Interview With A Sommelier – Lorenzo Ambonati

The World of Wine is beautifully showcased by an army of talented Sommeliers, who help the consumer discover their next favourite bottle, understand the different regions and pair a delicious meal with the right Glass of Bubbly.

In this article, I speak with a man who has helped many people to discover the vast world of Wines and Sparkling Wines, his name is Lorenzo Ambonati, now let’s find out a bit about his life as a Sommelier.

Tell Us About Yourself

“My name is Lorenzo Ambonati, I am 36 and I am from Milan. I’ve lived in London since 2014 and have always worked in hospitality.”

What Inspired You To Become a Sommelier?

“I still remember the first wine that convinced me to follow the Sommelier Career. It was a Haiku Castello di Ama 2012. I found this wine so pleasant and complex that I decided that I wanted to learn as much as possible about wines and winemaking.”

How Often Do You Find Yourself Recommending English Sparkling Wine?

“Actually English Sparkling Wines are a ‘rising star’ nowadays. In terms of quality and complexity, those wines can be easily compared to Champagnes, and on blind tastings, I won’t exclude that they could win.”

In Your Professional opinion, when Pairing Wine with Food, out of Champagne and Prosecco, which do you think does a better job with complementing a meal?

“Definitely Champagne!!! Prosecco could be a nice way to toast between friends, but when we speak about the whole meal, Champagne is not even in another League, but in another Game!”

What Advice Would You Give Inspiring Sommeliers?

Same as Steve Jobs used to say…be hungry, be foolish. Always keep on studying new wine techniques, new allowed grape varieties in denominations and TASTE, TASTE, TASTE!!!”

If you sat down for a quiet dinner, what dish and sparkling wine would you choose to enjoy together?

I have a sweet tooth for Franciacorta because it comes from my same region, so I will say probably a nice plate of seared scallops with a bottle of Cuvée Annamaria Clementi 2012 from Ca del Bosco.”

Thank you Lorenzo, for sharing your words, knowledge and experience with us and we at Glass of Bubbly wish you the very best for the future!

Images belong to Lorenzo Ambonati. Glass of Bubbly was granted permission to use them.