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Ask a Somm: Julien Hennebelle, Norma London

We catch up with Norma sommelier Julien Hennebelle to talk fizzy Falanghina, autumnal Aglianico and why Nerello Mascalese could be the new Pinot Noir.

What are your seasonal wine selections?

At the moment we can see people switching slowly to red wine as winter is on the way – reds with a bit more body and warm mouthfeel. At Norma we are trying to help customers discover Italian native grapes like the Negroamaro and Aglianico, and ones with more body like the Nero di Troia.

Looking ahead to Christmas, which wines do you think will fly this year?

Christmas is always a crazy period in London and people tend to treat themselves with a really nice bottle. Sparkling wines are always popular, in our case we have a lovely sparkling Falanghina just waiting to be discovered. The famous names like Barolo, Brunello or Amarone are always great choices.

What tips would you give to trainee or new sommelier?

Don’t be scared of the amount of knowledge out there! I know it can be overwhelming, but relax…you will never know everything anyway so embrace the journey, go to wine tastings and talk to wine producers, learn a bit every day and try a lot of wines.

If you were opening a new wine bar or restaurant, which key countries and styles would you focus on?

I strongly believe there are amazing wines everywhere (and some great terroirs that still need to be discovered). London is an amazing place for that: you can try wines from everywhere in the world. I guess if I would open my own wine bar I would focus on one country or region. It can help to give you a ‘framework’. That’s what I like in Norma, to be focused on wines from the south of Italy. You can go deeper with a small producer or wines/grapes that are not so well known. Having said that, I am a big fan of South African wines so that could be something to think about for my dream wine bar.

What’s your desert island wine?

I love Pinot Noir from Burgundy (sounds clichéd I know), but it’s elegant and you’ve got this combination of fruit and earthiness which I really enjoy. Since I started at Norma, I’ve discovered the Nerello Mascalese grape from Sicily, which is really close to Pinot Noir it terms of complexity, aromas and flavours. It’s a great Sicilian wine and a good alternative if you’re fan of Burgundy. That’s my new favourite, until the next discovery.