One of the most exciting whites I’ve tasted from Sicily in ages, this is a finely judged, organically farmed cuvée of the local grapes, Catarratto and Grillo. Fermented on skins for a couple of days – which gives the wine extra weight and backbone – before ageing in large barrels called botti in Italian, it’s a rich, tangy, nutty delight, with loads of racy acidity, citrus, nectarine and pink grapefruit flavours and a waft of juniper and wild thyme.
White Varietal: Grillo
2023 Vito Mameli Grillo, Sicily
( £8.99, 12.5%, Majestic )Co-operatives don’t come much bigger than the Cantina Europa in western Sicily, but this wine proves that, assuming the winemaking is up to snuff, size can work to your advantage, giving you access to grapes grown by 2,000 members, This is fresh, spicy and savoury with notes of sea breeze and wild flowers on the nose and a palate of citrus, quinine and fresh herbs.
2020 Stemmari Grillo, Sicily
( £6.74, 13%, Waitrose )I thought this seafood friendly Sicilian white was really good value at £8.99, but it’s even better on offer at £6.74. Picked at night to retain acidity and sourced from vineyards at 400 metres in the foothills of Mount Aurelian, it’s suitably tangy and refreshing with no wood to interrupt the precision or vibrancy of the fruit flavours. Salty and briney, with a stony undertone, wild herb and citrus intensity and a refreshing, tapering finish.
Etna: wines from the volcano
by Simon Woolf
As far as wine regions go, Mount Etna could be described as a wine geek’s wet dream. Volcanic soil, obscure indigenous grape varieties, high altitudes and pre-phylloxera vineyards are just...
2011 Giuliemi Quantico Etna Bianco, Etna, Sicily
( N/A, 13%, N/A UK (Available from the winery) )Made in tiny quantities (only 1,500 bottles a year) by Giuliemi, from organically grown fruit. This is a blend of Etna’s indigenous Carricante, plus a splash of Grillo, which seems to add richness, and bring a rather unctuous texture to the party. Intense lime and grapefruit aromas, spicy, honeyed character and great minerality. What makes this all the more amazing is that no sulphur was added. Stunning, if atypical. When is someone going to import this to the UK?