Veeno York – Wine Tasting At The Italian Wine Café

UPDATE: Please note Veeno York has closed down. There is no longer a Veeno restaurant in York. Last month I was invited for a lovely evening of Wine Tasting at Veeno, York. Veeno offer a unique, do it yourself wine tasting experience. I’ve only recently moved back to York, so I was pleased when I was invited to a local blogger event in the city – especially because it involved wine.

I’ve only recently started to drink wine, as I previously didn’t enjoy the taste of it. I was usually just a spirits drinker. I guess I’ve matured a bit and so have my tastebuds, thus I now generally like how wine tastes.

The atmosphere in Veeno York is very relaxed and cosy. I’ve passed Veeno a few times and always wondered what it was like, as it looked so pretty inside.

The founders of Veeno grew up in Italy and moved to Manchester to study. After playing football together and having a drink, they realised that they had something in common – both Italians abroad with a passion for quality wine and food. Due to the expertise of the family vineyard in Sicily, they brought their wines to Manchester, opening the first Italian wine café in 2013.

Upon arrival, we all sat down at the table. We were each handed a glass of the fizzy stuff, whilst waiting for some other bloggers to arrive.

To pair up with each glass of wine, we had a big platter board full of a variety of breads, meats, etc.

Straight away, it was really obvious how knowledgable and friendly the staff are at Veeno. They definitely know their stuff. Before the official wine tasting began, we were handed a booklet full of useful information explaining how the night would take place and details on each of the individual wines.

First Wine: House White Dry

This was my favourite of the evening. It was so easy to drink and tasty, matching perfectly with the bread and oil. I’d happily drink this on an evening with friends. This was simple but very delicious.

Second Wine: Our Fruitiest

This white wine was fruity and I really enjoyed it. It also tasted quite crisp and soft, which I would happily drink alongside a meal. Paired with the olives and oil, it was intense but tasted so nice.

Third Wine: Our Smoothest

As the name states, this was quite a smooth red wine. I also found it to be a light and refreshing wine, with hints of berries. To enhance the grapes in this wine, it’s paired with Salame Milano.

Fourth Wine: Our Classic

The classic red wine was my favourite out of all the reds we tried. This tasted rich and mature which is why it worked so well with the Prosciutto di Parma.

Fifth Wine: The Elegant

With spicy fragrances, this one surprised me. It was paired with the cheese which worked really well with the spices from the wine.

Sixth Wine: Sweet Dessert Wine

I’m not usually a fan of anything coffee based, but this homemade tiramisu was absolutely delicious. The sweet dessert wine went perfectly with it.

I was really impressed with my first wine tasting experience. Veeno certainly know how to entertain and are really friendly, which creates such a nice vibe at Veeno. I’d happily return to Veeno and try the wine tasting experience again, I thought it was such a fun but relaxing experience.