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May 28, 2025 50 mins
Sicily has been making wine for centuries, historically for local consumption or for selling to other wine regions in bulk to enhance their wines. In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, “modern” Sicilian wine production evolved, creating terroir-driven wines with elegance and finesse that the world has embraced. The Connected Table Hosts Melanie Young and David Ransom discuss the wines of Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG, Vittoria DOC and Noto DOC, regions visited during Sicilia en Primeur 2025.

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Episode Transcript

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Speaker 1 (00:00):
The topics and opinions expressed in the following show are
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those of W FOURCY Radio. It's employees are affiliates. We
make no recommendations or endorsements for radio show programs, services,
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comments should be directed to those show hosts. Thank you

(00:20):
for choosing W FOURCY Radio.

Speaker 2 (00:40):
Welcome to the Connected Table Live where your hosts Melanie
Young and David Ransom. You're insatiably curious culinary couple. We
travel the world to bring you the dynamic people who
we meet front and center and behind the scenes in wine, food,
spirits and hospitality. We love sharing their stories and our
discuss with you our listeners. Right David, you sure do, Melanie? Yeah,

(01:03):
So today we're going to take you to Sicily. It's
a region we've been to many times and we had
a really wonderful opportunity to attend the annual Cecilia on Premier,
which is it happens every year. It happened in May
twenty twenty five, and we just came back and it
is the presentation of new vintages from throughout Sicily. Now. Interestingly,

(01:32):
locals call Sicily a continent. It's really only separated from
mainland Italy by the Straits of Messina. You can take
a ferry from the top of Sicily to Calabria, and
we need to do that sometime.

Speaker 3 (01:47):
Well, they've been talking about building a bridge for decades,
but it hasn't quite happened yet, but everybody still keeps
talking about it.

Speaker 4 (01:52):
Yeah, and how.

Speaker 3 (01:53):
Easy travel to Sicily will be once that happens. Maybe
it's still in the works, We're not sure. Anyway, Sicily
is a great place. We love going there and we're
going to.

Speaker 4 (02:01):
Talk about it today.

Speaker 2 (02:02):
Yeah, and what's neat is we flew Delta through JFK
and now as we were coming back from Sicily, we
saw that I think it's seasonal, but Delta now offers
a direct NonStop JFK to Cantania flight. That's like so
awesome because we want to go back.

Speaker 4 (02:20):
Yeah. I think it's a seasonal flight, so they do
it in the summertime. But you never know, you never know.
There's always flights to Palermo, but.

Speaker 2 (02:26):
It's really a great thing now this year, so the
program moves around. We've been to Termino near Etna, We've
been to Palermo. But this year we were based in Modica,
and that's in southern Sicily on the kind of eastern side, right, David.

Speaker 3 (02:44):
It's down in the southeast corner of Sicily, so it's
south of Syracusa.

Speaker 2 (02:48):
Right, so you're closer to the Mediterranean Sea. There's some
mountains to the north. And what's neat about Modica. It's
a very steep, very steep city, and it's known for
its chocolate product yea.

Speaker 4 (03:00):
And it's not on the coast.

Speaker 3 (03:01):
It's actually inland a little bit, so it's actually kind
of built into canyon of sorts and you drive have
to drive down the hill into the ravine and there's
the city which is built along all the sides of
the different sections of the ravine.

Speaker 2 (03:19):
It's really quite beautiful, really quite beautiful. We stayed in
medieval that's right. We stayed at the Modiga Beach resort,
which was closer to the beach and it's a beautiful area. Now.
There were lots of grand tastings and master classes enabling
us to try the different range of wines and new
releases from throughout Sicily. But one of the highlights every

(03:40):
year for Sicily on Premiere is the opportunity to do
many field trips, which is what we call them, and
we choose to go to different areas. So we're going
to actually touch on the two field trips that we
went to separately and share our findings and hopefully in
another visit we'll switch and you can go to where

(04:00):
I went and I can go to where you went.
Both regions were in this southeastern area of Sicily. We
didn't go to the far west or anything like that.
That's another trip because it's it's a very big mass
of land. So I'll start. So I was really excited, David,
because the trip that I was assigned took me on

(04:22):
a bucket list. I call it the wine bucket list.
To the UNESCO Heritage site of Zeriswola di Vittoria DOCG.
It's interesting. It is the first DOCG in Sicily and
right now the only DOCG. It was elevated to Denominos
into Orgini contro Lata de Guarantita in two thousand and five.

