A new wine shop has opened in Sarasota, but this one has a twist. While perusing your wine selections you can kick back for an excellent dining experience and sample some of the wines if you are having a tough time deciding.

Malmosto is the brainchild of Andrea Bozzolo, the chef and owner of Andrea’s Restaurant, and his business partner and proprietor Rossella Savinelli.

As the two were conceptualizing Malmosto, Savinelli says they wanted to open a wine shop where customers could also hang out and have a glass of wine.

“We both love wine, and our idea was to open a wine shop with a kitchen," Bozzolo explains. "We bought equipment while looking for the right spot to open. But Rosella, the smart one, decided to transform my 'man cave' [a storage space across the hall from Andrea’s Restaurant] into the wine shop to create Malmosto."

Savinelli has worked with Bozzolo for the last two years at Andrea’s, helping run the dining room to ensure smooth service.

“I always think that to be great you need great people around you, and Rosella is a machine," Bozzolo says. "She can run the dining room with 70 people, she’s loyal and does her job perfectly. I trust her and I’m glad we decided to become partners."

The space is decorated in colorful murals by artist Giuseppe Marchesi, a longtime friend of Bozzolo's.

“We grew up together. I’ve known him since 1983, and we are from the same town in Italy. He worked in San Francisco as an artist and bartender but about 10 years ago he decided to move close to me in Florida to be a pain in my butt,” Bozzolo jokes. “But really, he’s so creative, a genius.”

The food at Malmosto is as outstanding as the wine selection and decor. The pair sourced a Morella oven, which operates as a wood-burning oven but can convert to gas when needed. All the hot food is made in that oven, with dishes ranging from paella to porchetta and, the star of the show, pizza.

And while the pizza is fantastic, made with imported flour, the other dishes shine just as brightly. Bozzolo and his chef, Simone Di Marco, set the tone from the beginning with items like imported salami atop toasted bread slathered with black garlic paste and truffle butter.

"We have a selection of some of the most amazing Italian cheese and cold cuts, including prosciutto and salamis,” Bozzolo says. 

A dish comprised of tuna prepared in the style of brasaola (an Italian cured beef cold cut) showcases Bozzolo’s inventiveness, as he pairs the cured fish with artichokes and fennel. The result is an excellent option for a hot Florida day, well-seasoned with balanced acidity.

Crispy calamari is accompanied by three sauces, the most interesting of which is peanut butter-based and shows off Bozzolo's mad-scientist mind. Who would ever think to pair calamari with peanut butter? Somehow, the combination sings.

Savinelli and Bozzolo invite guests to swing by the shop whether they wish to linger or just pick up a couple of bottles of something interesting. And to entice you to buy a full case, Bozzolo promises a pizza to-go.

“Even if you mix and match a case, I’ll include a pizza to-go, on the house. And if you’re nice, maybe even two,” he says with a laugh.

However, if you plan to stay awhile to sample some wine and food, Bozzolo and Savinelli recommend making reservations. The space is small and can only accommodate 20 guests at a time.

Malmosto opens Monday through Saturday at 5 p.m. and is located at 2085 Siesta Dr., Suite #3, Sarasota. For reservations, call 941-706-1460. For more information, click here.