The wine bug bit me when I started drinking Spanish wine back in college. As I got in deeper I found myself reading books on France and its various wine regions. With the fundamentals down, I felt more comfortable exploring the more adventurous and irregular American wine regions. Sadly, I've only really dipped my toes in the sea that is Italian wine. I love the intricacies and nuances of Italian wine, but it really can be a confusing minefield. One of my goals this coming year is to dive deeper into the Italian wine world.
Sicily, the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, is Italy's southernmost wine region (Sicily is actually further south than the most northern parts of Africa). Sicily has been known for Marsala wine, but is now seeing an increase in demand for its dry table wines. I've been impressed with several I've had in the past from the Etna DOC on Sicily, but I can't say I've had many examples of Sicilian wine. Nero d'Avola (red) and Cataratto (white) are the two most common grape cultivars planted in the island.
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| Donnafugata 2013 Sedàra |
A couple days ago I grabbed a
Donnafugata 2013 Sedàra Rosso Sicilia DOC (13.2% abv, sample $17) to have with pasta for dinner. Being primarily Nero d'Avola with a bit of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Merlot blended in, this was quite a bit lighter and fresher than I expected. The bouquet was not especially pronounced, but showed aromas of fresh red fruits. It was quite soft and smooth on the palate, maintained a lovely brightness. There were abundant strawberry, cranberry, and cherry flavors heightened by a good amount of acidity. It kind of tasted like an Italian-style Cru Beaujolais. It was not profound, but it was very enjoyable.
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