The Lure Of The Land

Join me on a road trip to visit four unique wineries along the southeastern stretch of Sicily.  It is an expanse of land filled with beautiful landscapes, historic sites, ancient ruins, and distinctive terroir that lured these wineries here. And, of course, there is lots of wine and mouthwatering local cuisine to taste!

Planeta Buonivini Winery Photo credit: Penny Weiss

My last article about Sicily covered Vittoria DOCG, the final stop on my southeastern wine tour.  http://thewineknitter.com/the-journal/a-taste-of-vittoria   Today, we will go back to the beginning of the tour with Catania as our starting point.  The sea to the east and the mountains to the west were a constant companion as we traversed the terrain, making our way south.

​On our way to Siracusa, we stopped for a seaside lunch at Stravento Ristorante Sul Mare in the hamlet of Brucoli in Augusta by the Ionian Sea.

View from the restaurant Photo credit: Penny Weiss

Here is a sampling of the local cuisine we enjoyed. (All slideshow photo credits: Penny Weiss)

Having sated our palates, we continued on our journey south to explore a few wineries.

Peter Vinding-Diers Montecarubbo Winery
Montecarrubo is a small 5-hectare estate situated on the remains of an inactive volcano that exploded approximately two million years ago. It is near the town of Melilli, with breathtaking views overlooking the Ionian Sea and the bay of Augusta, between Catania and Siracusa.

Montecarrubo Winery

Peter and Susie Vinding-Diers came to Sicily seeking unusual and serious terroir to plant vineyards.  Peter’s extensive experience as a winemaker has taken him to places such as South Africa, Bordeaux, Brazil, Spain, Chile, and Hungry, always leaving his mark as a talented winemaker and innovator. And now, he and his wife are in Sicily making Syrah!  Yes, I said Syrah.  Peter said, “I tried making Nero d’Avola, but it doesn’t interest me. I’m here to make Syrah. The mutations of Syrah here are endless, and I wanted something more precise.”

After finding the perfect setting, the winery was established in 2005. At the time of purchase, the land was just grass, stone, and old lava pieces.  Once Peter began bulldozing the land, he discovered  a “beautiful profile of perfect soils with different layers and a top layer of coral reef.”  He described it as light sand with fragments of coral reef to the west with deep loamy granulated black subsoil full of oxygen.  And to the east, facing the Ionian Sea, it is a former seabed with fossilized sand. “You could call this a paleolithic vineyard.” ​

Peter Vinding-Diers Photo credit: Penny Weiss

Susie Vinding-Diers Photo credit: Penny Weiss

They planted two vineyards of Syrah in 2010.  His wines from these vineyards have been rated among the best examples of Syrah in Italy. Montecarrubo is certified organic. Fermentations are spontaneous with natural yeasts, and the wine is aged in tonneaux with no filtrations.

In addition to grape vines, Montecarrubo is also home to 1,300 mature Nocellara Etnea and Nocellara del Belice olive trees.  These indigenous varieties, farmed organically, produce excellent organic extra virgin olive oil each autumn.

The olive trees are beyond the vineyard. Photo credit: Penny Weiss

Our visit included a vertical tasting of Vignolo IGT Terre Siciliane 100% Syrah from 2012 through 2021, showing its ability to display fruitiness, depth, and elegance through all the vintages. Dark berries, minerality, soft tannins, and spice were ever present, with the 2017 vintage beginning to show more tertiary flavors.  The wines are made in limited quantities and are available in several markets worldwide.  So if you can find a bottle, you are in for a treat!

Photo credit: Penny Weiss

Photo credit: Penny Weiss

Planeta “Buonivini” Winery
Planeta was founded in 1985, but its family history of agriculture and winemaking in Sicily spans five centuries and seventeen generations.  As seen on the map below, Planeta has six wine estates in five regions spread east to west in Sicily.  The first vines were planted at Ulmo in 1985, and by 2015 they established their 6th winery, La Baronia at Capo Milazzo.

Today my focus is on their Buonivini Winery in Noto.

Photo credit: Penny Weiss

Planeta founded this estate in 1998. Patricia Toth, responsible for production and enologist at the Etna estate, said, “We moved to Buonivini to make what is the most elegant expression for us of Nero d’Avola and Moscato.”

