Savor Som-Selected Wines at Angelina’s Ristorante

At Angelina’s Ristorante in Bonita Springs, wine seems as much a food group as the house-made pastas and is given the same level of attention as the painstakingly plated Italian fare. The careful curation is due, in large part, to the restaurant’s two Certified Sommeliers, Dinah Leach and Nick Kattman. Both have passed the rigorous Court of Master Sommeliers exam, demonstrating extensive knowledge of tasting, theory, and service.

“We’re making wine approachable,” Kattman says. “We have 650 choices on the wine list currently. There’s truly something for everyone.” The restaurant also offers 5-ounce pours from its Coravin wine-preserving system, which allows oenophiles to enjoy an exceptional glass when they only want one.

After discussing what guests plan to order and asking about their wine preferences, Kattman may recommend something surprising, like an Etna Rosso, a pale ruby red wine made from grapes grown on the slopes of Mount Etna in Sicily. The minerality and moderate acidity make it a well-balanced companion to rich dishes like meatballs, lobster with spinach fettuccine, and black grouper.

Any wine may be decanted,  but there are two main reasons to do so. “If it’s red and perhaps older, there may be sediment,” he says. For young wines, splash decanting—in which the sommelier allows the wine to splash into the decanter by turning the bottle upside down—aerates the wine, allowing the flavors to develop. Kattman encourages people to request tableside decanting. “It adds extra finesse to the experience,” he says. “It makes it a little more special.” 

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