Story and photos by Christopher J Davies
Wines of Sicily Media/Trade trip that included three Master Class sessions presented by Master Sommelier Mark Guillaudeu. Mark is based in New York City and is the head Somm for Eleven Madison Park. He is a leading authority on Sicilian wine varietals and their history.
Top Wine Types
White/ Bianco
- Grillo (bred from three grapes)
- Inzolia
Rose/ Rosato
Red/Rosso
- Nero d’Avola
- Perricone
We flew into Catania two days before the Media/Trade trip to acclimate ourselves to the city and the eight-hour time difference from Denver. We rented an amazing apartment on Airbnb, just a short walk from the Cathedral and the world-famous fish market, "La Pescheria, where fishmongers set up stands six days per week. Just two blocks away, a small wine-themed restaurant, Tantikkia Cucina e Vino, caught our eye and did not disappoint. https://www.facebook.com/tantikkia.catania/
The trade and media attendees arrived on Monday, and we joined them at the hotel where Wines of Sicily was sponsoring the kick of our program. That evening, we all met up for dinner at Me Cumpari Turiddo, a family farm-driven restaurant that serves delicious, authentic, rustic Sicilian cuisine with Sicilian DOC wines. They follow the principles of Chefs' Alliance with the Slow Food Presidia and handpick wines from grapes grown in BIO and organic-certified vineyards. https://www.mecumparituriddu.it/
During the four-day program, our group visited several towns south of Catania, including Siracusa and Noto. Fuedo Maccari is one of the best wines distributed in Sicily. The family behind these wines also hails from Tuscany. https://www.feudomaccari.it/en/
Our group visited Siracusa and the stunning, touristically famous connected island of Ortigia. After our group toured the island by foot for an hour in the blistering sun, our host, Debora Salmone, led us to the small but mighty Nostos Bistros for a delicious lunch that promised and delivered a Sicilian Experience. https://www.nostosbistrot.it/
The following morning, after our Master Class, we visited Barone Sergio's winery. This family-owned wine estate is now run by two amiable and enthusiastic sisters, Angela and Luigia.
Their estate is dedicated to growing organic grapes, vegetables, and fruits. The winery has a massive courtyard and rear deck. We loved the commissioned murals. The wines had character, depth, and texture. My favorite was La Madre Rosso 2021, (25E).
They also produce craft beer made from their grapes.
After the Wines of Sicily program concludes, most attendees head to the airport to board flights home. We picked up our rental car and began our drive to the Etna DOC.
The southern area of the Etna DOC is less than one hour away from Catania.
We recently visited the town of Trecastagni, where the harvest varied at vineyards less than ten minutes apart. Biondi Azienda Agricola's harvest was finished, while Cantine Di Nussuno, with vineyards 150 meters higher, was finishing harvesting its white grapes and expected to complete the reds by October 20, 2024. Favorite wines include Nenti 2021 Etna Bianco (blend) and NUDDU 2020 Etna Rosso (17E). https://www.cantinadinessuno.it/
Biondi Azienda Agricola has recently opened fantastic accommodations in a historic, restored building that still houses an ancient wine press on its estate. The private accommodations offer vineyard views, a swimming pool, and an outdoor kitchen. Watch out, Napa—Sicily is in your rearview mirror! Stef and Ciro Biondi provide wine tastings and tours in an intimate setting. Tasting at Biondi is an intimate experience with the owners themselves. Ciro Biondi states, "In Sicily, we are very good at small things."
Wines tasted:
- Biondi Outis Etna Bianco (blend) (28E)
- Biondi Cisterna Fuori Rosso (40E)
Tastings by appointment only. https://www.ibiondi.com/
Nearby, you can visit a fantastic wine-themed ristorante focused on meat, La Tana del Lupo. (The Wolf's Liar) in Pedara. https://www.ristorantelatanadelupo.it/
There are now more than 300 producers in the Etna DOC. The vines thrive in Etna's rich volcanic soil, and the quality is exceptional.