Patricia Toth Photo credit: Penny Weiss

Buonivini has 45 hectares and three vineyards that produce DOC Santa Cecilia (100% Nero d’Avola), Controdanza, DOC (Nero d’Avola and Merlot blend), Allemanda Sicilia Noto DOC (100% Moscato Bianco, Moscato di Noto and Passsito di Noto that is made in a sweet and dry version.  They also have a small area for Merlot and maintain four varieties of almond trees on seven hectares.  The winery is “invisible” and underground.  As Calogero Riportella, the estate’s enologist and agronomist said, “The cellar, which was built underground in 2003, preserves the landscape. The cellar also keeps the wines naturally cooler. He added, “We practice biodiversity and sustainability.”

Calogero Riportella Photo credit: Penny Weiss

Calogero explained that this is the driest and hottest part of Sicily. The Mediterranean and Ionian sea come together and create a light breeze, which is very important for the vineyards. In addition, the soil has a great capacity for water retention, which is essential due to minimal rainfall of two to three times a year. With very white limey soils, it is the ideal terroir for Nero d’Avola and Moscato Bianco. Patricia said, “This is one of the most exciting areas for me, for the soil is comparable to Champagne.”

All slideshow photo credits, Penny Weiss, except where noted.

Patricia led us through a wine tasting of Buonivini wines, including wines from their other estates, accompanied by a delicious dinner.

Santa Cecilia Noto, DOC is their top-of-the-line wine featuring 100% Nero d’Avola. Beautiful and complex. Floral notes with dark juicy fruit, spice, balsamic, and nice acidity.

Controdanza Noto DOC is 85% Nero d’Avola and 15% Merlot grown in white soils.  Dark berries, earthy, baking spice, cherry, and vibrant acidity.

Allemanda Sicilia Noto DOC is 100% Moscato Bianco. It is a dry, crisp, and deliciously aromatic wine with jasmine, citrus, and notes of minerality and the sea.

Passito di Noto Sicilia Noto DOC is 100% Moscato Bianco.  An explosion of flavor with this “antique” wine.  Floral, citrus fruit, apricot, honey, dried fruit, and tropical notes all come together in this complex and elegant wine.

​All slideshow photo credits Penny Weiss

Planeta wines can be found in the USA and abroad.

Feudo Maccari
Antonio Moretti Cuseri, owner of Tenuta Sette Ponti in Tuscany, visited the Val di Noto in the late 1990s and fell in love with the area.  He was smitten by Sicily’s famous Baroque style and the sea’s warm waters. He was so taken that he began a new project and created one of the most exciting viticulture businesses in the area. He has put together 250 hectares of property along the cliffs and beaches of this southernmost area of land in Noto, purchasing pieces of land from various owners, little by little. Maccari is the center of it all; it is here that the vineyards overlook the natural oasis of Vendicari (a nature reserve.)

Antonio Moretti Cuseri has focused on native grape varieties like Nero d’Avola, Grillo, and Moscato di Noto, as well as international grapes like Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon, bringing a fruity elegance and rich minerality to each wine. The first bottle produced at the estate was a 2000 Nero d’Avola.

The proximity to the sea and the limestone-rich soil make this area perfect for quality winemaking, giving the grapes unique characteristics. The vineyards overlook the Ionian Sea and the natural oasis of Vendìcari and benefit from constant ventilation, which keeps the grape bunches healthy, so they are never stressed from the excessive heat. Only organic farming is practiced; they head-train all their vines to protect the grapes from the hot sun.   The wood for aging is eclectic.  Barriques are from France, and tonne and chestnut barrels are from Tuscany.

The only white grape they work with is Grillo, and there are several interesting interpretations, such as Volé Mosso Bianco, fermented in small stainless steel vats that are temperature controlled and then left to slowly re-ferment at low temperatures. It is bottled with a slight residue of natural carbon dioxide and aged in bottle for three months. Family And Friends Grillo goes through temperature-controlled fermentation and maceration, partly in egg-shaped concrete tanks and partly in small oak barrels for about 20 days and then aged partly in egg-shaped concrete tanks and partly in small oak barrels for at least six months and another in bottle for six months. They are exciting wines to drink!