(04:45):
Prior it was a doc.

Speaker 3 (04:47):
That and just for everybody's knowledge, DOCG is the highest
level of quality in wine in Italy. That's rights as
they as pertains to the wine classifications.

Speaker 2 (05:02):
Exactly and the production area is very specific. As per DOCG,
it is in this wine which is red, may only
be produced in the areas of Ragusa, Catanya and Cantin
assetive zones in southeastern Sicily, and within that are sub
zones for the Chirosola de Vittoria Classica DOCG, which is

(05:25):
acate comiso in Vittoria. The name actually Chirosola means cherry
red and these are very intense cherry BlackBerry wines, very
beautiful wines that are blend, that require blend of for Pata,
which is a native grape to the area, very fresh fruity,
almost like a They call it the gamet of Sicily

(05:47):
and narodaavola, which adds more elegance and tannin, so for
patos low tannin, fresh juicy strawberries. Narodavola, which has grown
elsewhere in Sicily, is more BlackBerry and plum and more tanines.
Marry the two with specific guidelines for percentages, and you've
got chirosuola to Vittoria chirosuola means cherry in Vittoria because

(06:11):
it's of Vittoria. And I learned doing my research that
the name Vittoria was born in Vittoria when its founder,
Victoria Colonna Henriquez, decided to give the first seventy five
settlers one hector of land on the condition that they
can cultivate other hectars of vineyards. So it's got a

(06:32):
very interesting history. And there is a town which we
visited called Vittoria as well, that is filled with beautiful
Baroque architecture. And learned that there's a lot of money
in this area because it is massive farmland, a massive
producing of Vittoria tomatoes, eggplants, oranges, lemons, beautiful olives, and

(06:53):
cocoa for the chocolate are all produced here in eggplant
and exported around the world. So the agricultural bounty of
this fertile farmland is significant, along with table grapes and
wine grapes. Anyway, that was my chore. Now I can
either go into the wines now or let you share

(07:14):
where you went and then we can talk about the
different areas. What would you prefer, David.

Speaker 3 (07:18):
Well, what we can I'll touch on where I went.
You went to chaiswell at the Vittoria, which is not
quite the southeast corner of Sicily. No, I actually went
to Noto and Oteo, which is the southeast corner of Sicily.
Literally it's right in the it's right down in the
corner of the island and it's just a beautiful area.

Speaker 4 (07:37):
It's kind of remote.

Speaker 3 (07:38):
It's maybe an hour and a half for almost two
hours south of Siracusa, and really quite beautiful. And it
is the home of a city called Avala, which is
where narrow d'avolo, which is Sicily is probably the most
famous red grape at this point is said to have originated.

Speaker 2 (07:58):
Yeah, Nio dabolo has grown throughout Sicily, but as you say,
it was born in Avola, that's the Dabola and it
was also it's in Tirosula, which is an integral part
of making Chirosuola de Victoria. So the relatives are all same.
I think you were a region over so I was
more south central and you were more southeastern and Syracusa.

(08:18):
By the way we've been there, there was a scilia
on premire that took place there. That's a gorgeous, gorgeous
city Baroque architecture as well, and the ancient city of Ortiesia.
Is there a wonderful tourist descination with a lot of history.
Did you go to Rtisia when you were there?

Speaker 3 (08:34):
I did not, but I did go. We did spend
some time in Syracuza, which was just gorgeous.

