Big-hitting Italian reds are just the tip of the iceberg at this sexy Piedmontese-inspired wine bar and bistro. It’s Woolloongabba, but maybe not as you know it.
Danilo is an articulate, Italian-accented charmer keen to chat about anything – from the tasty unfiltered biodynamic nebbiolo you might be drinking from your Schott Zwiesel wine glass to the breakneck speed of Woolloongabba’s gentrification. D.Vino scores high on street appeal, with its fold-back glass doors and moodily-lit interiors. A U-shaped bar with 10 round-backed high stools dominates an intimate space, all charcoal-hued walls, invitingly arrayed bottles, leather-upholstered chairs and unfussy timber-topped tables. It’s the kind of place you’d happily come to with a friend to catch up over a glass of wine and a few snacks, paired with a ringside view of whatever is afoot in the open kitchen. Or you might settle in for a full dinner at one of the tables. The small al fresco deck is also perfect for a glass of vino on a balmy Brisbane evening.
D.Vino’s menu is heavily Italian-influenced but not strictly traditional, incorporating the occasional Japanese ingredient – hello, Hokkaido scallops – and French technique. The pasta, agnolotti di carne, for instance, AKA little parcels of beef ravioli, is made in-house.
Danilo still has a soft spot for his Piedmont home – you’ll find a map of the Barolo region on the wall in pride of place to prove it and many Barolo back-vintages to savour should you have the hip-pocket power to do so. But while Piedmont is best known for ballsy reds, it also has surprises up its sleeve. Like Alta Langa. This under-the-radar sparkling wine is totally different from its better-known cousin Asti Spumante, which also originates in Piedmont. There’s a choice of two – a blanc de blancs made from 100 per cent chardonnay, and a blanc de noirs made from pinot noir.
This is a spot where you can explore without commitment, with more than 30 options available by the glass – perhaps a surprisingly non-classic fiano from Campania, or the ancient white variety ribolla gialla from Friuli. There’s also a handful of classic cocktails for drinkers who like to kick off with a well-made Negroni or an Americano. Beer drinkers can knock back one of three choices – a Sardinian Ichnusa, a Sicilian unfiltered Doc 15, or Birra dello Stretto lager, also from Sicily. Mocktails don’t feature at D.Vino, but ask about the zero-alcohol moscato that’s on pour but not listed.
