Let’s Talk Wine: Ottimo’s Success Story

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Ottimo opened at the end of 2020. It’s a wine bar and restaurant on Yongjia Lu backed by some of the people behind uber popular wine bar SOiF, serving a menu of rustic European and modern Asian food.

Ottimo, a wine bar and restaurant in Xuhui, Shanghai. Photo by Rachel Gouk @ Nomfluence.

It’s been popular and busy since opening, and for good reason. The food is great and affordable, the wine selection is formidable, and the atmosphere and service is excellent. But this is mostly about the wine and the work that goes into the selection, which is quite possibly the main reason for Ottimo’s success.

Wines at Ottimo, a wine bar and restaurant in Xuhui, Shanghai. Photo by Rachel Gouk @ Nomfluence.

The wine menu is a traditional selection with only a handful of natural wines, curated by sommelier Yonex Zhang, who was previously the somm at Mercato and Jean-Georges Shanghai.

Wine and dinner at Ottimo, a wine bar and restaurant in Xuhui, Shanghai. Photo by Rachel Gouk @ Nomfluence.

In the last eight months, Ottimo sold just over 10,000 bottles of wine, an impressive feat, especially given the restaurant’s size of about 60 seats and only being open for dinner. It averages out to about 40 bottles a day.

And so, I set out to ask Yonex and Li Ze, one of the partners of Ottimo (and SOiF), how they’ve been able to crack the code.

Interview: Behind The Wines at Ottimo

What can you attribute the success of Ottimo to?

Yonex: Ottimo has a wide selection of wines, and what we can guarantee is quality and honest pricing. Our wines by the glass start from ¥75, and bottles from ¥450, and these aren’t your typical store-bought wines. Our food is also affordably priced, and it’s easy-going, and pairs well with our wines.

Lastly, we strive for good service. Good service is hard to nurture—you might have heard that before. It’s not easy, but it’s one of the most important things in the hospitality industry, and we must do it as well as we can.

Tuna rice bowl at Ottimo, a wine bar and restaurant in Xuhui, Shanghai. Photo by Rachel Gouk @ Nomfluence. — **Tuna Rice Bowl (¥98)** – A generous serving of minced tuna and charred halibut engawa. Excellent value, very comforting.

Ze: Having a comfortable environment and attentive service is definitely important. But having a professional team of sommeliers to ensure that our wine selection is unique contributes largely to the guest experience. We have more than 600+ labels on the wine list, and that list is being updated almost daily.

Wine cellar at Ottimo, a wine bar and restaurant in Xuhui, Shanghai. Photo by Rachel Gouk @ Nomfluence. — The wine cellar

Does that mean you have to try a lot of wines?

Ze: Yes, of course. Every bottle of wine needs to be tasted in person. That’s part of the job. We have good raport with our wine suppliers and they kind of know what we’re looking for.

How do you select your wines?

Yonex: I like to look at the wine lists of different suppliers. Each supplier has their own great wines, and we buy them as long as the price is right. We compare pricing and quality to find the best value-for-money wines, while maintaining good relationships with suppliers.

Churton Estate Sauvignon Blanc wine at Ottimo, a wine bar and restaurant in Xuhui, Shanghai. Photo by Rachel Gouk @ Nomfluence. — Sauvignon Blanc, Churton Estate, Marlborough, New Zealand, 2019 (¥85/glass). One of 10 house wines by the glass, on rotation.

How would you describe Ottimo’s current wine selection?

Yonex: Mainly champagne, burgundy red and whites, and Italian wines, but we have a bit of everything, as long as it’s good. Most are mid-to-high-end wines of some wineries. You could say our aim is to sell premium wines at good prices—the higher the cost of the wine, the less mark-up in price. For our guests that really know (their) wine(s), they’ll often notice this immediately.

Massena Shiraz The Eleventh Hour Barossa Valley wine at Ottimo, a wine bar and restaurant in Xuhui, Shanghai. Photo by Rachel Gouk @ Nomfluence. — Shiraz, Massena, “The Eleventh Hour”, Barossa Valley, Australia, 2016 (¥98/glass).

Yonex: First of all, you need to get to know your guests. What are their general preferences, what do they like to drink? I like to introduce the wine region and the variety, and I provide two price ranges for them to choose from. I offer more information, because I’m capable of doing so. For example, why is the more expensive wine expensive? The cheaper option is not necessarily “worse” than the more expensive bottle. I will also ask what they ordered to suggest a pairing.

In the end, it’s up to the guests’ preference, which is always subjective. It’s about having patience and talking to people, and this is something I enjoy doing.

Dinner at Ottimo, a wine bar and restaurant in Xuhui, Shanghai. Photo by Rachel Gouk @ Nomfluence.

Ze: You can ask about their budget, especially when it comes to choosing a bottle. Recommend some favorites based on their previous experiences. Sometimes you can be bolder and suggest something out of their comfort zone. It’s a risk, the guest might not like it. But often, it’s a happy discovery.