Speaker 2 (08:38):
It's just stunning. You know. One of the nice things
about these sub little mini field trips is that you
also you taste a lot of wine, but you also
have great food and learn about the cuisine, and they
also take you to some architectural and cultural attractions. For me,
a highlight was the Dawna who got a castle which
was owned by a very wealthy baron who had kind

(09:02):
of a sense of humor. He liked to pull pranks
on people. Throughout a tour, we learned about these, like
practical jokes he would play on his guests and all
his paramours. They hid here and there, and there's actually
a labyrinth where he used to have little trysts and whatnot.
It's very elegant. Don Ifugata, which we know is the
name of winery of no relation. It means woman in

(09:23):
flight and there's a lot of symbolic significance to the
name Donafugatta in Sicily.

Speaker 3 (09:32):
Yeah, it's really quite an interesting place and a very
special place in the city of Ragusa.

Speaker 2 (09:38):
Yeah, it's really quite beautiful. And well there's two. There's
the one we went to, which is a villa, and
then there's a bigger castle elsewhere, and then the city
of Victoria, where I also want, is just filled with
art and a beautiful theater. And as I said, there's
a lot of money down there because people are making

(09:58):
their making major agricultural product and exporting them to the world.
So that was surprising, and.

Speaker 4 (10:03):
They've been doing it for a long time. It's not
a recent development.

Speaker 3 (10:05):
No, this really has been that agriculture of you know,
lemons and nuts and fruit, tomatoes, and of course wine
has been the backbone of this region's.

Speaker 4 (10:19):
Ability to make money for quite some time.

Speaker 5 (10:21):
You know.

Speaker 2 (10:21):
It's always interesting about Sicily, David, is that wine has
been made there for generations dating back. They always take
you to the Etruscans where we go. This is an
area that's been invaded by many cultures, whether it's the French,
the Spanish, the Greek, the Arabs. There's a lot of
multicultural but modern Sicily. Modern wine making really is fairly recent,

(10:43):
like the late nineteenth nit Lepscuty, late twentieth century and
the twenty first century. It's always interesting when you hear
that and they go, oh, we came in two thousand
and five, which for you and me, that's kind of reset.

Speaker 4 (10:55):
That is recent.

Speaker 3 (10:55):
You know, my family had already bought and sold the
winery by then, right, so we I think it's I
think to put in context again, Sicily has.

Speaker 4 (11:04):
Been making wine for millennia.

Speaker 3 (11:06):
Yeah, but a lot of times it was meant for
It was cheap jug style wine that was just meant
for drinking around the family table, and nobody ever bottled it,
and most of it was sold off in bulk to
other regions of Italy and Europe to help fortify their wines,
whether it's color or alcohol or fruit component. It was

(11:30):
a very popular wine to ship off to other regions.
And Noto there was winery and Noto that I visited,
which did exactly that for a couple of hundred years
before they decided to privatize themselfs.

Speaker 2 (11:41):
I loved the a couple of hundred years, you know.
So modern Sicilian wine production is in the scheme of
the world of wine more recent and it has been
a game changer because Sicily imports I don't know the
exact numbers, but a significant amount of its wine is
exported around the world and the United States is a

(12:03):
major market for Sicilian wines, and they are prized now
and they're so different by region. As we said, everywhere
we went, every speech, every presentation, somewhere in there was
the words Sicily is a continent. It is that belief
that it is unto itself. And when you go there,

(12:25):
it really does feel different. You know you're in Italy,
but you feel a world away. It's very special.

Speaker 3 (12:31):
I think it was Alessio Planeta, that of the Planeta family,
who has five wineries on Sicily, who first coined the term.
Don't talk about it as an island, talk about it
as a continent.

Speaker 2 (12:43):
And I think we get it. And you know, every
time we go it's a new discovery. And the wines
are terrific. And the great thing about sicililya' premar is
we can taste all the. Wines they're technical tastings and
technical tastings and. More one day is, white one days,
rosato there's, sparkling and then of course the. Rest why
don't we talk a little bit about our discoveries in

(13:04):
each area and we won't touch on it in great,
detail but just for all of you who are watching and,
listening these are producers that you should. Know and we'll
first talk about what makes each region. Special AS i said,
Before vittoria in this region is known for cheriswola De.
Vittoria now a couple of. Things it is only made.

