Sicilian Wines are Summer in a Glass

   Two seats are available on Wine-Knows' October trip to Sicily

Summer is getting into full swing and there may be no better way to celebrate than with a glass of Sicilian wine.  This is the last article of the month’s series on Sicily.  In the earlier posts you’ve learned that Sicily has nearly 90 native grapes….wines that you’ll not see anywhere else in the world.  This article, however, features grapes that were not birthed on the island but all have a Mediterranean heritage. 

                                                             The island's charms are many

Catarratto

The Queen of Sicilian grapes, Catarratto is grown all over the island (it represents nearly one-third of all wine grapes planted).  It is the mother of the wonderful native Grillo grape which was discussed last week.  One sip of Catarratto and you’ll see their resemblance:  lemon zest, intense oranges & fragrant citrus blossoms.   But, that’s only part of Catarratto’s charms. 

Catarratto also entices with flavors of peaches and apples.  It’s a dry, light-bodied wine that offers moderate alcohol levels, thus it makes for a perfect interlude to a summer’s supper.  Since it doesn’t have a lot of tannin, it works well as an aperitif but it can certainly swing to a first course like a shrimp appetizer.  Look no further than Donnafugata’s Anthilia, or Graci’s Etna Bianco (a blend of Catarratto and Carricante). 

                                       A  place has been set for you with Sicilian ceramics

                     

Zibbibo

This white wine screams SUMMER.  Zibbibo, the father of the Grillo grape, is a member of the aromatic grape family of Muscat.   Zibbibo on Sicily can be made dry or sweet, but this article will focus only on the dry version.    With its fragrant profile of honey, peaches, white flowers, and even lychees might make one think that a dry Zibbibo had some sugar, but the aromas fool your senses.

A glass of dry Zibbibo is a perfect aperitif.   It’s not a serious wine, but it’s a wine that many adore just by itself….or perhaps with a little something like Sicily’s wonderful almonds while watching the sunset.   Donnafugata’s Lighea is a great example of a terrific Zibbibo aperitivo, as is Rallo’s Quasar.

                                              A Sicilian antipasti buffet awaits

Insolia

Insolia is a white grape variety grown in both Tuscany and Sicily.   Until recently, Insolia was used primarily on Sicily in making Marsala.  It is known for its nutty flavors and citrus profile.   Modern Sicilian winemakers, however, are rethinking Insolia.   The grape is now being blended with others such as Chardonnay and the results are stunning. Cusumano’s Angimbe is my favorite of the new renditions, and for <$20, it’s a real warm weather charmer.

Have a magnifico summer!

http://www.wineknowstravel.com/sicily-itinerary/

The Tasting of a Lifetime

                                               20 wines with an average age of 60 years each!

I’ve been a member of several serious, professional-level wine groups for >35 years.  Over the decades, I’ve attended some “Holy Grail” tastings, including a fabulous one at the American Embassy in Paris, another rock-star event in London with the International Society of Wine Educators, and finally a “Cult Cabernet” tasting in San Francisco (the average price per bottle was $700, the highest $1,600….and that was >10 years).  But, recently I had the privilege to organize a tasting in the Madeira Islands that just may top all of the others.

Wine-Knows took a group to Madeira last month.  I knew it was going to be a serious tasting when a 7 page portfolio solely for tasting notes was placed at each table setting.   Quickly leafing through the papers I simply couldn’t believe my eyes.  Surely there had been a mistake.  How was it possible that such a tasting could even be assembled?

I must applaud Oliveiras Wine Company for putting together this totally mind-boggling array of 20 wines, the oldest of which was the 1900 vintage (yes, 117 years old!).  The wines were divided into 4 segments:  dry, medium-dry, medium-sweet, and sweet.  

For those who don’t know Madeira, let me say a few words.  Madeira is in no way comparable to a table wine.   Madeira’s oxidative process and long aging can result in a rainbow of colors that range from brilliant terracotta to deep mahogany.  Madeira also offers a symphony of flavors including carmelized fruits, honey, a variety of nuts, coffee-toffee profiles, candied citrus, and even cigar box and leather nuances.  These are serious wines for a serious wine lover.

In short, we tasted 20 wines---five of which were over 100 years old and ten of the wines were over 50 years in age.  Most everyone was surprised at how well they liked the sweeter Madeiras----which didn’t appear sweet due their great balance with the wine’s acidity.  From my point of view, the stars of the show were the following (listed in order of age):

• 1932 Verdelho             
• 1908 Boal
• 1907 Malvazia
• 1900 Moscatel

Kudos to Oliveiras Wine Company and to Mr Oliveiras who personally received our group of Wine-Knows for this tasting of a lifetime.  Bravo!