446299 Sun Sep 30 13:17:57 -0700 2007 21 34 Wine 0 2990601 oops, is there a way to erase a double post? Sun Sep 30 13:17:57 -0700 2007 41097 chocolatstiletto 1 2991060 Had a great Sicilian wine last week. the 2005 passopisciaro...very very light red wine. very food friendly. I highly recommend it. Producer has a cult estate in Tuscany called Tenuta di Trinoro, but this Sicilian wine is made from native varietals and is like nothing I have ever had before. Very interesting. Sun Sep 30 17:08:10 -0700 2007 2990601 113663 domaine547 1 2991529 Donnafugata makes several wines of note: two reds -- Tancredi and Mille e Una Notte ("thousand and one nights") -- and a dessert wine redolent of apricots called Ben Rye. Also check out Morgante, who makes what is perhaps the best Nero d'Avola.The most interesting Siciliani wines may be the indigenous grape varieties grown on or near Mount Etna by Benanti. Many praise Planeta's wines, but I find them overripe, almost syrupy, low in acid...and unenjoyable. Then again, with Sicily's hot climate, it's quite easy for grapes to become overripe and low in acid. Sun Sep 30 20:41:29 -0700 2007 2990601 18222 maria lorraine 1 2991581 What kind of wine would you prefer to try? As far as affordable table reds go, I like Kaila by Fatascia (100% Nero d'Avola). But try any Etna Rosso IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica), to get a feel for that region of Sicily (Colosi makes a good one, or, for an Etna wine of a slightly better pedigree, try to find a Passopisciaro). Finally, you may like to try a Frappato- a light/medium red that is up-and-coming in Italy and usually quite affordable. For more expensive reds, I also recommend Donnafugata's Mille e Una Notte, or perhaps a nice Ad Majora red... for something nice a full-bodied, go for Fatascia's l'Insolente. For white wines, I really like a good Grillo or Inzolia... maybe a Catarratto. A good, affordable white wine blend is Planeta's "La Segreta" (much better than their reds, IMO). Oddly enough (or maybe not), I am not that big of a fan of Sicily's larger, more famous wine producers, such as Morgante, Corvo, and Regaleali... For a true classic Sicilian DOCG experience, please try a good Cerasuolo di Vittoria (Nero d'Avola and Frappato blend). Oh, and don't forget that Marsala is no longer for cooking chicken... Baglio Hopps makes a killer dry Marsala that explains why even Garibaldi was crazy for it... Sun Sep 30 21:11:52 -0700 2007 2990601 102095 vvvindaloo 2 2991591 http://www.chow.com/stories/10495#comment_7633 The link above is to a post that I wrote a little while back re: Sicilian wine. The story is a good starting point. Sun Sep 30 21:21:34 -0700 2007 2991581 102095 vvvindaloo 2 2991656 > please try a good Cerasuolo di Vittoria (Nero d'Avola and Frappato blend). This is fantastic with grilled salmon, had it last night for the first time. Great light red with punchy flavors. Sun Sep 30 22:01:51 -0700 2007 2991581 72925 ttriche 3 2991954 I am glad you liked it. i don't think it has picked up too much traction here in the States... but I think is really definitive of Sicilian reds. Mon Oct 01 05:42:56 -0700 2007 2991656 102095 vvvindaloo 2 2992127 Thank you (once again!) for your suggestions- this is really the first year I've enjoyed drinking wine, and while I suppose you could say I've got a sweet tooth, I would just like to learn to appreciate a variety of vintages, and to better identify types/flavors of grapes. Definitely more on the light side though. Mon Oct 01 06:56:01 -0700 2007 2991581 41097 chocolatstiletto 2 2993427 Frappato and Cerasuolo are two of my favorites. I've also had some good refosco. Regaleali makes some lovely limited-production wines but they're hard to find in the U.S. And when I do find them they're often over the hill or oxidized from improper storage. Mon Oct 01 12:58:17 -0700 2007 2991581 11369 Robert Lauriston 3 2993627 I have only had Refosco twice, and loved it both times. 