(13:26):
Here it is only made in these subsdes and excuse
me For, poto the red juicy red grape THAT i
aforementioned is only produced in this, area whereas narodabola is produced.
Elsewhere the wines being docg must be comprised of fifty
percent to seventy percent narrow dabola and thirty to fifty
percent for poto and aged a minimum of eighteen. Months,

(13:49):
okay now this is. Cool so AS i said, before
cheriswola means. Red the soils are also. Red that's a
distinguishing factor and very different from where you. Were for the,
soils they're called tarra. Wausa and when you see red,
soil you know it's rich in iron and. Minerals what's
interesting about these soils is they literally form a sand

(14:11):
clay blanket over a sub soil made of white. Limestone
why is that Significant because as the roots burrow into
the more poorous sandy, soils they had to dig deeper
into the limestone. Soils and we all know in wine
poor and struggling is important because you want the soil

(14:31):
to be, poor, difficult and you want the wine the
binds to struggle more to get that water because that
makes the fruit more. Beautiful.

Speaker 3 (14:39):
Exactly that's what we Always that's what we. ALWAYS i
was giving. Tours grapes love a struggle.

Speaker 2 (14:44):
Struggle so, yeah and so this was form because this
area was covered by the sea right, well a long time.

Speaker 3 (14:50):
Ago, yeah but it's also volcanic as, Well so there's
there's lots going on in Eastern sicily to talk about
in terms of tear war or soil.

Speaker 4 (14:59):
Types.

Speaker 2 (15:00):
Yeah, sure this is a distinguishing thing about The Terra.
Rossa and, yeah the silt and whatnot From etna which
is an active volcano and had a little issue and
exploded after we. Left that comes down we, always it
always explodes after we. Leave, now and then the sea
beds which once covered this area leaves, fossils so you've
got you've got rocks and limestone and fossils and. Silt

(15:22):
it's just.

Speaker 4 (15:23):
Amazing, yeah it's really.

Speaker 3 (15:24):
Neat and the soils In notto WHERE i, was are
the same types of, soils but there's no iron in,
them so they're.

Speaker 4 (15:31):
They're they're, white white. White it's really, interesting really. Interesting
pictures are.

Speaker 2 (15:37):
Amazing so how far is roughly would you, say noto
is from The victoria area WHERE i, was A regosa
area WHERE i had The terra rossa.

Speaker 4 (15:45):
Souls i'm going to say it's an, hour.

Speaker 2 (15:48):
But you, know it's. Interesting, yeah but it was interesting
even at like one of the, Wineries Valla, dilocata which
is a now a sixth generation run by a sixth
generation family. Member. Uh she showed us seven different soils
amongst her seventy hectares of, vineyards ranging from the red
to black and crumbly to white and sandy with stones

(16:12):
to just super white sandy and super, poor and they
each were utilized to grow specific great.

Speaker 3 (16:19):
Varieties, WELL i think that's kind of the joke On
sicily a lot of the, time because a lot of the,
hilltops you, know they're affected by so many different things
and so many different origins.

Speaker 4 (16:29):
That it's, oh you want to learn about the. Soil
how much time do you?

Speaker 2 (16:31):
HAVE i kind of like, it AND i like it
WHEN i MEAN i love it when they actually show
the soil and then they show the wine and then.

Speaker 3 (16:38):
You taste the, wine and then you taste the wine
and you really can taste the soil in the. Water
you can taste that troar and taste where it comes.
FROM i think it's an amazing. Spot you want to
talk about your wines and your wineries that you.

Speaker 2 (16:48):
Visited so here's SOMETHING i. Learned there's actually a wine.
Trail so what's growing in popularity Throughout italy and Especially
sicily is wine tourism and we're kind of excited about
that because we're all over. It and so they have
A Cheroswuillet debatoria wine, trail WHICH i THINK i got
a mini taste, of and within, that some of the

(17:09):
wineries have, agritourism so you can actually stay there or,
nearby and that's wonderful if you're driving around or you
can you, know have our we work with Just, sicily
wonderful tour company that took us around because you don't
want to drink and. Drive, Okay i'm going to. Start
these are all family run or familial in some. Way
my first one Was terra Di duffro g I u

