Meet our ami
“In Naples I learned that a pizzaiolo isn't just a fast food cook with a better oven. Pizza can really mean something. So I think about what goes next to it as well. Usually that's an Italian wine. I'm Neapolitan, I'm allowed to be a little biased.”
Pizzaiolo by day
Luca owns Licoli in Berchem, named after the liquid sourdough he bakes with. He trained at the pizza academy in Naples, and at Licoli he wants to show that pizza can be much more than a margherita, while still serving one of the best margheritas in Belgium. He's one of the most talked-about pizzaioli in the country right now. He would never say that last part himself.
Napoletano by night
Born and raised in Naples, Luca left in his late teens for Ghent, then Antwerp. Napoli is still his club, and his parents' house is still the place where everyone gets fed, friends included. Dries likes to joke that he's more Neapolitan than Luca. Luca lets him.
Reason to select a wine
Luca chooses wine the way he builds a pizza: it has to work with what's on the plate. Italian first, nearly always. At home, though, he's just as likely to open a lambic. He likes the one we made with 3 Fonteinen so much, it's ended up in his dough.
Luca's favourites
Biggest surprise in a glass?
3 Fonteinen x Club d'Amis, Gewürztraminer. I'm always curious about what goes with pizza, and this one had me hooked from the first sip. The floral, spicy nose sent me straight back to my own kitchen, to one of our classics at Licoli: the Amalfi pizza.
Guilty pleasure pairing go to?
If I had to pick one dish: our fried, double-baked pizza bites. Trésor paired them with Quarticello, Ferrando 2025. A Lambrusco, and before you roll your eyes: this one is fresh, vibrant and serious. The bubbles and acidity cut through the crispy dough and get you ready for the pizza that follows.
Region/winemaker on your radar?
Italy, always. And Galardi really got me. Allegra's charisma made me fall even more in love with the wines they make there.