As you can see from the photos below, we tasted a lot of wine.  Feudo Maccari’s red wines are impressive, from Neré, a light and fresh Nero d’Avola aged in stainless steel to, Saia, a Nero d’Avola aged in small oak barrels for 12-14 months that is round and elegant.  In addition, they produce noteworthy Syrahs such as Mahâris with rich fruit and minerality.   After the tasting, my palate was singing!
Slideshow photos credit: Penny Weiss

Tenute Zisola
The Mazzei family is no stranger to fine winemaking; their wine history dates back to the 11th century. For the past 24 generations, the Mazzei family has been producing wines at Castello di Fonterutoli in the heart of the Chianti Classico zone.  I had the pleasure of tasting these wines last year with Giovanni Mazzei, who represents the 25th generation.   

Tenute Zisola Photo courtesy of Zisola.

​The Mazzei family made their debut in Sicily in 2003 when they established Tenute Zisola. It is a “stone’s throw” from Noto, where they own 52 hectares of land that surrounds three traditional farmhouses called bagli. 
Slideshow photo credits: Penny Weiss

In addition to 22 hectares of grape vines, they cultivate olives, citrus fruits, and almonds. They are in the process of converting to organic production, which should be completed and certified by 2023. Dario Pennino, the export manager, said, “We specialize in viticulture.  When the grape harvest is done, we tend to the orchards. What is important is the connection with terroir.”

Nero d’Avola is the principal grape grown here, but they also produce small quantities of Syrah, Petit Verdot, Grillo, and Catarratto.  Like many other wineries in the southeast, the sea breezes from the nearby coast keep the vineyards cool from severe heat. The soils are calcareous, medium textured, and rich in gravel which contribute to minerality, freshness, and elegance in the wines. They have a small but efficient winery with vinification in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats and approximately 350 oak barrels in which the wines are aged.

​We sampled wine while gazing out over a stunning vista.  It was a small hike to get there, but well worth it. Francesco Loi, a 24-year-old enologist who guided us through the tasting, told me he began making wine at 14. The 2021 harvest is his first one with Zisola.
​Slideshow photo credits: Penny Weiss

Zisola produces five wines, four reds, and one white.  Their objective in making wine is to “approach it with sensitivity and respect.” One of our hosts said, “It takes time to make good wine. We don’t make coca cola.” ​

Azisa Sicillia DOC 2021 is 100% Grillo.  It is aromatic, dry, and fresh, with floral, citrus, white stone fruit, and pleasant minerality.

Doppiozeta Noto Rosso DOC 2017  This is Zisola’s hallmark wine made with 100% Nero d’Avola from three unique plots.  It was aged in new/used tonne for 16 months. Lush red fruit, cherry, spice, and a hint of mint with nice length with a 20+ year aging potential

Zisola Sicilia Noto Rosso DOC 2019  100% Nero d’Avola aged in barrels for ten months.  Cherry, red berries, herbal notes with acidity coming through. It is light and fresh.

Achilles Syrah Sicilia DOC 2017 This 100% Syrah is aged 15 to 16 months in small French oak barrels.  Dark cherry, earthy, smokey notes, and a nice balance of acidity and tannins.

Effe Emme Tere Siciliane IGT 2016 is 100% Petit Verdot and is aged for 16 months in small french oak barrels. An intense wine that is very earthy with dark fruit, cherry, blackberry, spice, and a hint of dark chocolate.

We continued to taste wine while enjoying a delicious lunch that Zisola prepared.
Slideshow photo credits: Penny Weiss

The wines I tasted on my tour of the southeast paired beautifully with all the local cuisine and specialty dishes. These versatile and expressive wines reflect the terroir, dedication, and love of this unique area of Sicily.  They are a treat for the palate and soul. And I understand now the lure that beckons wine producers to come here.  

​I always say, “There is nothing better than pouring a part of Sicily into a wine glass.” Of course, I highly recommend taking a first-hand tour of this magical island!

Until next time,

Cheers!
Penina

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