(17:33):
r F. O it's owned by A german. Family Achille
A lessi greeted. Us they make all of them make
the same. Wines his wine THAT i love the most
was Called Mascaria barrekota cheroswillt De. Vatoria it's a beautiful.
Wine the winery itself Is i'm not sure how old it,

(17:59):
is but it's in southeastern in The Dirillo river. Valley
there's a couple of river valleys and beautiful. Expression the
next one Was. Maggiovini the family owned and they have different.
Vineyards we tried wines from the different. Crews Santa, tresa
which is named after a wandering, monk is owned by

(18:20):
siblings From Trentino Stefano Marino. Girelli THEY i do have
an importer with, them Vis, imports and they actually did
a beautiful presentation with a lunch prepared by a local
chef Of ragusa whose restaurant is Called Monsu Chef. Salvatory

(18:40):
monso is terrific and one of the ONES i like
there was actually an aromatic. White it was Called, ncma
which means, together and it's blended from, albanello which is
a local, Variety zibibo and. Fiano the, twos The zibibo
and fianna were agents stainless and the albanelo In. AMPHORA
i loved that it because it was so fresh and

(19:02):
when it's, hot that's what you. Want that aromatic. WINES
i found the wines in this, area the whites to
be very, aromatic the fripado consistently fresh and, fruity and
the cheriswolody to give atorio kind of the elegant style
that many say you would have instead of A i don't,
know a peedomar.

Speaker 3 (19:22):
Yeah and to touch touch base it On zibibo for
those who may have heard of it or seen it
in the. Store it's fairly widely planted in The, mediterranean
but mostly known As muscat Of, alexandria.

Speaker 4 (19:33):
So it's a.

Speaker 3 (19:33):
Musk it's one of The muscat strains and, clones and
it's and it's a, delightful very, aromatic crisp.

Speaker 2 (19:39):
White it is throughout The. Mediterranean and we also learned
AND i haven't been AND i don't think you've. Been
it's it's very it's it's it's grown widely in Western,
sicily and it's.

Speaker 4 (19:51):
Part of the it's all Over.

Speaker 6 (19:53):
Sicily, yeah and so this Is Soci bibo's muscout Of,
alexandria but they call It tobibo On sicily and and
it's and it's very well received and grown widely all
over the.

Speaker 2 (20:03):
Island, valadelicata WHICH i referenced earlier as a historic family
founded By Gaetano jocino in the nineteenth, century now run
by his sixth, generation great great Great Greod good good
great Granddaughter, gaetana who we've interviewed on the connected table
several years. Ago this winery is located in The classico

(20:26):
sub Zone. Akate AS i mentioned, before there were. Three
she gave us this amazing tour of those seven different
soil types and showed how they represented wines in her.
AREA i gotta tell you Her chiroswollow De, vittoria classic
of The erie Dot, iriti which is A, classico was
probably one of the Best skirtic wines carries. It she

(20:47):
also showed us introduced us to a WINE i don't
think it's in the market yet in The United. States but
it was made in the ancestral method of sparkling for
a plateau like a pet nat really really, good really.
Well it's Called fiel d'Oro frapto mettado, ancestral AND i
think it would be really, popular like here In New
orleans when the weather's. High AS i, Said Skernic wines

(21:11):
is their. Importer the next two wines are WHAT i
call The culti wines right. Now they are totally into
natural wine making and biodynamic and have a huge following
right now of people who embrace natural wine. Making the
First coast Cos coast was Founded Wonderful. Wine it was

(21:34):
found it's an old winery that was taken over and
modernized in nineteen eighty by three, Friends Gia, battistatilia gu
Just To ocapinti And Ciernino. Strano and so the name
is cos comes from the first letter of each last.
Name and we Met Jim, Battisti cilia and Just To,

(21:54):
ocapinti who gave us a. Tour they are so proud
of their amphor. Room it's just dozens and dozens of
rows and amphora specifically made to produce a label Called,
pethos and we tasted several of The pithos line as
well as the Non amphora. Wines The Nero dabolo aged

(22:15):
In amphora was, terrific as was a white wine made
with a local grape called, grcanico which is a relative
of garganego up IN swabei really. Terrific but all the
wines had. This you, KNOW i was thinking about it
before the. SHOW i was trying to how to compare
it when you love the, wines but it's like looking
at a piece of jewelry and then polishing. It it

(22:37):
was already beautiful and then when you polish, it it
kind of has that. Boom and that's what these wines,
had that, boom like suddenly they became more intense and.
Beautiful so that's Cos.

