Sicily: a Wine Lover’s "Paradiso"

              Sicilia offers unknown varietals grown in volcanic soil with an abundance of sunshine

Goethe got it right in many ways:  “To see Italy without having seen Sicily, is not to have seen Italy at all.”   That is certainly true of Sicily’s cuisine, but it is just as true of the island’s treasure trove of well-crafted wines.  Sicily’s huge number of indigenous grapes are a wine lover’s dream.  Nowhere else in the world can an oenophile experience this plethora of little known grape varietals all located within one region.  

                     The Ancient Greeks called Sicily "Oenotria," meaning the land of the vine 

One of the biggest show-stoppers in Sicily is its wines made from indigenous grapes.  Sicily has been making wine for more than 3,000 years.  As an important crossroad on the Mediterranean for centuries, the island was visited by everyone including the Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Moors, French & Spaniards.  All brought grapevines with them.  More importantly, it boasts nearly ninety varieties of wine grapes not grown anywhere else on the planet.

     Mt Etna has a tremendous effect on Sicily's weather & grape growing

Adding to the attraction of Sicily’s wines is the unique terroir of the island, much of which is influenced by volcanoes on the island.  “Volcano wines” is a new international buzz word and Sicily is at the epicenter of these new sought after wines.  As most wine lovers know the soil in which grapes are grown is instrumental.  Mineral-rich volcanic soil imparts deep complexities into the wines.  Volcanos also dramatically effect the island’s weather.  All of this translates to lush, fruit-forward complex wines with a hint of minerality.  Simply put, Sicily’s wines are stunning and offer wine lovers exciting new adventures in their glass.

                                            Vineyards on Sicily are never far from the sea

Take a look at three of these only-in-Sicily-wine grapes whose wines have won an array of international awards:

• Carricante is Mt. Etna’s signature white grape which has been growing on the volcano's slopes for >1,000 years.  Its wines offer a full range of citrus flavors, as well as herbal notes such as mint and licorice.

•  Frapatto, a red grape, is low in tannins making it a perfect summer red.  If you like strawberries, you’ll enjoy this wine.

•  Nero d’Avola is the island's hallmark grape.  Often compared to Syrah, Nero is a dark red grape that creates bold dark cherry, plum & spice flavors. 

Fantasy Island?  Treasure Island?  Paradise Island?   For wine aficionados, Sicily is all of these and more. 

 

Sicily: Are Ancient Varieties the Future?

                                Wine-Knows has 2 openings on its October trip this fall to Sicily

This is the first of four articles on Sicily, a region of Italy that has been growing grapes for more than 3,000 years.  As an important crossroad on the Mediterranean for centuries, the island was visited by everyone including the Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, French and Spaniards.  All brought grapevines with them.  Today, Sicily has the largest number of vineyards in all of Italy.  More importantly, it boasts nearly ninety varieties of wine grapes not grown anywhere else on the planet.

Sicily has some of the greatest Greek temples in Europe

Sicily’s huge number of indigenous grapes are a wine lover’s dream.  No where else in the world can an oenophile experience this plethora of little known grape varietals all located in one region.  The last twenty years has seen a renaissance with these native varieties.  Winemakers now are seeing the value of unique grapes, and are actually moving away from the international varietals (Chardonnay, Cabernet) that were so popular in the 1990’s.

Vineyards are never far from the sea in Sicily

Below are four only-in-Sicily wines that are knocking it out of the park with great quality/price and a host of international awards:

Grillo: 

The white Grillo grape is somewhat like a Sicilian combo of Sauv Blanc and Pinot Grigio.   Grillo can make a seductive wine with aromas of white flowers and citrus.  Depending on the soil in which it is grown (most of Sicily’s soil is volcanic), it can deliver herbal (e.g. chamomile) nuances, all the way to spicy or tropical notes.  Grillo is an actual cross between two Sicilian grapes: Catarratto (see below) and Zibbibo (a member of the aromatic Muscat family of grapes).

Don’t miss the following Grillos which are quality wines at bargain prices: Il Fondo Antico’s Grillo Parlante, or Assuli’s Astolfo.

                              Mt Etna has a tremendous effect on Sicily's grape growing

Carricante:

Carricante is a Sicilian native white grape that has been growing on Mt. Etna for over 1,000 years.  Mt Etna not only has the highest vineyards in Italy but it also offers a terroir of intense sunlight and dramatic volcanic soil.  Carricante thrives here.  In fact, it has become the white signature grape of the Etna DOC (all of these whites must be at least 60% Carricante).   

The grape offers a full range of citrus flavors, as well as herbal notes such as mint and licorice.  Check out Etna Bianco by Planeta, as well as Passopisciaro---both are stunning.

Frapatto:

Frapatto is a refreshing and fruity red wine and it's made from an indigenous red grape of the same name.  In the past, it has been blended with other grapes, however, Frapatto is becoming more and more popular on its own.   A light bodied wine with low tannins, it’s a perfect summer red that can even be enjoyed as an aperitif.   If you like strawberries, then you’ll enjoy Frapatto as this fruit flavor is prevalent, along with subtle floral notes.

Recommended producers?   Look for Occhipenti, COS, and Alessandro di Camporeale.

Nero D’Avola:

Nero D’Avola is the King of all Sicilian grapes----whether they are indigenous or not.  This native varietal used to be grown only in the southeast corner of the island, however, it is now grown in all parts of the island.  The wine changes depending on where the grapes were grown.   In the glass, Nero D’Avola is known for its aromatics as well as its red fruit flavors, and its spicy and floral profile.

Top producers of indigenous grape wines include Cusumano, Feudo Maccari and Feudo Montoni.

 

Viva Sicilia!!!

Sicily’s Superstar Winery

                                A winery,  a gourmet restaurant, a boutique hotel...an experience!

Never mind that the winery’s owner is a mega-Euro millionaire industrialist from Milan---he’s of Sicilian heritage, and he’s making some of the best wine on the Mediterranean’s largest island.  In the mid-1990’s, entrepreneur Vito Catania decided to return to his Sicilian roots and follow his passion to make wine.   This wild and crazy visionary purchased 200 acres of prime vineyards and began his innovative work to focus on the area’s little know, indigenous grape varietals…and the rest is history.  Gulfi wines are now some of the most-sought after wines in all of Italy.

Never mind that Gulfi winery has won about every European award, or that Robert Parker has scored them 95.  Last year Gulfi won the “Best Italian Wine Estate of the Year.”  Any connoisseur of Italian wine is now on notice that the new kid on the block, Gulfi, is a force to be reckoned with.  Indeed, Vito Catania is on the move with the same fervor that made him one of Milan’s top businessmen.

Never mind that Signor Catania just recently finished a multi-million-Euro winery.  He also built a drop-dead gorgeous visitor’s center, along with a boutique hotel and a gourmet restaurant.  Not at all uncommon in the Napa Valley, this is the first of its genre in Sicily.  Wine-Knows Travel has taken over the entire hotel for next fall’s tour, and we’ve scheduled a cooking class with the restaurant’s highly acclaimed chef. 

Never mind that Gulfi produces stunning wines.  Surrounded by hundreds of olive trees, the winery also makes beautiful olive oil.  There is also a magnificent garden on site from where most everything served in the dining room originates.  This is definitely a farm-to-table kind of experience.

Never mind that Gulfi is a gourmand and oenophile’s dream-come-true.  Check out the above view from the hotel’s private quarters.  Gulfi offers a little piece of paradiso for those who simply want to relax and take in the essence of Sicily.  

Viva Sicilia!