Sicily's Native Grape Varieties Emerge by ED Mccarthy
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TASTINGCORNER Sicily's Native Grape Varieties Emerge BY ED McCARTHY few decades ago, the only Sicily 101 interesting wines in Sicily Generally speaking, Sicilian wine were its dessert varieties, producers make three types of table The Noto-based winery where Planeta's the most famous of which wines: those made from international Santa Cecilia Nero d'Avola is made Awas fortified Marsala. Dessert wine varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, enthusiasts also appreciated the Chardonnay, Merlot and Syrah; wines peachy-tasting Moscato Passito made from indigenous Sicilian (or plus local cuisine’s emphasis on fish and from the small volcanic island of other indigenous Italian) varieties; and seafood are major factors favoring white Pantelleria and the captivating Malvasia wines blended from both international wine consumption. delle Lipari (from the Lipari islands and native varieties. I invariably prefer But more producers have begun north of Sicily), with its haunting Sicilian wines made from indigenous to focus on red wines in the last two herbal, floral aromas and flavors of dried decades. Frankly, for me, Sicily’s red apricots and figs. wines are generally better than its whites, However, Sicily didn’t offer many notwithstanding that two of my favorite red or white table wines of quality then. RED WINES MAKE UP Italian white wines do come from Sicily. Sure, they produced quite a large amount ALMOST TWO-THIRDS of decent wines such as Corvo Red and OF WINE PRODUCTION Seeing White Corvo White, inexpensive, blended The three biggest-production indig- wines that you could find in many Ital- THROUGHOUT THE enous white wines in Sicily are Catar- ian restaurants in the U.S. And Regal- REST OF ITALY, BUT ratto, Grillo and Inzolia (also known eali, a well-established family winery in IN SICILY WHITE WINE as Ansonica). Grillo and Inzolia, the mountainous central Sicily, also made varietal wines you see most commonly (and continues to make) decent dry red, EXCEEDS RED WINE in the U.S., have the virtues of being white, and rosé wines that were gener- PRODUCTION BY dry and inexpensive, but I’ve never ally available in the States. tasted one and remarked, “Gee, that’s Sicily, the largest island in the Med- NEARLY THREE TO ONE great!” Grecanico, a white variety that iterranean—where Greek settlers were has been grown in Sicily for centuries, making wine 4,000 years ago—was pri- has primarily been used for blending, marily a supplier of bulk and inexpen- varieties because they are far more but lately it is being made as a varietal sive wines to Italy and other parts of the interesting. When I have asked Sicilian wine on its own, and I believe that it world until about two decades ago. Just wine producers why they bother making might become one of the next success- 20 years ago co-ops were making 90% of international varietal wines—and ful Sicilian whites. Grecanico wines are Sicily’s wines. Even today, almost 75% many still do, although the number aromatic, with lively acidity. of Sicily’s average annual 100-million- is decreasing—I always got the same The Mt. Etna region in northeast case wine production is made by huge answer: “Consumers are more familiar Sicily is the island’s coolest and fastest- cooperatives. The general improvement with them than indigenous varietals, and developing region. Mt. Etna’s volcanic in Italian viticulture and winemaking, they have a better chance of selling.” soil and cool climate make it the which began in the 1980s, reached Sici- Red wines make up almost two- one region in Sicily with the greatest ly by 1990, and with it came a number of thirds of wine production throughout potential for producing outstanding small producers who were interested in the rest of Italy, but in Sicily white wine wines, both red and white. The white taking advantage of the island’s wonder- exceeds red wine production by nearly variety, Carricante, indigenous to Mt. ful Mediterranean climate and terrain three to one. I was surprised by this Etna, thrives in this terroir. Etna Bianco, (about 85 % of Sicily is mountainous or statistic at first, until I spent some time made mainly from Carricante, is the hilly) to make fine table wines. there. The generally warm, dry climate main dry white of the region. TASTINGCORNER One outstanding white made from dell’ Acate all make excellent Cerasuolo Carricante is Benanti’s Etna Bianco “Pi- SICILY di Vittoria