Mayfair’s Labombe by Trivet to showcase Turkey’s ancient grape varieties at Michelin-starred wine dinner

Labombe by Trivet, the Michelin-starred restaurant on Old Park Lane in Mayfair, will hold a one-off wine dinner on Saturday 12^th September dedicated to Turkey’s indigenous grape varieties, with master sommelier Isa Bal hosting the evening and head chef Evan Moore preparing a grill-focused sharing menu to accompany the pairings. 

The event is built around what organisers describe as one of the world’s oldest winemaking cultures. Archaeological evidence has long placed Anatolia among the earliest regions where grapes were cultivated and fermented, with viticulture in the area dating back thousands of years. Despite that history, Turkish wine remains comparatively little known in the British market, in part because domestic production has faced regulatory and taxation pressures in recent decades, and also because international distribution of the country’s native grapes – among them Öküzgözü, Boğazkere, Kalecik Karası, Narince and Emir – has been limited.

Turkey ranks among the largest grape-growing nations by volume, though the majority of its crop is destined for table grapes and dried fruit rather than wine. The wine industry that does exist is concentrated in Thrace, the Aegean, Central Anatolia and the east of the country, where high altitudes and continental conditions shape the character of the finished wines. Producers have increasingly focused on native varieties as a point of difference in export markets, rather than competing directly with international grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay.

Host Bal was born in Turkey and passed the Court of Master Sommeliers examination in 2009. Having previously spent more than a decade as head sommelier at The Fat Duck in Bray, he co-founded Trivet in Southwark with chef Jonny Lake in 2019. The restaurant now holds two Michelin stars, while Labombe, the group’s Mayfair outpost, holds one. For the special evening, Bal will guide guests through each pairing over the course of the meal, providing background on the varieties and the regions in which they are grown. 

The menu will be structured around the grill and served in a sharing format rather than as individual plated courses – a departure from the tasting selection approach more commonly associated with Michelin-starred kitchens. Moore, who heads the kitchen at Labombe, has designed the dishes with the wine selections in mind.

Places for the dinner are limited by the size of the dining room, and priced at £160 per person.

Food Desk

The Turkish Wine Dinner takes place on 12^th September 2026 at Labombe by Trivet. 19 Old Park Lane, London W1K 1LB. For further information or to book a table, visit here.