|
Join The WineKnitter in exploring the world of Wine, Spirits, Food, Travel and much more! |
|
As mentioned in my previous post, I traversed Sicily from west to east and back again touring vineyards and meeting with winemakers. Logically, I should begin this story with the first winery that I visited on the western side of Sicily. However, I’m going to begin “our tour” with Feudo Montoni, located in the middle of Sicily, high up on a mountain, surrounded by wheat fields and vineyards in a commune called Cammarata in the Province of Agrigento. Feudo Montoni was my last stop on the wine tour before heading for Catania. And for me it summed up all the passion, love and pride of the Sicilian winemakers that I had met so far.  As we made our way up a long, narrow and twisty road towards Feudo Montoni, more meadows of wheat fields, sheep and goats emerged.  View from the top of Feudo Montoni Fabio Sireci is owner, winemaker and third generation of Feudo Montoni. His grandfather Rosario purchased Feudo Montoni in the late 1800s, having observed and appreciated the land, its biodiversity and the ancient vines of Nero d’Avola, Perricone and Cataratto. I’d also like to mention that Feudo Montoni is one of Sicily’s most historical producers of Nero d’Avola and is the highest vineyard in Sicily for Nero d’Avola. The estate dates back to the 16th century where at that time the prized “Vrucara” single-vineyard was first planted. Fabio’s father, Elio planted new vineyards and modernized the cellar in the late 1960s. Today, 600 years later, the wines are made in the same cellars and on the same land. The baglio (a typical Sicilian interior court square) was built in 1469 and is an impressive and beautiful structure. Fabio, like his grandfather and father before him, continues “acting as guardian of the ancient plants and their grapes.” Fabio is involved in every process, from the vineyard to the cellar. Feudo Montoni philosophy is as follows:  We arrived to a warm welcome from Fabio and Melissa Muller. Melissa recently published a book called “Sicily: The Cookbook: Recipes Rooted in Traditions”. This book is a seven-year endeavor delving into Sicilian gastronomy sprinkled with narratives and beautiful photographs. Wine and food…a perfect union! As we stood outside overlooking the vineyards and wheat fields, Fabio gave us a wonderful verbal tour of Feudo Montoni’s history, philosophy, harvesting and winemaking techniques. He pointed out the 90 year old bush vines in one of his vineyards and explained how ancient vines are propagated from their vineyards using traditional techniques of propagation or grafting. All wines are certified organic.  Fabio Sireci  We were invited into their home for a fabulous feast prepared by Melissa and a tasting of seven wines produced by Fabio. The slide show below will give you a glimpse into a beautiful afternoon spent at Feudo Montoni. I have also included a short video of Fabio and Melissa talking about Nero d’Avola Vrucara and Lagnusa. All the wines were memorable, with my favorites being: 2013 Vrucara, intense aromas, full-bodied, dark cherries, juicy and elegant. 2015 Perricone Smooth with plum and spice. Earthy and full. 2016 Catarrato Delicately aromatic with floral and citrus, hints of mint. Fruit fresh with good balance and acidity. We took a quick tour of the cellars and bottling area. As we said our good-byes with an autographed cookbook in hand and the taste of sweet Passito still lingering on my palate, Fabio’s parting words said it all “the heart and soul transfers to the grapes and wine”.  Melissa and Fabio Thank you, Fabio and Melissa for an inspiring afternoon!
