Meet our ami
“You can't play in Italy for that long and not like wine. At lunch the day before a match, there was just wine on the table, for the players too. It's part of the food, part of how they live. I'm no expert. I ask what's good, and most of the time I agree.”
Retired footballer by day
Nine seasons at Napoli made Dries the club's all-time top scorer. He gave football everything for a long time. Now the rest of life gets its turn: friends, family, good food and good wine. One thing he does keep close: a boot worn and signed by his idol, Diego Maradona.
Napoletano by night
Dries lives on Ibiza now, but he never gave up the apartment he moved into on his first day in Naples. Not because of the city, but because of who's in it. “For me, the real Napoli is the warm people, and the friendships I'll have here for life.”
Reason to select a wine
Dries lets the people who know more tell him what's good. He knows what he likes when he tastes it, and he's never pretended to know more than that.
Dries's favourites
Biggest surprise in a glass?
Newton Johnson, Walker Bay Pinot Noir 2024. I was sure I was drinking something French. Fine, fresh, red fruit, real finesse. Then I saw the label: Walker Bay, South Africa. It completely changed how I look at wine from the Cape.
Guilty pleasure pairing go to?
Pasta e patate. My favourite pasta in Italy, no contest. Trésor paired it with Podere Le Boncie, Le Trame 2023. Bright and fresh, with a sour cherry bite that cuts straight through the creaminess and keeps every forkful light.
Region/winemaker on your radar?
Italy, what else. And after this trip, Galardi. Allegra Selvaggi respects everything her family built, but she's not just copying it. She knows exactly where she wants to take it. I loved that.
