Vini Siciliani: The New “New World” Wines from Italy’s Island of Sicily

By Anthony Giglio

ne of the many ironies of Sicily, I most exciting wine regions in Italy, but in much of the wine- making world today. discovered, while tasting my way “Many producers there see themselves competing with New World wines, as opposed to traditional Italian wines,” he says. “In one sense, the history of quality wine production in across this gigantic, weather-beaten Sicily is very recent.” O Sicily is emerging from a half-century of co-op winery island last year, is that while its wine history dominance. Since the time of the Romans, Sicily has been the granary for the mainland, and of course its incredible capaci- spans three millennia, the lush, fruity, mouth- ty for mass-production has been exploited for wine as well. In the 1950s and ’60s, when the Italian government set up coop- erative wineries all over the peninsula as a means of support- watering wines that we are only just beginning ing a flagging agricultural economy, Sicily was naturally well- positioned to become the country’s top producer of wine, most to taste in the U.S. are entirely new. of it cheap bulk wine. The co-op culture was so pervasive on Sicily that its com- mercial wine scene was defined by two estates: the Corvo- Duca di Salaparuta property in Casteldaccia, and the Conte It could be said that Sicilian wine is reborn. Tasca d’Almerita estate in Vallelunga, better known as Regaleali. “If you asked for a dry Sicilian white in the Seventies and Eighties,” says Lynch, “you’d either get a glass of Corvo’s ‘Columba Platino’ or Regaleali’s basic ‘Bianco’,” How is this possible? After all, Sicilia, as it is known in both of which are simple, pleasant whites based on local Italian (pronounced see-CHILL-ya), was the viticultural grapes. Red choices, Lynch says, were likely to be scarce as jewel in the crowns of both the Greek and Roman empires well: “Duca Enrico” from Corvo-Duca di Salaparuta or “Rosso two thousand years ago. Sadly, successive invaders, including del Conte” from Regaleali. “Both of these wines showcased the twentieth century Italian government, allowed this mag- Sicily’s top native red, Nero d’Avola, to great effect,” he adds. nificent island to squander its potential for making quality “But other than these two brands there wasn’t much, at least wine. But over the last decade, Sicily’s revival has been so not in our market.” swift it’s actually dizzying to follow. But almost suddenly, all of this has changed. The shrink- But before we get to the revolution, we need to go back ing of the bulk wine market in the eighties and nineties about 50 years—a veritable blip on the timeline—to under- sparked private investment in vineyards and wineries. stand why most wine professionals only think of Marsala— “Sicily’s transformation is driven by the conversion from a and The Godfather—when they think of Sicily. Few wine pro- cooperative culture to a ‘brand culture’,” says Lynch. A good fessionals I know have a better handle on Sicily than David example is Cusumano (imported by VinDivino), he says, Lynch, the wine director at Babbo restaurant in New York, naming a large co-op near Alcamo. “These guys saw an oppor- and co-author with Joseph Bastianich of Vino Italiano. To tunity to identify certain growers and give them exclusive research Vino, Lynch took a yearlong sabbatical to traverse the contracts to produce less fruit at higher quality. Then they set entire Italian peninsula; he thinks Sicily is not only one of the this wine apart as a brand.” Lynch says there are many exam- “When I sell Nero d’Avola, I sell it as resembling Australian Shiraz in style,” — David Lynch, wine director, Babbo restaurant, NYC.