Cheers! Penina To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at wineknittercomments@gmail.com Sicily has an impressive history of over 2500 years of winemaking. As I mentioned in my last post, its unique environment of mineral-rich soils and Mediterranean climate are conducive to growing grapes. Although many of the grapes grown here have been imported from regions throughout Europe, Sicily boasts a large number of indigenous grape varieties as well.   So, before we begin our mini tour of Sicilian vineyards, let’s get acquainted with just a few of their indigenous grapes. My descriptions are generalized and wines will vary from region to region, from limestone-rich terrain to clay and deeps soils, and in some instances several variations on a single grape will be produced in a winery.  Red Grapes Nero d’Avola (Calabrese) is considered the number one Sicilian red and has been enjoyed since the end of the 17th century. It is one of the oldest indigenous grapes of Sicily and the most widely planted red variety. Nero d’Avola fills approximately 18% of vineyards. Nose: cherries, strawberries and spices Palate: Rich with red fruit, mild tannins, sweet spices, licorice  Perricone is mostly grown in a concentrated area of western Sicily and once upon a time was considered the “undisputed” leader of red grapes in western Sicily. Winemakers like to use it as a blending grape. However, 100% Perricone is a treat. Nose: Very aromatic, dark fruit, spice and herbs Palate: Raspberry, marzipan, spice, earthy, chocolate with mild to medium tannins. Reminiscent of Syrah.  Frappato is believed to have its origins in the Ragusa province of Sicily around 300 years ago. It is characterized as a light and refreshing wine. Nose: full bouquet, cherry Palate: mild tannins violet, strawberries Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio are highly regarded grapes that primarily grow on the volcanic slopes of Mount Etna in some of the highest vineyards in Europe. The grapes are considered “cousins” and tend to be used together in blending, but they also drink well on their own. Nerello Mascalese is ripe with fruit flavors, herbs and cinnamon. Nerello Cappuccio is softer with more cherry flavors and spice on the palate.
 White Grapes Grillo, one of Sicily’s best known grapes, is found throughout western Sicily and is noted for its citrus flavors, sweetness and mild acidity. Due to the grape’s high sugar levels, it is ideal for the production of fortified wines. Historically, Grillo was used in the production of Marsala wine. However, Catarratto has taken the lead. And now due to the innovation of new winemakers, Grillo has a wide range of styles, from crisp and savory, to structured and mature. It is interesting to note that in 1848 Grillo became a hybrid of Zbibbo and Catarratto.  Catarratto is considered the primary white grape of Sicily with more area planted than any other grapevine and makes up 60% of the total grape vineyard area, with most of it on the western side of the island. As noted above, is used in the making of Marsala wine. Nose: floral, citrus, melon that segues onto the palate.  Inzolia is grown primarily in western Sicily and is the island’s fourth most widely planted grapevine. It is usually used in blends to make drier wines. And it is also used to make Marsala. Nose: aromatic, citrus, almonds Palate: tropical fruit and almonds, herbs, fresh and lively  Zibibbo grape is also the name of the sweet wine that is obtained from the grape and is grown on Pantelleria Island as well as in Mazara del Vallo and the nature reserve “Gorghi Tondi. I will go into further detail about Zibibbo, production and tastings later on. The typical Zibibbo wine is very aromatic with apricot, floral and almond lingering on the finish. This is just a small sampling of indigenous grapes from Sicily. The list could go on forever, but I need to stop here and rev up the tour bus because we are starting our adventure in Catania at the foot of Mount Etna on the easternmost side of the island. We will then slowly make our way back to the westernmost side of the island, visiting winemakers along the way and eventually we’ll fly over to Pantelleria Island. So hop on board, buckle up and let’s go! Catania is an ancient port city that sits at the foot of Mount Etna. After traveling across Sicily, visiting five wineries and absorbing the incredible biodiversity of the land, I came here as Assovini Sicilia’s guest to participate in Sicilia En Primeur. It was a whirlwind of activity and also an incredible introduction and education into Sicily’s culture and gastronomy! The two-day event gave me the opportunity to taste the 2016 vintages from forty-nine major wine producers of the region, attend Master Classes and blind tastings. A gala wine party, complete with amazing food and music was held for the journalists and wine producers at Palazzo Biscari, a magnificent private palace built in the 1700s. Slide show below. It was a pleasure speaking with the producers and winemakers. Each had a story to tell. But the common theme was their love for Sicily, respect for the environment and their passion and dedication in making great wine while maintaining the tradition and character of the land. Sicily is becoming more dedicated to organic and biodynamic agriculture and using sustainable practices.
