Blackbook Winery – Interview With Sergio Verrillo

There is no denying that English Sparkling Wine is on the rise, becoming an undeniable contender to Traditional Method Sparkling Wines around the world. To the English, it’s becoming a fan favourite and a go-to Glass of Bubbly, its quality is improving year on year and thanks to innovators and those willing to follow their dreams, the choice of English Sparkling Wine is expanding.

In this exclusive feature on Glass of Bubbly, we speak with Sergio Verrillo, one of the co-founders of Blackbook Winery, in London, England, let’s discover a little about his life, his journey into the industry and one of his favourite bubbly memories.

It’s Great To Speak With You, Sergio, Can You Tell Us A Little About Yourself & What Inspired You To Co-Found Black Book Winery?

“Thanks for having me, Oliver. Happy to give you a bit of background. I was born and raised in Connecticut to European parents (Dad is Italian, Mom is Hungarian). After a brief stint working in music with various record labels in the NYC area, I met my now wife, Lynsey, and moved over to London in 2008 to be with her. Falling back into hospitality, I landed a job as a commi somm in a 1-star restaurant, Maze, which I attribute as the catalyst to move into production. The team there were all brilliantly passionate about wine and service and spoke with amazing conviction, it was hard not to get excited about wine.

During my time at Maze, rare and interesting bottles were opened on a regular basis, however, there were 2 bottles that incidentally turned my attention to production specifically. They were a 1989 Vina Tondonia La Gravonia and a 1988 Domaine de Montille Volnay 1er Cru Les Mitans (magnum). These wines opened my eyes to a different world of wine. It opened Pandora’s box around the possibilities of what wine could be like and where it could go. This changed my career path and by extension my life path.

After leaving hospitality, I enrolled in Plumpton College to begin my new journey. Through my time at Plumpton, I travelled extensively working for high end boutique wineries/vineyards that had a focus on cool/cold climate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay that followed an ethos around sustainability, organic/biodynamics. I worked from California to New Zealand and in between including England. It was my time at Plumpton and working for a number of vineyards and wineries in England where I saw the potential to make high quality still wines from very select areas. After seeing this, I sought to create a brand focused on still wines with a Chardonnay focus. Thus the idea for Blackbook was born.”

Do You Remember Your First Experience With Sparkling Wine? When It Was And What Kind Of Wine It Was?

“Not sure if this was my first sparkling wine experience but I used to work for a high end Spanish/Argentinian tapas/wine bar in the States. I was introduced to the world of Cava and just remember really enjoying it. Admittedly, at the time, I didn’t know loads about it nor do I remember who the producer was. since then, many years later, I started to understand Cava once I came to London.”

When It Comes To Pairing Sparkling Wine With Food, Do You Have Any Favourite Combinations That You Would Personally Recommend?

“One of my favourite types of sparkling wine is Blanc de Noir. I have an affinity towards Pinot Noir and Meunier. I feel that BdN has a lot of versatility around what food parings would work well. In my view, this may seem quite boring, but sparkling wine and cured meats work so well and is something that makes me incredibly happy in all the purity and simplicity that they both have to offer.”

What Can Fans Of Black Book Winery Look Forward To As You Continue To Expand?

“We are always looking ahead and how we can innovate and grow. Part of that journey is we have opened a seasonal wine bar for the summer where people can share bottles and nibbles inside the beating heart of the winery surrounded by barrels and tanks.”

Can You Share With Us One Of The Most Memorable Experiences You’ve Enjoyed With A Glass of Bubbly?

“About 7/8 years ago, I discovered a bottle of 1990 Phillipponnat Clos des Goisses, at my father’s house that was stashed away ( I’m pretty sure he forgot about it!) that was given to him decades prior. I managed to convince him that it was a great time to crack it open. So we did. It was rich and bold with bags of life still in it. It was one of the most enjoyable bottles I’ve had in recent memory and it was incredibly special to share with family.”

Thank you Sergio, for sharing your story and experiences with us and we at Glass of Bubbly wish you the very best for the future!

Images belong to Blackbook Winery. Glass of Bubbly was granted permission to use them.