A few weeks ago an exciting email popped into my inbox. An invitation for myself and a friend to try the Selezione wine tasting at Veeno in Harrogate. Exciting on two counts. Firstly, I like wine as much as the next classy lady. Secondly, although I have had many wonderful opportunities via this blog they are rarely so easy that I can walk home from the venue. (Also as a bonus it let me consider what level of wine drinking I feel is appropriate for my hen do next year). I invited my friend Amelia along as she is a fellow foodie, wine enthusiast and all round good egg.

Anyway, back to the wine. Veeno is situated in the heart of Harrogate and while it is part of a new development, the interior definitely gives the feel of a cosy wine cellar. This intimate setting would be perfect for a date, a girls night (like I had) or as part of a larger party. The setting was very relaxed and everybody who worked there was extremely friendly, enthusiastic and knew a lot about wine.

Veeno was established in 2013 by two Italian men in Manchester who loved and missed the Italian Aperitivo. All the wines come from the family vineyard (Caruso and Minini) and there is certainly a sense of pride in the Sicilian wine and food. The business is founded on the Italian idea of relaxing with wine and nibbles after work. Something I think us Brits should get on board with! There are currently 17 Veeno locations across the country and I do highly recommend you visit if you love wine and Italian food.

The Selezione wine tasting is perfect for those who want to try a range of wine colours – two whites, two reds, a rose followed by a dessert wine. Each wine is paired with a meat or cheese from the Spuntini board of meats and cheeses. Our sommelier (who I seem to remember being called Jake) was helpful and friendly and guided us through the wine tasting experience, but in a relaxed manner. Perfect for a Friday night.

The first wine of the night was a lovely The first wine was a white, a Grillo (“Our Driest”). This was a very dry white but the fantastic thing was that unlike some wines on the drier side it had a fresh, rather than cloying after taste. This was paired with creamy buffalo Mozzarella. We both loved this one the most. Amelia actually ended up buying a bottle of this to take home – needless to say we were impressed!

The wine that followed was “The Wine of Love” Zibibbo. This is one for true Romantics as it was the wine one of the founders Granfathers was drinking in the vineyard when proposing to his wife. This is slightly more of an acquired taste. A very citrussy wine with elements of Earl Grey tea. This was certainly an unusual wine. It was paired with the pecorino and I must say, the saltiness of the cheese cut through this wine nicely.

The whites were followed by the lovely “House Rose”. This was paired with some delicious Speck. I never would have considered pairing a rose with ham (except when I’m sitting at home drinking wine and eating snacks in my pjamas). This wine was crisp and refreshing and I could have gladly drank this all night.

We then moved onto the red wines. I must admit that I have only recently started to like red wines. However the “Experts Only” Perricone was enough to convert me. Although this wine was paired with a delicious Bresaola, we were given some dark chocolate to try with this wine. A revelation as it brought out rich flavours in both the wine and and the chocolate.

Our penultimate wine “The Richest” made from a Nero D’Avola Riserva. Paired with gorgonzola this wine was indeed rich, with different levels of flavour. The smell and taste of this wine were phenomenal and perfect for relaxed drinking. Probably not one I could manage in a great quantity as it was somehow filling. Certainly one I’d recommend to true wine lovers though.

To finish we were given a dessert wine (although not the one in the book as they had run out of this). It was an unusual dessert wine as it was not as sweet as other dessert wines I have had. Nevertheless it was delicious and somehow tasted a bit like cider. I had this with a piece of delicious Tiramisu. Amelia was given lemon sorbet due to dietary requirements (which Veeno were lovely and accommodating about).

As I mentioned above, we were delighted with the level of service we got as well as the fantastic food and wine available. We were already planning our next visit part way through our wine tasting experience.

Click here to find out more about the different Veeno locations across the UK.

There are multiple wine tasting experiences available. Click here to find out more.

We were invited to review Veeno in exchange for a review. However all opinions are our own.