Category: Sicily

Day 640 Sicily In A Glass

4/17/2018

The other day I wore a sundress and sandals and was ecstatic! Today, I’m all bundled up again in winter clothes and it’s pouring outside. The weather is truly maniacal and I’m craving sunshine. So, I decided to take myself to the warm and inviting climate of Sicily. Albeit it was through a glass of wine, but it did the trick!

Cusumano Winery is located in the town of Partinico, about 19 miles from Palermo on the western side of Sicily.

The Cusumano family has been growing grapes for about sixty years. They started out as grape producers, selling to regions around Italy. In 1993, they shifted gears and under the direction of Francesco Cusumano, they began focusing on the production of wine. Their first vintage was released in 2000. Francesco’s sons, Alberto and Diego, work alongside their father helping to create unusual and lively wines. Alberto, with his background in enology, oversees the production of wine. Diego has a background in business and marketing and takes care of the marketing and sales. Winemaker Mario Ronco does the consulting for the winery. The brothers built a new winery at Partinico, in 2006.

Alberto and Diego Cusumano Photo courtesy of Cusumano

Cusumano owns 519 hectares of vineyards scattered throughout Sicily, maintaining seven vineyards in all. The San Giacomo vineyards are located in the center of Sicily in Butera, in the province of Caltanissetta. The vineyard consists of 140 hectares of rich, white and calcareous soils and this is where the Nero d’Avola grapes are grown. The average age of the vines is 15 years.

Cusumano Nero d’Avola 2015 is 100% Nero d’Avola. The color is deep ruby bordering on purple. Seductive aromas of ripe berries, plum, cherry and spice segue onto the palate. The wine is fruit forward with lush dark fruit, plum, dark cherry, spices and heat on the finish. This is a lively wine with smooth tannins, is medium-bodied and will pair well with pasta, meat and seared tuna.
Alcohol: 14%
SRP: $13.99

Instead of a cork, the wine has a glass stopper meant to keep the wine fresh and it is reusable. Personally speaking, I prefer a vacuum pump and stopper on the rare occasion when there is wine left in the bottle!

I’m looking forward to trying more wines from Cusumano Winery. And of course, returning to Sicily through a glass of wine is always fun!

Until next time!

Cheers!
Penina

To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at wineknittercomments@gmail.com

Day 628 Wine For All Seasons

2/17/2018

Being that February is a short month with only 28 days, time is definitely flying by! In just a few short weeks spring will be here and for some, the slow process of emerging from winter cocoons will begin with thoughts of shifting to outdoor grilling, drinking lighter wines and preparing herb and vegetable gardens.

Although the weather has been warm and quite balmy the last few days, making spring seem more attainable, winter is far from over. I have been snapped out of my reverie today as I prepare for yet another snowstorm! And bam…back to reality!

No matter what the weather, I recently tasted some delicious wines that will please the palate in any season. Wines of Sicily DOC recently sent me a few bottles of wine. And you know how much I love Sicilian wine! To quote Wines of Sicily, “The mission of Sicilia DOC is to unite passionate winemakers throughout the region and together raise awareness of Sicilian wines around the world.” To learn more, please visit http://winesofsicily.com

Let’s start with the Feudo Principi di Butera 2016 Insolia. The Insolia grape is also referred to as Inzolia and Ansonica. It is Sicily’s fourth most widely planted grape and grown primarily in western Sicily.

The 2016 Insolia is 100% Insolia. The grapes are harvested from the districts of Butera and Riesi. The color of the wine is soft yellow with seductive aromas of tropical fruit, citrus and a tease of floral. This is a lively and medium-bodied wine that offers a juicy palate of pear, stone fruit and citrus. Hints of lemon zest, herbs and almonds round out the finish. This is a great wine to serve as an aperitif or with cheese, fruit and light pastas.
Alcohol: 13%
Price range: $16

Feudo Principi di Butera’s 320-hectare estate is owned by the Zonin family. It is located in the province of Caltanissetta and extends into the ancient lands of Feudo Deliella. To quote Gianni Zonin, “I am proud that our Sicilian estate is a bastion of quality and the rural way of life, an oasis of the traditions which we want to defend”. http://www.feudobutera.it

Nero d’Avola is one of the oldest indigenous grapes of Sicily. It is considered the most important Sicilian red and the most widely planted red variety on the island.