Speaker 4 (22:50):
So there's Another okipitti that.

Speaker 2 (22:52):
You AND i got a gal crush on.

Speaker 3 (22:54):
Her we need to talk about because she's a real
rock star in the area and all over the world
for what.

Speaker 2 (22:59):
She's and she was mentored by her, Uncle Justa. Okapini
her name Is Ariana. OCAPENCI i think we're going to
be booking her on the show for a one on one.
Interview she has become one of the most respected voices
In sicily's natural wine. Movement she actually got her start
working With Uncle Gusto ocapini At coast at age, sixteen
worked her way around and then started her own business

(23:23):
at the age of twenty. Two it's a very modern
looking wine a. Winery she is. Kinetic ALL i can
say she just is kinetic and. Passionate she exudes That
sicilian passion and the wines reflect. That she took us
in the vineyards and was like intensely showing us those
beautiful red brick terra rosa. Soils when we went to

(23:46):
the tasting, room the walls were lined with flip charts
and dozens of post it notes in her handwriting because
she's trying to work on branding, sessions And Alessio planetta
has been as part of her council of, advisors along
With juice To. OCAPENNIE i Noticed alessio was taking all
of Our ocapenne's wines at the gala dinner to have

(24:07):
at his. Table they really are. TERRIFIC i don't have
specifics on the. WINES i feel look at my phone
and that means looking. Down but, uh the importer in
The United states Is bowler. Wines these wines will bowl you.
Over they're they're really, terrific and it's it's just AS i,
said it's like having a beautiful piece of jewelry and
then suddenly you polish it and give it another look

(24:29):
and you're, like, oooh this is something. Different so, again
we've got Ariann Ocapente, Coasts, Valdecata Santa Treesa, maggiovini And
Tera diduffro are the WINERIES i. Visited there are many
more in the wine, trail which you can find by
going to The consortio. Website uh and you will find

(24:53):
the whole kitten, kaboodle as they, say of wonderful, wineries
INCLUDING i Think Donna fugatta has. One, david let's start
with where you went, now.

Speaker 3 (25:02):
Well note which is WHERE i went is a bunch
of different. Things it's The Southeast, corner as we talked about.
Earlier the soils are white limestone soils and very, old very,
beautiful gently rolling. Hills it's on the. Coast it's actually
on two, coasts so it's on the south coast and
also on the east coast because it goes right down
to the corner of the island or, continent shall we.

(25:24):
Say but it's a beautiful. Region AS i, said fairly.
Remote there's not a lot of wineries, there but there's
a lot of grapes grown, there and it is the
reputed original home of the grape narrow To avola because
which stems from the city Of, avola which is Within

(25:45):
noto the. Region and then there's also the city Of,
noto which is a Beautiful baroque. City lots of tourists go.
There it's got a gorgeous, cathedral it's Beautiful baroque architecture in.
Town it's a very pretty. City it's quite popular to
visit it as a day trip From, siracusa and so
so that's kind of the layout Of noto the. Area

(26:07):
the region is mostly populated by small wineries and and
all the ones THAT i visited were either family owned
or partner, owned which means a couple of different people
got together and bought a. Winery so it's it's a
very interesting. Region it's kind of off the beaten, track
but there's some there's some key players From italy and

(26:28):
the region itself who are who are really kind of
Making noto into a into a force within The sicilian wine.
Movement well like, Who, well let's start with the list.

Speaker 4 (26:40):
Show.

Speaker 3 (26:41):
Okay another one THING i want to say is that
it's also the driest area In sicily to make wine
and grow, Grapes so there's very little rainfall, there so
the grapes, struggle there's. Not, yeah and it's it's good
for the, grapes of, course because as we, say grapes
like a.

