Italian Surprise

One of the great things about Italian wines is that there's always a new grape experience around the next corner, even when there's not.  The bottle of Donna Fugata Lighea promised Zibibbo grapes from Sicily.  That sounds exotic, but Zibibbo is also known as Muscat of Alexandria.  MOA originated in North Africa and was good enough for Cleopatra, they say, so it's good enough for me.

The grapes for Donna Fugata Lighea 2016 were grown on head-trained bush vines on the island of Sicily, fermented in stainless steel and aged in vats for two months, then three more in the bottle.  The alcohol sits easy at 12.5% abv and the price comes in just under $20.

The label waxes poetic about the "disheveled tresses" of the "bewitching siren" Lighea.  That's how Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa describes the label's focal point. 

This pale golden wine's nose is brimming with orange blossom, like a walk in the garden.  The palate also plays up the orange, but includes sweet lime and lemon in the mix.  The mouthfeel is brisk and racy, with enough acidity to handle anything you'd normally pair with a white.  This wine will be a hit with lots of seafood, like shrimp scampi, oysters and grilled octopus.


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L.A. Restaurant Does Italian Wine Right

I'm disgusted with myself that it took me so long to get to Sotto in Los Angeles.  It's 15, 20 minutes from my home, right down Pico.  No excuses.  I should really get out more, and when I do, I should go back to Sotto.

Italian food from a chef who knows Italian food, with Italian wines to match.  Steve Samson owns the joint, and the food is fantastic.  The pizza crust nearly brought my wife to tears; the pork meatballs did it to me. 

It's the wine I'm here to blather on and on about, though.  Wine Director Jeremy Parzen brings his knowledge of Italian wine to bear on what people are calling one of the most interesting wine lists in L.A.  Parzen, like me, writes about wine.  Unlike me, zillions of people read his blog - DoBianchi.com.  It's one of the more widely read wine sites on the web, and one of the better ones, too.  Parzen is a wine genius, I know because I read him.  He may be an actual genius, too.  I don't know, but it wouldn't surprise me.  Because of his involvement in Sotto, my expectations of the wines were high.

The 2016 Cirelli Trebbiano d'Abruzzo is $12 by the glass at Sotto.  Abruzzo is an Italian region, east of Rome, between the Adriatic Sea and behind the rain shade of the Apennine Mountains.  The Agricola Cirelli farm is organic, downright biodynamic with such attention given to the interaction of animals with the vines. 

My wife says she gets pork drippings and honey on the nose, the pork a memory from her childhood in an Italian household in Pennsylvania.  She also likes the savory, herbal flavors.  I get a nose full of wet rocks, the seashore and a slightly smoky note that seems almost shy.  The palate shows a grand salinity and stone fruit, dry as a bone. 

Denise had a Sicilian wine, probably because we’ve never been let down by one.  This one was the Biondi Etna Bianco Outis, at $18 by the glass.  It's made from the indigenous Carricante grape, in the Etna Bianco region.  The area covers the foothills of the Etna volcano, both north and south sides, and the Biondi grapes grow in the south.  The Carricante is blended with other local white varieties, like Moscadella dell'Etna, Minella, Malvasia and Catarrato.  The wine got about eight months aging in stainless steel.  We both loved the ocean on the nose and the volcanic rock on the palate.


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Sicilian Nero D'Avola Wine

From the hillsides around Marsala comes a wine that makes me think of a California Pinot Noir, only, you know, Italian.  The Villa Pozzi Nero d'Avola is sold under a corporate umbrella - Deutsch Family - but made by a guy with wine for blood.

Wine goes back a ways in Sicily, about 1500 years.  Wine also runs in the Pozzi family.  Owner and winemaker Daniele Pozzi runs it back to his great-grandfather Angelo, and his grandfather Fausto, and his dad Val. 