A new generation of winemakers are making their mark by embracing the old while developing new ideas, techniques and blends that transcend into reds that are elegant, fresh and lively and whites that are focused, crisp and leap out of the glass! We’ll begin a tour of the vineyards next time! Cheers! Penina To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at wineknittercomments@gmail.com Through the gracious invitation of Assovini Sicilia, I and over one hundred other journalists from all over the world traveled to Sicily last week to partake in the fourteenth addition of the annual Sicilia En Primeur 17. We had the opportunity to taste the wines of the 2016 vintage and attend Masterclasses in the beautiful setting of Radicepura, a multifunctional park between Etna and the Ionian Sea.  In addition to the two-day event, I spent several days prior to that as Assovini’s guest in an organized and impressive tour of the island and five wineries. Assovini Sicilia was founded in 1998 with the objective of giving voice to wine producers, promoting the region, ethics, sustainability and making a more pronounced impression in the marketplace. Part of their statement is “Assovini Sicilia: expression of the wineries in Sicily”. There are presently seventy-six members of Assovini Sicilia of which forty-nine major wine producers participated in Sicilia EP17. Francesco Ferreri, president of Assovini Sicilia said at the conference “The safeguarding of the environment and the care and attention given to the territory have always been fundamental themes for viticulture and, in particular, for the producers grouped together in the Assovini Sicilia association, united in the putting into practice, day after day, of working methods aimed at the safeguarding of the environment. “ Sicily is the largest Mediterranean island surrounded by the Ionian, Tyrrhenian and the Mediterranean seas. It is an island rich in culture and history. Human activity dates back to around 12,000 BC. Original inhabitants were Sicani and then the Elymians. Today, there are roughly five million people living in Sicily, making it the fourth most populated region in Italy. Sicily is considered a melting pot of ethnicities that include North Africa, Middle East, Greeks, Romans and Spaniards to name a few.  I had the opportunity to see an amazing array of landscapes from the westernmost part of the island to the easternmost part of the island as I made my way from Palermo to Mazara del Vallo to Menfi, then Cammarata to Catania and then all the way back towards Palermo and Marsala again. The diversity of the land and soil, the proximity to the ocean and of course the wind, all play a big part in the growth of the grapes and flavor of the wine. Volcanic eruptions over the years and the surrounding seas have contributed to mineral rich and fertile soil. In addition to Sicily being the third largest wine producer in Italy, they grow olive trees, wheat, citrons, capers, figs, lemons, oranges and pistachios. See slide show below. My focus today is an overview of Sicily. Over the next few weeks, I will go into detail about the wines I tasted at Sicilia EP 17, the wineries I visited and how location, geography and climate play a role in the vineyards. The same grape can have many different expressions, depending on where it is grown on the island. I will also focus on Sicily’s indigenous grapes and cuisine. My first day in Sicily, our little group of seven visited an historical site, the Temple of Segesta, set high on a hill outside of Palermo. This Doric Temple is quite impressive with 36 Doric columns, built by the Elymians between 430 and 420 BC. They never completed building it, as there is no roof. It is thought that there might have been an attack on the settlement of Segesta. However, the temple is still standing and it is quite amazing.   Further up, on a nearby hill called Monte Barbaro is a semicircular theater that was built at the same time as the temple. It sits 400m above sea level and the theatre can seat 4000. It is used during the summer months as a venue for concerts and Greek plays. I must admit it was quite a hike to reach both places, but well worth it! The views are stunning! One of the photos shows how far down the temple is from the theater. And so begins my love affair with Sicily! I have so much to tell you. A visit to a few wineries is our next stop in my series on Sicily.  Cheers!
Penina To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at wineknittercomments@gmail.com |
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed