The visit to the Fat Duck in 2009 remains one of my most memorable meals of all time. From the opening mouthful of green tea and lime mousse, a weightless sphere of liquid nitrogen that popped in the mouth, an other-worldly palate cleanser, we knew we were in for a riotous culinary ride. It was here that I first met sommelier Isa Bal.
I’d managed to wangle a table while working for John Armit Wines, and being one of our on-trade accounts, we had a direct line to the head sommelier, Isa – he kindly sorted a table for two at short notice. Having booked it as a weekend treat for my mum, a five-hour dinner unfurled. My Turkish mum connected instantly with Isa, a fellow Turk, and we shared a bottle of German Riesling from Isa’s excellent list. I think most of the dishes freaked my mum out – snail porridge; sounds of the sea; salmon poached in liquorice with vanilla mayonnaise; bacon and egg ice-cream – but she got into the spirit of it, and years later she would regale her friends with her ‘my son took me to The Fat Duck’ story.
Master sommelier Isa opened Trivet in 2019 with his colleague of over ten years, the Fat Duck’s executive chef Jonny Lake. It proved a tricky few years. They ploughed through the pandemic period but are now gaining plaudits for this brave and ambitious spot, a stagger away from London Bridge.
The wine list is a historical tour de force, tiptoeing through the centuries and taking the drinker on a time-travelling journey, kicking off in ‘7000 BC’ and pummelling through the ages until we reach the tongue-in-cheek ‘3000 AD Mars’. ‘The first wine in history was most likely made somewhere where Armenia, Turkey and Georgia is situated’, the Trivet list tells us.
It begins with in-depth considerations for the historic yet lesser explored regions of Georgia, Armenia and Turkey, where we’re encouraged to dip a vinous toe into varietals like Rkatsiteli and Mtsvane from Georgia and Voskehat from Armenia. And if ever diners needed a guiding hand from a sommelier, Isa is the perfect chap to jump in and assist.
‘I wanted to create a fun list, without the retentions and bias towards anything in particular. Also, to get people thinking and perhaps understand the drink they love so much a little better’, Isa tells me.
There are many ways to lay out a wine list, and on sitting down at Trivet, it’s immediately apparent that this is a labour of love, a list that has been painstakingly sketched out and thought about. Especially pleasing is the transparent pricing. Everything on the list can be bought to take away, the drink-in price a simple £18 on top of retail.
‘I get easily bored and distracted with large wine lists with producer after producer and vintages after vintages of wines that I can see everywhere. I like it when I see a little bit of creativity in creating a list. Lists that can accommodate conventional and unconventional wines together with a good communication strategy.’
Listed in chronological order – Isa has managed to trace the earliest mentions of wine production for each country – it’s not until we reach 1550 A.D. that we see the USA mentioned, with big-hitters of Ridge and Kistler listed alongside picks from Australia, Argentina and South Africa. Indeed, it was while working at the venue with the most in-depth USA list in the country that lit the touchpaper for his career. ‘When I was at The Vineyard at Stockcross in Newbury I knew wine and restaurants were for me. I feel very lucky to have started working with wine there as that experience laid the foundations of my career.
While we are encouraged to explore some of the quirky outliers of the wine world, there is still plenty of space given to the more familiar classic regions. But Isa’s wine tastes, as you would expect, are wide-ranging:
‘I love Sassicaia if it is aged over 15 plus years. I really enjoy the 1985 vintage both from Bordeaux and Tuscany. Anything from that vintage will get my attention. Also, I love discovering new wines, there are so many Georgian and Armenian wines that are new to the UK and I find them fascinating. Dalamara is a great producer from Greece. I also enjoy Jamet from northern Rhone.’
In many ways Isa’s list is one of the least trend driven lists in the country, being grounded as it is in historical context, so I wonder what he makes of the current relentless use of the word ‘natural’ when referring to wine and winemaking:
‘This is a subject that can be discussed for an eternity but we wouldn’t get anywhere! I don’t have a problem with it. It helps certain producers to make a difference in highlighting their wines. I am though against the argument that one is healthier than the other. There is no such thing as a healthy alcohol unless consumed in moderation.’
While Jonny Lake’s cooking has moved on from The Fat Duck days, there are still plenty of intriguing combinations, like poached and roasted Cotswold chicken with a vinegar sauce, and smoked Maitake mushroom with pickled lingonberries and wild cumin and Isa has a refreshingly open approach to the thorny issue of food and wine-matching. ‘I am not too fussed about matching the food and wine, for myself I eat what I like and drink what I like: they will match somewhere. That said, a good burger with a Napa Cabernet or grilled venison with northern Rhone syrah. Artichokes with a manzanilla sherry. ‘Sounds of the Sea’ at The Fat Duck with a good sake was just perfect.’
It’s worth just dropping in to the bar at Trivet, open-all day for some top salumi, cheese, and homemade French fries and onion ketchup – Isa will be on hand to take you on a journey from 7000 B.C. to 3000 A.D. Mars and beyond.