Nero d'Avola is a grape variety that’s indigenous to Siciliy. It's known as "the king of Sicilian grapes," in fact.  Pozzi hails the 2016 vintage as a great one, with near-perfect growing conditions that produced what he calls his best-ever Nero d'Avola.  The deep color in this wine comes after a full 15 days of contact with the skins.  The rich flavor is all thanks to the Nero d'Avola grapes - the wine is finished in stainless steel, not oak, so the fruit is given full expression.  The wine hits a reasonable 13% abv and, incredibly, sells online for under ten bucks.

This wine is dark in color and smells of black fruit, earth and tar.  There's a tartness on the palate that is more reminiscent of Pinot Noir, but with the weight of Syrah.  Blackberries, plums and pepper are in the forefront, with the tart darkness lingering after the sip.  The tannins are easy-going.


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Sicily's Favorite Grape: Catarratto

White wine should be interesting. There are plenty of them out there, those savory, salty, sometimes fishy white wines that refuse to be ignored. "I will NOT be Pinot Grigio," you can almost hear them scream.

It was a pleasure to discover a new Italian grape - well, it was new to me, but it’s been on Sicily for millennia. The Catarratto grape is native to Sicily, and is reportedly the most widely planted grape there. It goes by many other names, which all seem to involve a place name. Catarratto is parented by the Garganega grape.

I tried the Feudo Montoni Catarratto del Masso at Terroni in Los Angeles. I have mixed feelings about that restaurant. I love the food - and the wine - but they insist on serving their pizza unsliced, as a whole pie. You have to cut it with a knife or rip off a piece. Either way, I always end up with a slice that looks like Florida.

The grapes for the Vigna del Masso - Masso is the name of the cru where they are grown - are raised in iron-rich soil full of sand and rocks. The 55-year-old vines produce grapes which are fermented in cement containers. It checks in with alcohol at 13.5% abv.

I love the nose. A great savory aspect dominates, which my wife says smells like salami. That’s savory enough for me. The  palate leans the same way, with rocks, lime and minerals so strong. A great acidity makes for a wine that’s easy to pair with food. I had mine with the fritatta alla salsiccia. It’s a wine that was seemingly made for eggs and sausage.

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Sicilian Red Wine: Nero D'Avola

The Stemmari winery is located in the western side of Sicily, Italy's island just off the mainland. It's the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. There, indigenous Sicilian grape varieties are grown, like the white Grillo and the red Nero d'Avola.

The farming is sustainable at Stemmari's vineyards, in two sites, Sambuca di Sicilia and Acate. EMAS 2 certified, they achieved the European credential for environmental sustainability and management in 2002. You may recognize a couple of their other brands, Mezzacorona and Rotari.

The Stemmari Nero d’Avola 2015 is a full varietal wine at 13% abv. It reportedly likes the clay earth of Sambuca di Sicilia.  Once used for adding color to wine, Nero d'Avola is as dark as you like, and richly flavored. The wine is aged six months in French oak barriques.

The Stemmari Nero d'Avola is darker than a serious bruise and offers a nose that means just as much business. Black fruit, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, leather, cigars, black olive, mocha - I mean, what do you not smell? It's a downright savory palate, too. Forest floor leaps out with plums and licorice in tow. There is a distinct mineral presence and the tannins work, if they really have to. They aren't going to get up just to make the sip harsh. This rustic wine will fit naturally with pecorino cheese, arancini, eggplant stew or even pasta and sardines. Stemmari recommends a true Sicilian dish, or course, like Spaghetti alla Norma, with eggplant, and smoked ricotta cheese.

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Sicilian Wine: Grillo My Dreams

Sicily’s wines are, in a word, amazing. The grapes that seem placed on earth specifically for use on that island make delightful wines. It’s no wonder that every civilization through time has wanted a piece of Sicily. Sure, it stands guard over the Mediterranean Sea, but they were after the wine, no doubt.

