Four Wines from Sicily with Dishes to Match

For the most part Michele and I like to match our meals with wine inspired by the same region as the food. Sometimes however we try dishes which are not traditional with the wine.

Sicily DOC Grillo 2022 Stemmari made from 100% Grillo. A varietal native to Sicily,  Grillo is the most famous white varietal on the island and was historically used for production of Marsala. The zone of production is Acate, in the province of Ragusa. This variety prefers typically sandy terrain that is sloped and gets a lot of sunlight. The type of farming is espalier, used with an average density of planting of 4500 plants per 2.5 acres. Grillo is an an average-to-late varietal with maturity reached about the second week in September. The collection of the grapes, pressing and destemming totally avoids the contact of the wine and must with oxygen during the stages of production, a method of vinification called “reduction.” The natural settling and fermentation take place at a controlled temperature for several days. Maturation on the lees is for a few months in steel tanks. The wine has hints of mango, papaya, jasmine. white flowers, a note of citrus and a touch of tropical fruit well balanced with a good acidity. $17

We had it with a roasted red snapper with raisins and pine nuts.  The delicate fruit flavors

The next three wines are based on Sicily’s Nero d’Avola grape variety. Nero d’Avola is the most important red wine grape grown in Sicily and its most important indigenous variety. The grape is named for the town of Avila in southern Sicily. The Nero d’Avola varietal is traditionally grown in the borough of Avola, a town located in the province of Siracusa, with evidence dating back to the 15th Century. In particular, this region is characterized by a mild climate in winte, partly due to the Monti Iblei, mountains shielding the area from north and north-west winds. Today the grape is cultivated  in every wine growing region of Sicily despite the diverse terrain of the Island.

Naturalmente BIO Nero d’Avola DOC 2021 Caruso & Minini made from 100% Nero D’Avola. The grapes are carefully selected and picked by hand. Maceration and fermentation of the destemmed grapes takes place in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks for 15 to 20 days. 50% of the wine is aged in 225 liter barrels for 2 months and 50% in stainless steel. The wine is then placed in bottle for 2 months before release. The wine has hints of black fruit, plum, black cherry. a touch of chocolate, and a note of spice. $18

The winery is located on Sicily’s west coast near the town of Marsala. There are 120 hectares of vineyards at 200 to 400 meters.  The area, which was under water millions of years ago, is characterized by its alluvial soil, rich in water and organic substances. Most notable are the large stones called “cuti” in local dialect. The softball-sized cuti not only impart a distinct minerality to the grapes grown in them, but also soak up heat from the sun, which they transfer to the vines, allowing for an earlier ripening of the grapes thus making harvest possible at a stage which will allow for higher acidity in the wines.

We had it with a classic roast chicken and vegetables. Thanks to Susan Westmorland

Sicily DOC Riserva “Hedonis” Stemmari made from 100% Nero d’Avola. They cultivate their own vineyards along the  Southern coast of Sicily, on the two estates of Sambuca di Sicilia (AG) and Acate (RG). The production area is Sambuca di Sicilia in the province of Agrigento. The soil is mostly clay, the training system is espalier and an average of 4,500 plants per 2.5 acres. The exposure is east. The rich soils, warm climate with cooler nights from the elevated growing area in Sambuca di Sicilia allow for perfect maturation of the grapes that are harvested in mid-September. A partial selection of the grapes undergoes fermentation and maceration for several days with repeated pumping of must over the grapes dregs to extract the color and tannins, which give structure to the wine. After going through a full malolactic fermentation, the wine from this selection is aged in French American oak barrels for several months. Simultaneously, a second selection of grapes is allowed to hang longer on the vine in order to impart an additional level of fruit complexity and darker flavors. After its alcoholic fermentation and maceration, the wine is kept in stainless steel for several months. At the end of both aging periods, they make an assemblage with 50% of the wine aged in barrels and 50% of the wine made from a non-oaked aromatic blend of extra hang time grapes, creating a distinctive, rich and elegant wine.  This is a complex and elegant wine with hints of dried red fruit red currents, strawberry, spice, a touch of almond, a hint of vanilla and a trace of tobacco. $56

We had it with a grilled duck breast salad with oranges, hazelnuts and lettuce.

Appassimento “Nero Oro” Nero d’ Avola Appassimento Sicily DOC 2022 made from a carefully selected blend of fresh and dried Nero d’Avola grapes. Caruso & Minini

Appassimento: In mid September the selection of the best Nero d’Avola grapes are picked by hand. The grapes are dried using two distinct methods depending on the area the grapes come from. Both methods have been used in Sicily for centuries.  For the most gentle and natural appassimento, the grapes are left on the vine for longer then usual through the dehydration on the vines. An alternative method is to let the grapes dry on racks for 15 days. These grapes are dried until they have lost 10 to 15% of their original weight. The vinification process is very gentle. Destemming is followed by a particular soft pressing. There is frequent pumping over in the early part of fermentation after which malolactic fermentation takes place. This is a very intense wine with flavors of cherries, blackberries, blueberries a touch of dry prunes and a note of licorice. $12

We had it with some of my favorite cookies that Michele always keeps on hand.  Double chocolate hazelnut biscotti and ciambelline al vino flavored with anise seed.