2005 seems to be particularly good... but I thought it was a northern grape, from the Friuli region? Mon Oct 01 13:41:12 -0700 2007 2993427 102095 vvvindaloo 4 2993716 You're correct... Also, recently had the 2005 Firriato Chiaramonte Nero d'Avola which I thought was fantastic in terms of quality and price. Mon Oct 01 13:57:49 -0700 2007 2993627 74451 vinosnob 5 2994068 I think the Chiaramonte is an excellent value. My favorite Firriato is the Harmonium- it's Nero d'Avola, but made from their best grapes, so it's a bit more robust, and more expensive, as well. If you can find one from '01, '02 or '03 (very rare), pounce on it! I recently bought an '03 Camelot from Firriato- I've had great luck with Sicilian Cab/Merlot blends in the past. Do you know this one? Mon Oct 01 15:41:10 -0700 2007 2993716 102095 vvvindaloo 4 2993869 Refosco (aka Mondeuse, Refosk, Terlan) is traditional in northern Italy, Slovenia, and southeastern France, but there's some in Sicily, e.g. Cottanera L'Ardenza. Mon Oct 01 14:44:31 -0700 2007 2993627 11369 Robert Lauriston 5 2994035 oooh, I like Cottanera. Mon Oct 01 15:30:46 -0700 2007 2993869 102095 vvvindaloo 5 2994140 Agreed, northern Italy and bordering France are well known for producing reds using mondeuse and refosco, but Sicily? That's a bit of stretch… Mon Oct 01 16:00:18 -0700 2007 2993869 74451 vinosnob 6 2994185 It may be a bit of a stretch, and they may be virtually unknown, but the ones I've had have been tasty. Definitely worth seeking out. Mon Oct 01 16:12:40 -0700 2007 2994140 11369 Robert Lauriston 1 2991825 Available everywhere: basic Nero d'Avola from Morgante ($14ish and good QPR) Don Antonia from Morgante ($30ish, great wine) Mon Oct 01 01:19:29 -0700 2007 2990601 50041 whiner 1 2994161 I've had some very fine wines from Cusumano bros. At a wine tasting I sampled their "Angimbe", a blend of Inzolia and chardonnay - it was delicious. I just can't find it in stores. Mon Oct 01 16:05:03 -0700 2007 2990601 14610 bropaul 2 2994388 I like Cusumano whites very much- I first enjoyed them about 1.5 years ago while on a winery tour of Sicily. Since then, I have been able to find Cusumano white wines online through web retailers, but never in stores- even the stores that carry Cusumano reds do not carry the whites. I don't know why. I suggest you try a web search for the Angimbe. Mon Oct 01 17:30:40 -0700 2007 2994161 102095 vvvindaloo 3 2995905 Cusumano makes an excellent and well-priced Inzolia. Other good quality everyday wines are the Colosi basic Sicilia labels; Mandrarossa's (Menfi) amazing value varietals (Fiano, Nero d'Avola, Syrah) and, from Etna, Tenuta di Terre Rossa's rosso and rosato. E forza frappato, finalmente! Tue Oct 02 08:30:35 -0700 2007 2994388 22851 obob96 4 2996022 I am happy to hear that others are enjoying Colosi reds. I just recently recommended one on these boards, I think they are a great value. Tue Oct 02 08:57:07 -0700 2007 2995905 102095 vvvindaloo 1 2995961 You've gotten some great recs. I'd suggest that it's usually best to focus on wines made from local, not international, grape varieties and to avoid the high-end cuvées, which are often overwrought, overoaked and not very Sicilian-tasting. You can find lots of unique, authentic, delicious, food-friendly wines in the $10 to $20 price range. The Etna appellation in particular is worth exploring. Tue Oct 02 08:44:15 -0700 2007 2990601 10520 carswell