My friends and I kickstarted the day by doing some market shopping. Knowing that we'd be tasting Sicilian wines, we decided to seek Italian libations. We left with proscuitto, parmegiano regiano, mozerella, tomatoes and anjou pears (our deviation from the Italian fares). Deborah welcomed us with some olives, crackers and two more italian cheeses that lacked neither cream nor truffles. Qu'est-ce que c'est divin!
The wines we tried were also, in a word, incantevole, (the Italian word for delightful...I had to look that one up). We started with Ariana Occhipinti's Tami, the wine she describes as being the one that all of her friends can afford. Deborah had recently spent time in Sicily, however, this bottle was one that she had found in the US, which is really neat, because not only is it 'natural', it is also less that 20$. It's an incredibly well-balanced wine with a fresh acidity with a very pleasant fruitiness, which paired well with all of the food that I just described. Take a look at the shot of the bottle and buy some for yourself. It's worth it!
Next, we tasted some of Alberto Graci's Nerello, a grape varietal that I'd never tried, but that is indigenous to this part of Italy and is a staple to the viticultural identity of Etna. Again, the wine was quite good. It had a stronger, more astringent pepper flavor that worked well with the cheeses, but was altogether stronger and more assertive. I was more inclined to reach a second time for Occhipinti's Tami.
I soon will be in Sicily and hope to meet the iconic dog that graces Graci's wines with it's lovable canine presence (you can see him featured on the bottle below).
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