How to get your wine into leading restaurants

Quick-fire advice from Melania Battiston

At only 28 years old, Melania Battiston has been a sommelier for nearly a decade. A member of the IWSC and a Decanter World Wine Awards judge, she was also voted the UK’s Best Young Sommelier in 2023. Having spent the last year managing the wine team at the Aman Resort in Thailand and Greece, the Lombardy native has returned to London for the highly-anticipated opening of Cornus – the second venture from the team behind Medlar, where Melania worked for almost six years. Responsible for curating and heading the wine programme, Melania shares her approach to building an inaugural wine list and reveals the wine she is most excited to pour for guests.

All the wines on the list - at least those on the cheaper end (below ￡70 / ￡80) - have been tasted by us all, mostly blind.

Wine Lister: What was your approach to setting up the new list at Cornus?

Melania Battiston: Originally, I was stuck on the idea of creating a tiny wine list of around 100-150 wines, each one with its own story. Either I would have discovered them during my travels as a wine judge, or they would have been wines that have captured my attention over the years. I wanted the wine list to tell my story. Clément Robert MS (my mentor and ex-Wine Director at Medlar) told me this approach wasn’t going to work because people will expect Cornus to be a sort of ‘second Medlar’, a restaurant known for its diverse and dynamic wine list. This prompted me to think about our clientele at Medlar: a classic palate, lovers of Burgundy, Loire, Rh?ne, and Bordeaux, but with a certain curiosity to explore and expand their knowledge. At Cornus, I have tried to merge this classic taste with some lesser-known wine regions (e.g. Greece, parts of Italy).

After speaking with David O'Connor (co-owner of Cornus), we decided we didn’t want our wine list to be as pricey as other restaurants. So far, it’s incredible to see so many people picking from the wine list without bringing their own bottles.

WL: What would it take for a wine to be featured on Cornus’s wine list?

MB: All the wines on the list - at least those on the cheaper end (below ￡70 / ￡80) - have been tasted by us all, mostly blind. When it comes to the wines we sell by the glass, I know what grape variety I want because I know what sells. I collect samples from different suppliers and ask my assistants to put them side by side. We usually write down how much we would pay for each wine, as you would in a judging competition. It’s only when tasting blind that you can get a sense of the true value and quality.

WL: How can a new producer catch your attention?

MB: Their wines need to have the character to speak for themselves. A producer can be charming with a great story, but without quality in their wines, any impressive personality trait doesn’t matter.

WL: Is there a wine on your new list that you are particularly excited to pour for your guests?

MB: When I was in Greece with Aman, we sold Assyrtiko ‘34’ Artemis Karamolegos by the glass. I looked for it all over the UK until I found a supplier. Another one that I would encourage people to try is Kalupi Vassaltis 2020. It’s a slightly strange blend of Assyrtiko, Mavrotragano, and Mandilaria – it is super light in colour, but when you taste it there is this lovely perfume and incredible tannins. And it’s so versatile - it could be paired with chicken, fish, or red meat.

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