The Villa Pozzi 2016 Nero d’Avola DOC is made with 100% Nero d’Avola grapes. The color is deep ruby with aromas of black raspberry, cherry, red plum and spice. This is a full-bodied wine with intense flavors of dark berries, sour cherry, fennel and hints of cocoa and sour cherry lingering on the finish. The wine is fruit forward with soft tannins and is beautifully balanced. Serve with meats, stews and lighter fare as well!
Alcohol: 13%
Price range: $10

Villa Pozzi vineyards are located in the hills surrounding Marsala, Salemi and Mazzara del Vallo in northwestern Sicily. Daniele Pozzi, owner and the family’s fourth generation winemaker says, “When you open a bottle of Villa Pozzi, our hope is to transport you to a cozy Italian villa nestled in a small Sicilian town far away from the busy everyday. It’s a leisurely escape from the world outside and a journey of taste that makes any day feel special.” https://www.villapozziwines.com

As I continue to make my way around the vineyards of Sicily, the quality and passion that goes into winemaking is evident in every glass of wine I taste. I’m looking forward to more “tastes of the vine from Sicily”.

Cheers!
Penina

To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at wineknittercomments@gmail.com

Day 624 "Just Because"

1/26/2018

One doesn’t need a special occasion to open a bottle of wine in my home. There are no hard and fast rules for those “special” bottles to only be opened when celebrating something momentous. In fact, my only reason for saving a special bottle of wine these days is because I just can’t bring myself to open it! I love the anticipation of drinking the wine, but once the bottle is empty, there’s no going back! But little by little, I’ve been opening some gems such as 1969 and 1989 Petrus, 1961 Chateau Haut Brion and 1983 Far Niente Cabernet. Let me be clear that a “special” bottle of wine as far as I’m concerned doesn’t always mean that it is an old or rare vintage. It might convey sentimentality, be a particular grape or blend or country of origin that makes it special to me.

And so, I finally opened a wine last evening that I considered special. I’ve been hovering over this particular bottle since I received it several months ago. The occasion for opening this wine you might ask? “Just because” is my answer.

Mille e una Notte is the flagship red wine of Donnafugata which is located in South-western Sicily. Giacomo and Gabriella Rallo, the founders of Donnafugata, wanted to create an iconic Sicilian red. With the help of Giacomo Tachis, enologist and “father of Super Tuscan wines”, they succeeded in fulfilling their dream. The first vintage of Mille e una Notte made its debut in 1995.

The 2012 vintage of Mille e una Notte is an artistic blend of Nero d’Avola, Petit Verdot, Syrah and a small amount of other grapes. The grapes are hand harvested from Donnafugata’s Contessa Entellina Estate and other areas close by. The best grapes of the year are carefully selected and used for production. The wine spends 14 months in new French oak barriques and 36 months in the bottle.

I decanted the wine for about one hour prior to drinking so that the flavors could gracefully emerge. This is a very expressive wine with seductive aromas of dark berries, plum, sweet spice, cocoa and vanilla. The palate is layered with dark fruit, prune, blueberry, pepper and hints of oak, cocoa and herbs. The wine is rich with silky tannins and is a perfect blend of flavors that complement each other. The finish is long and the wine is elegant! It paired beautifully with seared scallops and pasta with roasted cherry tomatoes, asparagus and mushrooms.

This wine has the aging potential of 20 years, but I am too impatient to wait that long!
Alcohol: 14%
SRP $80

As with every Donnafugata label, there is a story. To quote from their website:

“The palace shown on the label is the one where Queen Maria Carolina took refuge fleeing from Naples and was the favorite house of the writer Tomasi di Lampedusa in Santa Margherita Belice. Gabriella Anca Rallo –founder of Donnafugata, with her husband Giacomo- captures the image and embeds it into the sky from “Arabian Nights”, full of stars and full of promise. The strong and passionate character of this wine has inspired maître chocolatier Ernst Knam in his creation of the “Mille e una Notte with chili” pralines.”