wines. Valle dell’ Acate also etramarina.” The wine has floral, citrus SICILY WINE REGIONS specializes in making Frappato as a WINE REGIONS aromas, lively, zesty lemony flavors with varietal wine. lots of minerality, and ages extremely I believe that the next great Sicil- well. Its taste literally sings on the pal- ian red variety, however, will be Ner- ate. Benanti’s Pietramarina is made from LIPARI ello Mascalese. Italian wine lovers know 100% Carricante, from grapes grown Messina about this variety, because it is already 3,000 feet up on Mt. Etna’s slopes. Palermo FARO making some of Sicily’s finest red wines. Cottanera, another top Mt. Etna Nerello Mascalese, native to the Mt. MARSALA MT. ETNA winery, was founded by the Cambria Catania Etna/Catania region, has been growing family in the 1960s. Cottanera makes Agrigento on Mt. Etna’s slopes, in some cases on a dazzling array of red and white wines MOSCATO DI NOTO 100-year-old vines, but was forgotten from indigenous varieties, harvested Avola about until recently. Wines made from PANTELLERIA from the black lava soils of Mt. Etna. Nerello Mascalese are earthy, spicy and At this point, the word is out on tannic with bracing acidity. Nerello the Mt. Etna region. Just about every Mascalese wines have been compared important Sicilian winery has been to red Burgundy for their aromas and buying property there during this past Heading for Red elegance but they also have the tannic decade. For example, Planeta, one of Sicily’s leading red indigenous grape structure of Barolos. Not a bad combi- Sicily’s top wineries, has planted both variety is Nero d’Avola. The tiny nation. Because they are relatively un- Carricante and Riesling on its property town of Avola in southeast Italy is the known, these wines are still quite inex- in Mt. Etna. Planeta has six wineries apparent birthplace of Sicily’s most pensive. You can find Nerello Mascalese spread throughout Sicily; the charming important red variety. Interestingly, as the principal variety in Etna Rosso Francesca Planeta, sales and marketing until the 1980s, Nero d’Avola was used wines, where it is blended with a close manager, is a frequent visitor to the U.S. mainly in blends to bulk up other Italian relative, Nerello Capuccio, another Cousin Alessio Planeta supervises the red wines. But with advances in wine indigenous Mt. Etna variety. Excellent winemaking. Planeta makes Cometa, technology, Nero d’Avola has come into Etna Rosso producers include Benanti, the other Sicilian white wine that has its own. Two Nero d’Avola wines that Tenuta delle Terre Nere, and Cottanera. impressed me. It is 100 % Fiano, a variety I’ve always enjoyed are Planeta’s Santa Benanti and Cottanera also make very better known in Campania as Fiano di Cecilia and Morgante’s; Morgante good varietal Nerello Mascalese wines. Avellino. Fiano is indigenous to southern currently produces two Nero d’Avolas, In the extreme northeast corner of Italy; it has been grown in Campania for a fresh 2007 and a barrique-aged 2005, Sicily, north of Mt. Etna, around the city 2,000 years, and that region claims it as “Don Antonio.” of Messina, one of Italy’s smallest wine its own, but many Sicilians think Fiano Frappato di Vittoria, another native regions, Faro, has managed to avoid is a Sicilian variety. The 2007 Cometa is red variety that originated in southeast extinction. Small amounts of Faro wine, aromatic, crisp, and delicious; and I hear Sicily, is being used as a varietal wine based on Nerello Mascalese and other that the 2008 Cometa, coming soon, is much more in the last decade, and with indigenous varieties, are made, mainly even better. good reason. Frappato wines are light, dry, by one winery, Palari. The Palari Faro, and refreshing, with aromas reminiscent more silky and elegant than most Etna Alessio, Francesca and Santi Planeta of cherries. They have low tannin, with Rosso wines, is one of Italy’s great red lively acidity, and are wonderful warm- wines, in my opinion. It is really super- weather red wines. Because Frappato is smooth on the palate, with soft tannins light-bodied, it is often blended with and great balance. Nero d’Avola (usually about 60% Nero I am excited about the transforma- d’Avola; 40% Frappato) in a wine called tion of Sicilian wines, from a bulk wine Cerasuolo di Vittoria, a highly successful producer just two decades ago to its blend that combines the best qualities of current status as the source of some of both varieties. Planeta, COS and Valle Italy’s finest wines.n .