ples of this happening in Sicily. “Many of these seemingly Giuseppe, and Antonino Melia of Alcamo. The Melias were new wineries,” says Lynch, “are operated by people whose longtime grape growers for the local co-op, who converted a families either grew grapes for or worked at the local co-op.” family garage into a boutique winery. Then there’s Messina- Sicily’s incredible winemaking climate and relatively based architect Salvatore Geraci, who launched his Palari- cheap and available land has attracted many big winemaking brand wines, sourced from a patchwork of old family vine- names to the island in recent years. Chief among them include yards in the Faro DOC, in 1996. The Morgante family, whose the Veneto’s Zonin group, which purchased the 240-acre winery is located just outside Grotte, in the southern Principe di Butera estate in 1997, and the Hardy’s wine con- province of Agrigento, has a similar story, with brothers glomerate of Australia, which is involved in a highly successful Carmelo and Giovanni persuading their father, Don joint venture with Sicily’s Calatrasi. Famed Tuscan wine con- Antonio, to overhaul their winery by hiring Riccardo sultant Giacomo Tachis is among the many “flying winemak- Cotarella as a consulting winemaker. ers” making top-shelf wine on the island (Riccardo Cotarella is “And there’s so much more still going on,” says Lynch, another), and in coming years you’ll be seeing a number of who draws a parallel between Sicily and southern Tuscany’s other high-profile names attached to Sicilian projects. Maremma region, saying that Sicily, like the Maremma, is Early pioneers from within Sicily included the Lena fam- one of the hottest new frontiers in Italian winemaking. ily of Castelbuono, a village near Cefalu in the northeastern part of the island, who restored the Twelfth-century Abbazia SICILY BY THE GRAPES Sant’Anastasia in Castelbuono and introduced a line of most- ly red wines in 1987. The Planeta estate, created from family vineyards that once supplied the Settesoli co-op, debuted its WHITES: About 60 percent of all grapes planted on the first wines in 1995 and almost immediately became one of the island are Catarratto, a white-wine grape found only on most acclaimed properties in Italy. Sicily, according to Lynch, and it is the second-most planted Lynch also cites the mid-Nineties debut of Ceuso, whose grape in all of Italy. “When done right, Catarrato has this “Vigna Custera,” is a powerful red blend created by Vincenzo, plush, spicy character that reminds me of Viognier,” says SICILY ON THE LIST David Lynch, wine director at Babbo, says that Sicily can com- pete in all price tiers. “Traditionally, 20, even 10 years ago, Italy non-native grapes of course are adding to the didn’t compete in the under $10 and under $20 category in this “International” style of Sicilian wines that is gaining more country. But because of Sicily’s transformation you now get an and more ground every day. At Donnafugata, Inzolia is the incredible range. Sicily is so well positioned to make the leap into foundation of their whites, but it is blended with Cataratto the fighting varietal range.” Indeed, Lynch believes Sicily repre- to make their delicious “Anthilia,” and with Muller- sents a great opportunity to turn people on to Italian wines. If they like ripe, California-style, New World wines, they will love Thurgau and Sauvignon Blanc to make their wonderful Sicilian wines. And there are plenty in the $30 range on good “Lighea.” And Planeta’s “Alastro” and “La Segreta” whites wine lists. “And Sicily has capacity to deliver quality and quanti- blend Grecanico with Chardonnay. Chardonnay—not sur- ty,” says Lynch. “You can get good wine and a lot of it. That mat- prisingly—is the grape of the moment in Sicily, where in the ters when writing a wine list—a wine director can deliver great intense heat of the southern Mediterranean, “It ripens into value by the glass, and lots of it.” a veritable tropical fruit bomb,” says Lynch, citing Planeta’s Below is a recent “Sicilia” page from the wine list at Babbo, many styles, as well as Donnafugata’s “La Fuga” and Valle which Lynch says illustrates Sicily’s appeal at every price level. dell’Acate’s oak-fermented Inzolia-Chardonnay blend called “Bidis.” (Prices listed are those that appear on the restaurant’s wine list.)

