The wine paradise in Milan lies in the heart of Chinatown and uncorks 1,200 bottles a week

Isola is a surname, that of the previous owners, but Cantine is the true essence of this tiny yet overflowing kingdom of wine by the glass in Milan: 2,000 labels in just 40 square metres, right in the heart of Chinatown along Via Paolo Sarpi, where between 15,000 and 20,000 people pass by every day at the weekend. Cantine Isola, now owned by Luca Sarais, is by now a real institution in the city, present for 130 years (anniversary in 2026) and still a beating heart of Milanese nightlife.

The kingdom of wine by the glass

As we were saying: a kingdom of wine by the glass.
«Yes, here we open any bottle and serve it by the glass – explains Luca – From the one that costs €15 to the one worth €2,000: of course, the price of the glass changes, but we make that very clear to our guests».

Here you come in, queue at the counter – the only point where wine is served – drink and nibble something: inside (if you manage to get in) or out on Via Paolo Sarpi. Right next to Chinese dumpling shops and ramen bars.

«And with these artisanal businesses we get along very well – smiles Luca, who wanted to become an accountant but at the age of 20 found himself with this venue that his father bought overnight, catapulting him into the world of wine – They see us and respect us because we are “old Milan”, we esteem and support them because they represent the new Milan».

The charm and culture of Cantine Isola

We have already hinted at the history of this ancient wine spot in the lines above. But the story of Cantine Isola has a charm that must be told and makes it truly unique. Not only in Milan.

It is enough to think of the latest – so to speak – novelty that Cantine has brought to Via Paolo Sarpi to get an idea of the depth and identity that Luca Sarais brings to his daily work.

«Every Tuesday at 8.30 pm, for the past 25 years, I stop everything, the pouring inside Isola and the traffic on the street, and I recite a poem: just a few minutes, so as not to interrupt conversations and the birth of new friendships among my guests, a small space for the spirit».

A moment of reflection between one glass and another that has now become a regular appointment for the people of Via Paolo Sarpi. A small event that encapsulates the meaning of Luca’s work and the depth of his venue’s history.

The story of everyday wine in Milan

«My father, who had long been working in the Milanese restaurant world – says Luca Sarais – during a break after lunch service, came in here to relax with a glass of wine. It was 1991. Here were Milly and her husband, Giacomo Isola: they managed the Cantine, open since the late 1800s, and gave it their name. My father, Gianni, lost himself among the constant flow of customers who came in during breaks from work: workers, students, artisans.

He started drinking a few glasses in company, exchanging a few words in a cloud of humanity of every kind. The moral of the story: at the end of the evening he wrote out a cheque and bought Cantine Isola. He went back home and catapulted our family into a new adventure like a true bolt from the blue. I was twenty and wanted to be an accountant. I imagined that place in Via Sarpi as a spot for old drunks, tired and depressed workers looking for a sip to ease their daily fatigue».

Milly’s passion and Luca’s conversion

But then Luca did enter that wine den for real.
«And I never came out again – he smiles – Milly took me under her wing, she never left me alone: she wanted to teach me everything, she wanted me to learn and internalise their passion and philosophy. She wanted the tradition and identity of Cantine Isola not to be lost.

It was a place where people usually drank the classic simple wine, the Frascatello. There were also important bottles, but those were rarely asked for. The rule, however, was pouring by the glass: you only drank by the glass. And little by little, Milly had been offering her customers more important glasses for years, at least at weekends or on special occasions.

It was a way to show the people that there was more than just simple wine, that they could afford it and above all enjoy it too. It became my mission as well. Even today».

And at Cantine, an average of 170 bottles are opened every day, seven days a week. Mainly Nebbiolo and Barbera, “new generation” Chianti Classico and fresh, acidic whites.

«Labels that, unfortunately, I still struggle to find in Italy – Luca smiles – and that we have to seek out mainly in France, Spain and Portugal. But I must say – and this is our hope – that Italian producers are growing, creating more contemporary wines. We stay tuned…!».