Speaker 4 (26:57):
Struggle but it's a.

Speaker 3 (26:59):
Very, dry very sunny. Region there's a lot of there's
a lot of carab grown, there which you can make
carab pottern things like, That so there's carab grown there as.
Well there's a lot of olives grown, there are there's
a lot of lemons grown, there and of course there's
a lot of grapes grown.

Speaker 4 (27:16):
There this is An Agria tomato.

Speaker 2 (27:18):
County So i'm looking at a map just before you,
start just to give our viewers and listeners. Contexts if
you look At, sicily the content where he's talking about
is literally the, corner the lowest corner of the, southeast
so to the south is The Mediterranean sea and literally
at the cone the, corner it connects to The Ionian.

(27:41):
Sea so this is an area deeply impacted By, greece
very close To, greece and if you head upwards up the,
coast you're going straight up To Tara. MINA i know
there's some day trippers that go From taramina down To
syracuse And rotesia and Then. Calabria so this is the far.
West and you said it's very. Dry it was very
dry where we were, too which is. Nice so tell

(28:04):
us about the.

Speaker 3 (28:05):
Wineries, WELL i want to say that one of the
we only stayed in one. Place we didn't move around a.
Lot so it's small enough a region where you can
actually pick a hub and pick a base and you
can just do day trips from there if you're going
to spend a few days touring.

Speaker 4 (28:19):
Around and we actually stayed at a beautiful hotel called the.

Speaker 3 (28:22):
Via Villa Julia, hotel which is A i think it
was an old winery or farm and they turned it
into a beautiful hotel with maybe about twenty five or
thirty different, rooms but they're all kind of cottages and
things like that that are built into the old.

Speaker 4 (28:38):
Barns it's really.

Speaker 3 (28:39):
Lovely my, room my room was a commpletely private cottage
and it had a hot.

Speaker 2 (28:44):
Tub how can we never have that when we're actually
in the rooms.

Speaker 3 (28:46):
Together lots of fun and the food was, delicious and
they have a beautiful, pool et. Cetera, well needless to,
say let's move. On let's talk about the. Wines the
first winery were there for two and a half. Days
the first winery we went to was Called This soul
and it's.

Speaker 4 (29:01):
Owned by The massey.

Speaker 3 (29:02):
Family you've heard of The masses if you've been To, tuscany,
Yes and this leg of The massey family Is, filippo
who's one of the two brothers that are involved in
The tuscan wine, wines and they all Own So philippo
found this farm in the early two thousands and fell
in love with it and decided he was going to

(29:24):
start to make wine. There so he revitalized all the
vineyards and planted a lot. More and it's a beautiful
old historic farmhouse with a lovely winery around it now
and he spends he spends a bit of time there
himself as. Well but the wines are. Lovely the give

(29:46):
me one second. Here the wines are. Great it's in
the AS i, said the southeast. Corner it's a fifty
hectare property and he Owns he has probably about twenty
four twenty five hectares of fruit.

Speaker 4 (30:03):
That he grows as.

Speaker 3 (30:04):
Well it's not a it's not a huge, winery but
some nice.

Speaker 2 (30:11):
Wines is that all great, fruit nice.

Speaker 4 (30:12):
Nicepes twenty four hectares.

Speaker 3 (30:14):
Of, vines so that's about so that's about seventy five
except it's about sixty or sixty five acres of, fruit,
right it's got it's a beautiful. Landscape they have wonderful.
Wines the wines he produces some whites From, grilloh which

(30:36):
is another very popular white.

Speaker 4 (30:38):
Wine we should.

Speaker 2 (30:38):
Compare grillo to for anyone who's not having.

Speaker 4 (30:41):
That's a good, Question i'm asking.

Speaker 3 (30:43):
It i'm going to, say production, wise it's probably The
pinogrigio Of.

Speaker 4 (30:51):
Sicily it tastes completely but it tastes completely.

Speaker 3 (30:53):
Different it's got it's got lovely citrus notes and aromatics to.