To learn more about Donnafugata and Sicily, please use the menu on the right to explore more stories.

Cheers!
Penina

To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at wineknittercomments@gmail.com

Day 615 A Taste of Pantelleria

12/11/2017

The moment had arrived. I closed my eyes and inhaled the perfume emanating from my glass and I was instantly carried off to the magical island of Pantelleria.

Last spring I had the opportunity to visit with Donnafugata in Sicily. During my stay with them, we flew to Pantelleria Island for an amazing day of touring the Donnafugata vineyards where Zibibbo grapes are grown.

Although the Zibibbo vines barely had buds yet, it was an impressive tour that stretched throughout the whole island and covered many districts. You can read all about it at: Day 575 Donnafugata A 360 Degree Tour http://thewineknitter.com/1/post/2017/05/day-575-donnafugata-a-360-degree-tour.html

The “pour” in my glass that had me swooning was a Ben Ryé 2015 Passito de Pantelleria DOC, a naturally sweet wine made with 100% Zibibbo grapes.

Since it was our first snowfall, I thought it would be fun to open this delicious dessert wine, inviting in a touch of the Mediterranean.

The color is an intense amber with stimulating aromas of apricots, figs, raisins, floral and honey. All the aromas segue onto the palate offering a beautifully balanced wine with mineral notes and a hint of herbs. The combination of gentle sweetness and savory is perfection! This wine drinks beautifully as an aperitif or pair with cheese and dessert!
Alcohol: 14.5%
SRP: $40 for a 375ml bottle

If you’re running out of gift ideas, think no further! This is a fabulous wine to add to your holiday list!

Cheers!
Penina

To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at wineknittercomments@gmail.com

Day 612 Thanksgiving

11/26/2017

If you celebrated Thanksgiving, I hope that it was wonderful. My table was graced with family, friends, too much food and some lovely wines.

These were the most popular wines of the evening.

The 2013 Laetitia Estate Pinot Noir is from the Arroyo Grande Valley, Central Coast, CA. Laetitia Vineyard & Winery is located in Southern San Luis Obispo County and is comprised of over 600 acres of vines. The first grape plantings were established in 1982 by French viticulturists from Epernay, France. In 1998, Selim Zilkha, owner of a wind power development company, bought the Laetitia property. With the expertise of Head Winemaker Eric Hickey and Vice President of Vineyard Operations, Lino Bozzano, they produce high quality wines with an emphasis on sustainability. Although the estate is widely known for their Méthode Champenoise sparkling wines, the Pinot Noir is an attention getter.

The Laetitia Estate Pinot Noir is impressive. The color is cherry red with delicious aromas of raspberry, cherry, floral and spice. The palate is layered with soft fruit, cherry, pomegranate, spice, cocoa and hints of oak. It paired well with the turkey and a variety of side dishes. In fact, I enjoyed sipping it with a decadent ganache filled chocolate cake. This wine was truly good to the last drop!
Alcohol: 13.9%
SRP: $25

Hands down, Donnafugata’s 2016 SurSur won the hearts of the white wine drinkers. SurSur is made with 100% Grillo grapes, an ancient indigenous variety from Sicily. These grapes were harvested from Donnafugata’s Contessa Entellina Estate Vineyard located in the Southwestern part of Sicily. I have tasted and reviewed the 2014 and 2015 SurSur vintages. By clicking “Donnafugata” on the menu found on the right side of this page, you will find many stories, history and wine reviews for Donnafugata.

The 2016 SurSur is pale yellow with playful aromas of citrus, pineapple, floral and tropical fruit. The palate offers a nice balance between citrus and light stone fruit and moderate acidity with a nice dose of minerality. This is a bright and refreshing wine with just the right amount of dryness on the finish that made it compatible to our Thanksgiving feast!
Alcohol: 12.5%
SRP: $20

Both wines are available in the USA and abroad.

