Angelo Zulli is responsible for the dining room and works as sommelier at La Sorgente Pizzeria, a family-run business. His professional path includes restaurant training, membership in AIBES from 2007 and wine study with AIS beginning in 2009.
In an interview for Luciano Pignataro's series on sommeliers in pizzerias, Zulli describes the pizzeria sommelier as a value-adding, empathetic adviser rather than an intrusive figure. The role, in his view, is to propose pairings without imposing them.
Wine service, he says, should remain professional but flexible. Explanations should stay accessible to less-experienced customers while still offering depth for guests who want to explore pizza and wine together.
His wine selection gives particular attention to Abruzzese wines and native grape varieties, including Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo, Trebbiano, Pecorino and Cococciola.
Among representative pairings, Zulli considers a Fassona tartare pizza with Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo especially successful. He also cites a cheese-based pizza paired with Muffato della Sala or Sauternes as an example of an unconventional but successful pairing.
Looking ahead, Zulli expects wine in pizzerias and the role of the sommelier to become more prominent as the sector and customer interest in pizza-wine pairings develop.