Grillo is a white grape variety that grows primarily in Sicily, although some is said to be in Liguria. There, they call it something else. Of course they do. Why would a grape be called the same thing throughout Italy? Grillo was reportedly planted to replace the vines destroyed by phylloxera in the Marsala region

These particular grapes, in Firriato’s 2014 Altavilla Della Corte Grillo, are grown in the "countryside of Trapani," says their website, on the Borgo Guarini estate residing on the western coast of Sicilia. They heap a lot of praise on the estate, as can only be carried off unflinchingly in an Italian winery’s press blurb: "The wonderful, sun-drenched Guarini estate is a daily reminder of the magical powers of creation possessed by the universe, capable of transforming drops of rain and sweat into a dynamic wine recounting the most captivating tales of an insular terroir." Sign Me Up!

After harvest from the clay-based soil, the vinification process ends with three months of aging in stainless steel, in contact with the spent yeast cells, which are stirred daily. This imparts a fuller, rounder mouthfeel to the wine without sacrificing acidity. It hits 12.5% abv for alcohol content and it looks to sell online for around $15.

The 2014 Altavilla Della Corte Grillo Firriato is loaded with minerality. The lemon-lime and "wet rocks" notes really are appealing. There is also a sense of dried apricot that comes through. On the palate, the acidity is fresh and razor-sharp and the minerals make an even stronger push. I even pick up a note of the sea in there, but that happens every time I drink Sicily. It may be a trick of the vine. Pair this with shrimp scampi, sautéed calamari or escargot for a real treat.

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Sicilian Wine: Mandrarossa Nero D'Avola

Imported by Palm Bay International, they have this to say about Cantine Settesoli, the winery founded in 1959: "Located in the historic town of Menfi, in the southwest corner of this idyllic Mediterranean island, MandraRossa was guided into modern times by the father of contemporary Sicilian wine, Diego Planeta. Diego led the company for 38 years from 1973 to 2011. MandraRossa is part of Sicily’s largest wine producer and co-operative formed by 2,000 members."

Their wine made of 100% Nero d’Avola grapes kicks in at 13.5% abv and 30% of it is aged for six months in barriques with another three months in the bottle before release.

This deep ruby wine smells great. Big, dark plums are the main feature but the supporting players come through quickly  A leathery note leads to fennel, leads to allspice, leads to a box of cigars. The savory aspects of the nose almost make me forget how large the fruit is. Plums and blackberries mark the flavor profile well. It’s a fruit-forward wine that tries to act like it’s not, with shades of coffee, tea and pepper slipping through. Pair it with pecorino cheese, pork or pecans.


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Put Some Sicily On Your Holiday Table

If you are still looking for a nice red wine to place on your holiday table, you should look toward Sicily. The Italian island’s Nero d’Avola grapes are something to cherish, and Morgante has a great one that exceeds expectations.

The Morgante family’s estate is on the western side of Sicily and the vineyard is at a fairly high elevation. Rain from mid-August into September delayed ripening, so extra hang time for the grapes was put to good use. This 100% Nero d’Avola bottling was fermented in steel and saw just a brief maturation period in neutral French oak. Alcohol comes in at 14.5% abv.

Deep in color and fragrant on the nose, the Morgante Sicilia Nero d’Avola 2013 dark, ruby red from Sicily offers a powerful set of aromas: cassis, black olives, cigar box, leather, anise and smoke all come around fairly quickly. This is one of those wines I run across from time to time that smells so good I almost forget to drink it. Almost. The palate is dark and savory. Blackberry and black plum are the most notable fruit flavors, but the Morgante is all about the trimmings. There is a muddy forest floor component and, if you are new to wine, rest assured that it’s a good thing. Minerality comes in abundance and there is a hint of sage there, too, with notes of tea, coffee and root beer finding their way through.

You can pair this with a holiday roast - the tannins are firm enough - or you can go with lamb or goose successfully. Try it with a smelly cheese if you want to really take the experience as far as you can, or a nice sweet cheese to match opposites.

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Poggio Graffetta Nero D'Avola 2012

Over the past 15 years Sicily's reputation as a wine region has made great strides. Indigenous grapes have been revitalized, and the winemakers of Sicily are now crafting sophisticated and vibrant wines.

Poggio Graffetta is located in the a Sicilian town of Ragusa. Wines made from the Nero D'Avola grape is one of many great exports from the Italian island - along with the cannoli, arancini and pecorino cheese. This wine is both drinkable and affordable, with alcohol content at only 13% and the price at just under $14.