SICILIA REDS: Though the majority of grapes grown in Sicily are Cerasuolo di Vittoria COS 2000 $30 white, the real interest, says Lynch, should be in Sicily’s reds, (BLEND: Nero d’Avola/Frappato) particularly those made with the Nero d’Avola grape, whether bottled on its own, or in blends with Merlot, Cerasuolo di Vittoria Valle dell’Acate 1999 $34 Cabernet Sauvignon, and especially Syrah, to which it is (BLEND: Nero d’Avola/Frappato) often compared. “When I sell Nero d’Avola, I sell it as resembling Faro Palari 1999 $89 Australian Shiraz in style,” says Lynch, “first, because it’s (BLEND: Nerello Mascalese / Nerello Cappuccio / Tignolino / true, and second, because it resonates with people. It has all Acitana) the right ingredients: ripe fruit and soft tannins.” While Nero d’Avola is considered king of Sicilian red grapes, there Nero d’Avola “Chiaramonte” Firriato 2000 $30 are also excellent wines being made with the spicy Nerello Nero d’Avola “Don Antonio” Morgante 2000 $50 Mascalese used best in the Etna DOC wines of producers such as Cottanera and Val Cerasa and Faro DOC blends of Rosso del Soprano Palari 1999 (1.5L) $120 Palari and the popular rosato of Regaleali; as well as the tart, strawberry-scented Frappato grape, which is combined with Sicilia Rosso “Vigna Custera” Ceuso 1999 $68 Nero d’Avola in the Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOC wines of (BLEND: Nero d’Avola, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot) southeastern Sicily (Vall dell’Acate and COS are two great producers here). Sicilia Rosso “Camelot” Firriato 2000 $60 According to Lynch, Nero d’Avola reds fall into three (BLEND: Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot) main categories: those that are 100 percent Nero d’Avola, such as the varietal bottlings of the Morgante estate, Sicilia Rosso “Santa Cecilia” Planeta 2000 $70 Donnafugata’s “Mille e Una Notte,” Regaleali’s “Rosso del Conte,’ Corvo’s “Duca Enrico,” and “Santa Cecilia” from Sicilia Rosso “Montenero” Sant’Anastasia 1998 $62 Planeta; those that combine Nero d’Avola with Cabernet, (BLEND: Nero d’Avola / Merlot / Syrah) Merlot, and/or Syrah, such as Ceuso’s “Vigna Custera,” Abbazia Sant’ Anastasia’s “Passomaggio” (Nero/Merlot), Cusumano’s “Benuara” (Nero/Syrah), and Regaleali’s “Camastra” (Nero/Merlot); and those of Cerasuolo di Lynch, although he adds that few producers make a varietal Vittoria, perhaps the only historic DOC zone in Sicily with Cataratto (both Inzolia and Cataratto are, of course, two of an untarnished reputation for quality reds. the whites used to make Marsala, which is why they’re in such quantity). In fact, though Catarrato is the base of a number of DOC whites, it is typically used for blending. SWEET WINES: Prior to the red-wine revolution of the Great examples, however, include those from the Alcamo nineties, Sicily was known principally for its sweet and forti- DOC, including Rapitala (imported by Frederick Wildman fied wines. There are basically three types to know: Marsala, & Sons), Spadafora (imported by Domaine Select), and which ranges from nutty/dry to caramel sweet; Passito di Pollara; and those from the Etna zone, where Catarratto is Pantelleria, which is often compared to golden raisins in a blended with another variety unique to Sicily, Carricante. bottle; and Malvasia delle Lipari, which tastes like mouthwa- From Etna, look for crisp, aromatic wines of Benanti, Murgo, tering, overripe apricots. Look for Marco DeBartoli’s “Vecchio and Barone Villagrande. Samperi” Marsala or Passito di Pantelleria “Bukkuram” for The best Sicilian whites are usually made outside of perfect examples; and Donnafugata’s “Ben Ryé” Passito di DOC parameters, such as the crisp, mineraly Columba Pantelleria is simply exquisite. Platino from Corvo, which combines 80 percent Inzolia with 20 percent Grecanico; and Regaleali’s fruity, aromatic Anthony Giglio is an award-winning food and wine writer who con- “Bianco” is a mix of Inzolia, Catarratto, and Grecanico. And tributes regularly to Wine & Spirits and Boston Magazine.