Leone de Castris Wine Dinner
with Sommelier & Export Manager Valentina Serafino
and Provenance Guest Chef Michael Ryan
at Little Black Pig & Sons.
Following the success of our inaugural Wine Dinner Series, featured by Urban List and enjoyed by guests from across Melbourne, we're delighted to announce the next chapter at Little Black Pig & Sons.
Over four exclusive evenings, we'll welcome some of the most exciting names in wine and hospitality to Heidelberg, pairing exceptional bottles with produce-driven menus and the stories behind them.
The series begins on Wednesday 22 May with a celebration of Leone de Castris, one of Italy's oldest family-owned wineries, alongside a special guest appearance from Michael Ryan of Provenance - one of regional Victoria's most acclaimed chefs.
Founded in 1665 in Salice Salentino, deep in the sun-drenched heel of Italy's boot, Leone de Castris has spent more than three centuries shaping the identity of southern Italian wine. The winery is a defining name in the wines of Puglia, a region of abundant sunshine, sea-cooled breezes and limestone-rich soils, home to Negroamaro, Primitivo and Malvasia Nera, and long a cornerstone of Italian wine culture. Leone de Castris has spent generations bringing its distinctive character to the world stage.
We're delighted to welcome Valentina Serafino, Sommelier and Export Manager for Leone de Castris, who plays a central role in sharing the family winery's story across international markets. Bringing deep wine knowledge, regional expertise and a genuine passion for southern Italian hospitality, Valentina will guide guests through a selection of Leone de Castris wines across the evening, exploring the history, terroir and traditions that have defined the winery for generations.
We're also honoured to welcome Guest Chef Michael Ryan of Provenance, Beechworth. Awarded Two Chef Hats by The Age Good Food Guide, Michael is widely regarded as one of Australia's finest regional chefs, his cooking deeply rooted in seasonality and local produce, while drawing on a long-standing fascination with Japanese food culture, technique and philosophy. It's a distinctive approach that has made The Provenance one of regional Victoria's most celebrated dining destinations. For the evening, Michael will join David in the kitchen, contributing a course that reflects his unique perspective on produce, precision and flavour.
The evening also carries a personal note for Emilia Lakhi. Having grown up in nearby Wodonga, welcoming Michael Ryan to Little Black Pig & Sons feels a little like bringing a piece of home to Heidelberg - two restaurants united by a shared commitment to regional produce and memorable hospitality.
Valentina, Michael, David and Emilia will guide you through the evening in the Tuscan Room, sharing the stories, people and places behind every glass and every plate. And as always, the night concludes with our much-loved tasting game, where one lucky guest takes home a special prize.
Wednesday 22 July
6.30 pm start
at Little Black Pig & Sons
$210pp prepaid
MENU
Ian Fleming’s Vesper, done the Beechworth way
Yellow fin tuna tartare, capers, tomatoes, Worcestershire gel
Leone De Castris Five Roses Rosato 2024
Kingfish carpaccio, almond and lemon milk, kanzuri, fennel
Leone De Castris Messapia Verdeca Bianco Salento 2025
Agnolotti filled with pork cheek, cime di rapa, squacquerone, burnt butter, truffles
Leone De Castris Villa Santera Primitivo di Manduria DOC 2023
Lamb rump with smoked eggplant, parsnip, jus and truffles
Leone De Castris Salice Salentino Negroamaro Rosso Riserva DOC 2021
Almond and chocolate tart with whipped buffalo mozzarella
Leone De Castris Negrino Aleatico IGT Salento Passito 2022
Beechworth Bitters A Walk in the Black Forest
*Menu may change with produce availability
Little Black Pig Chef & Owners David and Emilia Lakhi
Chef Michael Ryan and Chef David Lakhi