The Graffetta Nero D'Avola 2012 is very dark - almost no light gets through when held to a lamp. Aromas of dark fruit and the subtle sense of earth make for an underplayed nose. On the palate, plums and blackberries meet minerals and black olives for a game of "sweet or savory." The match is a draw. The tannins are temperate and the acidity makes the mouth water.

The folks who market Sicilian wine would like to remind you to look for Sicilia DOC on the label to ensure that you get an authentic Sicilian wine experience this holiday season.

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A Winning White From Sicily

In the last 15 years, Sicily has worked hard to revitalize indigenous grapes, and the region's winemakers are crafting sophisticated and vibrant wines. The Caruso and Minini estate was founded in the late 19th century and is still a family-run business. Their varietal Timpune Grillo Sicilia 2013 is a great match for grilling and summer dishes.

This yellow-gold wine comes from Western Sicily and hits a reasonable 13% abv, seling for less than $20 online.

This Sicilian Grillo has a soapy, earthy nose that leaps from the glass, obscuring the mango and apricot fruit aromas. It is uncompromisingly mineral-driven. The palate is also full of the earth from which it comes, with a savory salinity that runs through the white wines of the Italian islands. The wine has great structure, with acidity enough to handle most food pairings that come to mind for a white wine.

 A dish with a big herbal presence is a natural pairing. Stinky cheese, olives, almonds, grilled seafood or sesame Thai noodle come to mind. Pasta with olive oil and cracked pepper or linguine in a cream sauce would be great with this wine.

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FEUDO ARANCIO SYRAH SICILY

Feudo Arancio is a Sicilian winery owned by the large producer Gruppo Mezzacorona.  Their 1,700 acres of vineyards are located on Sicily's southern coast, and the winery specializes in single-variety wines including Grillo and Nero d'Avola, in addition to the Syrah I'll write about here.

I had the Arancio Syrah at the Los Angeles Italian eatery Fabroncini, near Beverly Glen and Mulholland.  It's a favorite place for Denise and I to drop in for some great Italian food and wine.  They sell the Arancio Syrah for $8 by the glass, and it appears to be available for about that price by the bottle in retail.

The waiter did not recommend the wine very highly, but I love Syrah and don't get the chance to experience it in its Italian form very often.  I waved off his admonition and ordered it anyway.  I'm glad I did.

It's very inky in the glass, with a nose that is just as dark.  Herbal notes lace around a tarry aroma with blackberry fruit on display, although it is not so pronounced as one might expect in a California or Australian Syrah.

The flavor of blackberry and black cherry dominate the palate, however, and there's a little tar evident.  Licorice notes join a very nice minerality and the acidity is in top form.  The tannic structure is very soft, possibly not what many Syrah lovers may like.  I find it quite nice, and at less than $10 per bottle retail, it's a great wine to look for when you're in the mood for an easy-drinking, food-friendly Italian.

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CANTINE RUSSO UVE D'ORO NERO D'AVOLA

When we go to Disneyland, my wife and I often make California Adventure our first stop.  If it's time for lunch, we head for Wine Country Trattoria at the Golden Vine Winery.

For the uninitiated, they actually grow grapes right there in the theme park.  It's a real vineyard in the same sense that Disneyland's Frontierland is actually the Old West.  But it does make me think of Napa Valley, which is the intent.

A site called All Ears - guess who's ears - has an interesting tidbit to share:

"Anaheim was actually a grape-growing area with a number of vineyards.  But in the 1880s a virus called "Anaheim Disease" destroyed the grapevines, and the growers eventually turned to citrus instead.  This virus still persists, and the vines at the Golden Vine Winery have to be re-planted as they fall prey to it."

The restaurant features nice Italian food and, of course, wine.  The outside area makes a great place to dine and offers a good view of the World Of Color water and light spectacular in the evening.  They say reservations are a must if you want that vantage point.