Until next time…

Cheers!
Penina

To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at wineknittercomments@gmail.com

Day 608

11/5/2017

The other evening I had a craving for pasta along with the desire to be back in Sicily.

To satisfy my appetite, I made delicious spicy butternut squash pasta.

However, flying to Sicily was not negotiable. So I did the next best thing and opened a bottle of Sicilian wine!

The pour was a 2015 Fondo Antico Nero d’Avola. I have reviewed several varieties of wine from Fondo Antico which was established in 1995 and is owned by the Polizzotti-Scuderi family, now in its sixth generation of winemaking.

Indigenous to Sicily, Nero d’Avola is the most important and widely planted red grape in Sicily. It is known for its high tannins, medium acidity and robust character. However, when grown at higher elevations with cooler temperatures, the result generally leads to a smoother wine. Fondo Antico grows Nero d’Avola 200 meters above sea level on fresh soil containing limestone and sand. The wine is refined in stainless steel tanks and then bottled. The result is a fresh and juicy wine.

The color of the wine is dark ruby with aromas of fresh cherries, berries and spice. The palate offers red cherry, fresh red fruit, plum, spice and hints of chocolate and pepper on a lively finish. This is a full-bodied wine with smooth tannins and lots of versatility when it comes to pairing it with food. Needless to say, the wine was a perfect complement to the spicy pasta!

Alcohol: 13.5%
SRP: $12-$15

Now if I could just sneak off to Sicily for a bit!

Cheers!
Penina

To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at wineknittercomments@gmail.com

Day 594 A trip down memory lane with Lighea

9/2/2017

All it took was opening a bottle of wine to transport me back to the enchanting island of Pantelleria that I visited this past April with my gracious host, Donnafugata.

The 2016 Donnafugata Lighea Zibibbo Sicilia is 100% Zibibbo (Muscat of Alexandria) and is produced on the Sicilian island of Pantelleria.

Zibibbo is an aromatic grape originally from Egypt that ancient Arab settlers brought to the island. “Zibibbo” comes from the Arabic word “zabib” which means “raisins”. In addition to the zibibbo wines, Moscato and Passito di Pantelleria are made from this sweet grape.

An ancient Zbibbo vine on Pantelleria Island.

Lighea is a dry version of Zibibbo. Although the aromas would lead one to believe that they are about to drink a sweet wine, you are in for a pleasant surprise. Donnafugata has created a beautiful balance of mildly sweet and dry wine. The color of Lighea is light yellow with exotic aromas of tropical fruit, oranges, stone fruit, honey and hints of white flowers. The palate is layered with apricots, citrus fruit and salty mineral notes. Lemon zest and apricots linger on a very long finish! Yummy!! This wine drinks well as an aperitif or serve it with fish, pasta and appetizers.

Alcohol: 12.38%
SRP $20

As always, there is a story behind Donnafugata labels. “From the disheveled tresses the color of the sun, seawater flowed over the green, wide-open eyes.” Thus Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa describes Lighea, the bewitching siren and principal figure in his novel. She has inspired the creation of a complex and innovative wine and an equally original label. “It was not easy to print this label”, Gabriella (founder of Donnafugata, with her husband Giacomo) recalled, “and preserve the thousand shadings of colors of Pantelleria Island, painted in the original drawing.”

As I inhale the aromas of Pantelleria Island and sip this lovely wine, my thoughts return to a magical day. Pure bliss!

To learn more about Donnafugata and Pantelleria island, please read my story: Day 575 Donnafugata A 360 Degree Tour - The WineKnitter http://thewineknitter.com/1/post/2017/05/day-575-donnafugata-a-360-degree-tour.html

Cheers!
Penina

To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at wineknittercomments@gmail.com

Day 591

8/17/2017

With the dog days of summer upon us, one might not be so inclined to reach for a red wine to drink as an aperitif. Most of us would probably opt for a chilled rosé or white wine. However, I decided to open a red wine to toast a few friends and the onset of evening. My selection was the perfect choice!

