Over the years I have been obsessed by the art of combining food and wine. Delicate wine pairing can lift dining out to a truly mindblowing experience. It is all about accentuating, balancing and adding freshness to the dish, culminating in a culinary orgasm so to speak..

NAZKA for me was a challenge: Normally Peruvian food, with its spicy, pungent and acidic flavors, comes with beer or cocktails. I asked myself, why not wines? Challenge accepted!
Let's start with our ceviche aji amarillo (sea bass, octopus, aji amarillo leche de tigre, sweet potato and choclo corn). Normally I like to combine a dish with accentuated acidity in two different ways: The first way is to balance acidity with a smooth, even fresh wine, but we must act with care here: I use a Slovenian Pinot Grigio which has been left in contact with the yeasts for 6 months. The second way is to mirror the citrusy notes of the dish with the freshness of the wine. Here I prefer Pošip Merga Victa from Korčula Island in Croatia, which has fantastic acidity and saline notes, well balanced and yet aromatic.

Antonello Nicastri got hooked on wine while honing his huge talent for hospitality in his native Puglia, working for the famed Masseria San Domenico resort and Michelin-star Due Camini. Before joining NAZKA in 2019, Antonello worked at Michelin-star (and 4 AA Rosette) Latymer near London.

Since his return to the Amsterdam gastronomy scene, Antonello has made his mark by his unorthodox and adventurous matching of Peruvian fine food and wines from all over the world.

Antonello is Italian national and comes from Puglia.