The Wine Country Trattoria's wine list has some nice Italian offerings in addition to the expected California pours.  I usually pick a California wine, what with Mickey's smiling face looking down from the ferris wheel in the midway.  This time, I chose an Italian vino.

The wine, Uve D'oro Nero d'Avola, is from Cantine Russo.  The 2005 Sicilian red hails from vineyards in Sambuca di Sicilia and has an alcohol level of 12.5% abv.

The dark purple color suggests some rich flavor, and the nose gives it away with black fruit spiced with anise and clove.  On the palate, the flavor of black tea layers over the dark fruit.  It's a very aromatic wine and it tastes simply and rustically beautiful.

While I enjoyed it with the lasagna I ordered, I found myself wishing I had opted for a Sangiovese instead.  I especially like the way Sangiovese pairs with tomato-based food, but this Nero was certainly serviceable.  My wife liked the pairing more than I did, and I have the utmost respect for her sensibilities in pairing flavors.



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MARINELLA DRY MARSALA

You may know Marsala only as a cooking wine, as in chicken Marsala, but it also makes a fairly decent sipper.

Produced in the Sicilian city of Marsala, D.O.C., this fortified wine has a long history dating back the Roman era.  Marsala is usually labeled by its relative sweetness - secco, semisecco, dolce - and by quality.

Marinella Dry Marsala is labeled as “fine,” which means it received less than a year of aging.  “Fine” is the lowest level on the quality scale for Marsala.  It retails for around $13 and has an alcohol level of 17% abv, the minimum for fine Marsala.  Some higher grades are required to be at least 18%.

The Marinella shows a brownish brick or amber brown color in the glass.  It smells of alcohol at first, but just let the heat burn off for about 15 minutes to a half hour and it’s smooth sailin’.  I
love the aromatic nature.  The nose is rich with dried fruit, raisins and a caramel aspect.  It tastes of dried fruit, too - a little like raisins, but with a helping of dark berries and some apricot sneaking through.  There’s a nice acidity, and an astringency lingers on a little too long for my taste on the finish.  It is quite a lengthy finish, however.

I tried the Marsala at room temperature, but the winemaker recommends a chill - 50 degrees F - for use as an apertif or dessert wine.  It is much better this way.

I have found better dessert wines, although at $13 for a full 750ml bottle, this wine is a good buy.  I would also recommend cooking with it.  Chicken Marsala, anyone?

VASARI SICILIA BIANCO MISTRAL 2008

A recent trip to 55 Degree Wine in Atwater Village allowed me to net a few delightful surprises.  They have a store full of small-production wines from all over the world, with an emphasis on Italian, Spanish and Portuguese wines.

The Vasari Mistral white is a Sicilian IGT wine which utilizes native Sicilian grapes - 40% Cataratto, 40% Inzolia and 20% Grillo.  The Vasari family has grown grapes in the hills of Santa Lucia del Mela, Italy for 1000 years, according to their website.

Catarratto is the most widespread grape variety grown in Sicily.  It’s a native grape, the second most widely planted in Sicily after Sangiovese.  Inzolia typically has fruity and floral aromas.

This white wine has a vibrant gold color, spicy floral aromas and a full-bodied mouthfeel.  It tastes of slightly sour lemon candy - especially on the finish, which seems to last forever.  There is also a rather unusual savory aspect which I find very intriguing.  The alcohol level is a moderate 12.5% abv.

A Couple of Nero d'Avola Wines

I have been drinking quite a few Italian wines lately, not because they are necessarily my preference, but because my wife, Denise, really loves them. Don't get me wrong - I really love me some good ol' Italian varietals. I just prefer exploring the wines of California more than any other area.

I hate to drink alone, however, and if the wife has an Italian wine open, that's okay by me.

It's possible the reason she's so drawn to Italian wines is because it's in her blood. Her family tree has roots in Sicily. And she does seem more drawn to Sicilian wine than the other regions of Italy. Whatever the reason, when we can enjoy a glass of wine together, it's a good thing.