Donnafugata’s Sedàra 2015 is a delicious Sicilian red blend made with Nero d’Avola (the primary grape), Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah and a small percentage of other grapes from Sicily. The color is dark crimson with an inviting bouquet of dark berries, cherry, plum and spice. The palate offers layers of dark juicy fruit, pepper and soft tannins. This is a medium bodied wine with the aging potential of 4 to 5 years. Sedàra is an easy wine to drink. And in addition to drinking well as an aperitif, it will pair beautifully with meats, pastas, fish, cheese and fruit.

Alcohol: 13.43%
SRP: $16

Donnafugata produces enticing wines and I am a big fan of their whimsical labels. I'm especially captivated by their stories called “Dialogue with Art”.

This is what Donnafugata say about Sedàra.

“This wine carries in its heart the concreteness and sweetness of Angelica Sedara, the charming Claudia Cardinale, protagonist of the film “The Leopard” directed by Luchino Visconti. The label, which refers to the cellars at Contessa Entellina and the land in which the roots of this wine are deeply planted: in the foreground the green of the vineyard, on a white background, communicates the freshness and pleasantness of this wine and its most recent evolution.”

To read more about Donnafugata wines and the indigenous grapes of Sicily, check out my stories from this past May.

Happy Friday!

Cheers!
Penina

To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at wineknittercomments@gmail.com

Day 589

8/6/2017

For the past few weeks I’ve been slowly making my way through an assortment of wines that Fondo Antico winery sent to me from Sicily.

As I wrote in an earlier post, Fondo Antico winery was established in 1995 and is owned by the Polizzotti-Scuderi family that is now in its sixth generation of winemaking. The estate is located in the village of Rilievo, between Trapani and Marsala, in western Sicily. They have 80 acres of vineyards planted with vines such as Grillo, Nero d’Avola, Catarratto, Perricone and Syrah in addition to olive and lemon trees.

Fondo Antico loosely translated means “ancient background” and refers to the winery’s history and strong tradition of making wine. Their logo is a branch of Corallium rubrum, (red coral) a local species of the Mediterranean that was considered a symbol for averting evil influences or bad luck and was also a source of local livelihoods between the 14th and 15th century. The coral preserves marine biodiversity and Fondo Antico protects the Sicilian native species and its territory, using eco-friendly practices.

Syrah is the only international red variety that Fondo Antico produces. And it is a winner!

The color of the Syrah 2015 wine is a rich dark purple. Holding the wine up to the light, one can see how purple it is. Also note the small amount of rim variation indicating that the wine is young.

The nose offers red fruit, cherry and hints of earth. The palate is layered with red fruit, lush berries, pepper and a touch of strawberry on the finish. This is a medium-bodied wine with medium tannins and will pair nicely with fish or meat.
Alcohol: 14%

I chose to make a simple meal that paired beautifully with the wine. We grilled salmon with fresh basil, oregano and lemon and grilled corn on the cob. My homegrown tomatoes and avocado rounded out the dinner.

It was a beautiful evening to dine outside, but the yellow jackets were not willing to share the space on my deck. And since I’m not fond of these bees, we retreated to indoors with our food and wine!

Have a great day!

Cheers!
Penina

To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at wineknittercomments@gmail.com

Day 582

7/6/2017

The July 4th festivities have come and gone. The weather was beautiful and perfect for swimming, grilling and watching magical sunsets while sipping wine.

One of the wines that we opened was a Fondo Antico 2016 Bello Mio Zibibbo from Sicily. Made with 100% Zibibbo grapes, this delicate wine is the color of pale gold. Characteristic of the grape, the nose offers lush stone fruit and floral with apricot and hints of almond that segues onto the palate. The taste of apricots and almonds linger on a long finish. The wine has low residual sugar, is nicely balanced and has just the right intensity to complement light food and desserts. We drank it as an aperitif.
Alcohol: 12%

If you would like more information regarding Fondo Antico or Zibibbo grapes, please check out some of my stories that were recently posted.

Have a beautiful day!

Cheers!
Penina

To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at wineknittercomments@gmail.com

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