone – it is such rich wine that it tends to overpower many dishes. We like to pair it with aged cheeses with balsamic or a wild boar stew with cocao
RT: What is your personal go-to wine-and-food pairing?
MG: Personal favourite –Ravioli ripieno d’agnello in house made pasta pouches stuffed with braised lamb shank in a traditional sauce of red wine, sautéed onions, its own braising juices and fresh herbs; shaved pecorino
Wine selection: Morellino di Scansano ‘Heba’ 2008, Fattoria di Magliano
RT: What is your favorite wine region?
MG: My favourite wine region is Italy and in particular Campania – Fiano di Avellino, Greco di tufo, Taurasi (especially from Feudi di San Gregorio) and many, many more to choose from
RT: What would be your desert island wine?
MG: My favourite desert island has to be a white since I’m deserted and probably damn thirsty.
So… Prosecco, Serenissima.
RT: What do you like to do on your time off?
MG: Travel the world, eat their cuisine, soak in their culture and drink their wine