I can compare two wines made from Sicily's most important red wine grape, Nero d'Avola. From the southern town of Avola, this grape was long used primarily as a blending grape. Since the 1980s, though, it has stood very well on its own. The characteristics a Nero d'Avola shows are somewhat akin to those of a new world Syrah, so this would seem to be a nice varietal for a California wine guy like me.

First, a bottle from home, then a restaurant selection.

Ruggero di Tasso Archeo Nero d'Avola 2007 - True to its reputation, I found Syrah-like pepper on the nose and palate with ripe berries in the forefront. A vegetal note also came into play that I found intriguing. The texture is smooth, but the medium mouthfeel left me wanting something a little more substantial. There's a decent amount of acidity and it would probably fare well with a nice pasta dish or some Italian sausage. The finish is not too dramatic. It's serviceable enough, and I think it usually sells for under $10, so expectations shouldn't be too high.

The restaurant selection came at Il Buco on Robertson in Beverly Hills, a favorite of ours. The wine was Cataldo Nero d'Avola 2006. If the Tasso didn't quite satisfy my new world taste, the Cataldo certainly didn't. A big, fruity nose with blackberries, plum and pepper came off as perfumy - even my wife wrinkled her nose a bit. There was a vegetal note on the back end in this wine as well, but it served more as a curiosity than anything else.

The wine had good color, but unfortunately I found the taste not so much "medium" as "thin and watery." It was not my style, although its fruitiness and freshness would no doubt be attractive to some. It was a very lightweight entry.

Neither of these wines held too much interest for me. They were both drinkable - the Tasso more than the Cataldo - but ultimately I like a little more body in a wine.

Tasting Notes: Artisan Cheese Gallery

We were out for a Sunday morning adventure. Well, actually it was a trip to the Studio City Farmers' Market. We don't like difficult adventures.

The trip did turn out to be more than we bargained for, though. We strolled through the fruit stands - unfortunately, most of the fruit wasn't quite sweet and delicious just yet - and saw the various bead salespeople, the countless baby strollers and the gourmet corn tamale stand I can smell and identify without looking. There were a couple of guys singing folk music and another guy playing a steel drum, probably the happiest sounding instrument in all the musical world. Nobody's playing the blues on a steel drum.

Just about to call it a morning, we remembered the Artisan Cheese Gallery, just steps away from the Farmers' Market. It was an adventure after all. We went for the cheese and stayed for the flight of wines.

The aroma of their cheeses is magnificent. It's not overpowering, because all their cheese is put away and refrigerated overnight. It is a very pleasant aroma for a cheese lover to encounter.

Here's a rule of thumb: if there's cheese, there's wine. Artisan Cheese Gallery is no exception. Two walls are covered with racks of wine for sale and there are several displays in the floor space. A chalkboard on the counter shows which three wines are on the $8 flight. The flight is served in 3 stemless glasses on a wooden tray. The glasses have a dark spot on them in which the names of the wines are written, but it's no substitute for getting up and examining the labels yourself. A printed sheet containing information on the wine should be provided with your flight. I hope they'll do that in the future.

The worldly flight took me to Lodi, Sicily and the Medoc region of France. Here are the wines:

Peirano Estate Vineyard "The Other" 2007 - This blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 10% Syrah has plenty of the earthy characteristics Lodi wine usually brings. This is the most distictive nose of the three, and it has a currant and plum flavor profile. Very nice indeed.

Chateau Poitevin 2005 - Described by a staff member as a Bordeaux blend of 55% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot, this Medoc offering was quite dark in the nose and on the palate. The complexity was not surprising. I am always struck by the complex subtlety in wines from Bordeaux and the surrounding areas.

Planeta La Segreta 2007 - This is an interesting blend of the wonderful Italian varietal Nero d'Avola with Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet Franc. The nose was rather difficult for me to ferret out, but plums, raspberries and chocolate were detected by my wife. There may be a bit of coffee in there, too. It tasted like a Sicilian version of Pinot Noir, with plenty of spicy, dark notes.

Artisan Cheese Gallery
12023 Ventura Boulevard
Studio City, CA 91604
818.505.0207