Speaker 2 (30:58):
It you get you get a lot of and a
lot of. Herb because this is the scrub.

Speaker 4 (31:06):
AREA i find it's a lot more lively on the.

Speaker 3 (31:09):
Palette pinugrigio, is which tends to be tends to just
sit on your pal age is, nicely which is very. Nice,
yeah so so so his azisa is a one hundred
low but it's a grilla that he gives some skin contact,
too so so it's kind of got grillo with a modern.

(31:31):
Twist there's a lot of grillow made On, sicily as we,
know but this is skin contact. Grilow it's which kind
of brings down the vibrancy a little bit and makes
it a little more, linear but it's also still very.
Bright a lot of florals in the. Nose it's love
it's a lovely. Wine and then he makes a number
of reds as, well of course From, narrowdovla because it's

(31:52):
the local, grape, Right but the narrow DOVOLIS i find
In noto are very unlike the narrow davola that you
get on the west side Of, sicily like in places
Like memphi where they grow a lot of grapes and
make a lot of. Wine the nardablos From noto are more.
Elegant they've got more, freshness they've got more acidity to,

(32:14):
Them they're they're much more of a delicate style OF
i think IT'S i think it's the. Soil, yeah the
soil has a lot to do with. That chalky white
limestone soil brings brings a lot of minerality to the
wine and sipidity to the wine that you don't get
in the play in the clay soils Of Western.

Speaker 2 (32:36):
Why do you explain to someone who may not know that. Saltiness,
okay excuse, me My.

Speaker 3 (32:42):
Sudan, also so it's also very close to the sea
because literally the vines are maybe three or four kilometers
from the, sea maybe ten at the. Most so you,
KNOW i was standing in a vineyard looking at the
sea off in the. Distance that's how close. It so
here's the interesting that sea air comes in and affects
those Lines kennedy sea.

Speaker 2 (33:01):
Breeze, yeah so you, know here's a fun. Fact by the,
Way grillos also used to Make, marsala which is the
flagship interesting. Wine fun, FACT i Love Mar's Like, zibibo
the Muscut alexandra is the base wine for the setoode
At pontialeria where you've, BEEN i haven't different, coast but
just fun.

Speaker 4 (33:20):
Fact, yeah Greluin.

Speaker 3 (33:23):
Sibibo so but one of the neat THINGS i found
in this region was they also are doing other. Things
they're not just strictly using the native. Grapes they're also
kind of going out on a limb and making wines
from international varieties as. Well so The, fammy which is
a red wine That Zi sola makes is a petteep

(33:46):
bear dough based.

Speaker 4 (33:47):
Wine oh, no really quite.

Speaker 3 (33:49):
Good but and then they also make other native white
wine grapes that they make into. Wine they make a
beautiful cotrato which we know from, no but but they
also grow it down there as.

Speaker 2 (34:04):
Well they do it a little bit in The cheriswol,
area but, yeah a little.

Speaker 4 (34:08):
Bit so moving on to the next, one WHICH i
just fell in love with. IT i could.

Speaker 3 (34:12):
Move there Was Giacio, winery which is again started in
the early two. Thousands so we're getting a pattern, here,
right old wine making facility kind of fell into. Disrepair
somebody comes along and takes it over and makes it
into a mind yeap because.

Speaker 2 (34:27):
Land was cheap and they scooped them up for probably great.

Speaker 4 (34:29):
Deals so this was owned By Giovanni.

Speaker 3 (34:32):
Baroli now he called himself A he said his family
had a printing, business AND i was, like, okay so
what did you? Print he, goes, well. Dictionaries, well his
dictionaries are in every home. Group so he had a
very successful printing and, publishing but you would never know.

Speaker 4 (34:46):
It but you never know.

Speaker 3 (34:47):
Because he's just the, nicest soft spoken. Guy and he
basically retired from his family business to go create his
own business In sicily when he and his, wife who
was who's From venice and he's From, piedmont fell in
love with this property and bought it and decided to
renovate the winery and turn it into what it is.
Today the wines are. Fabulous they did have a consulting

(35:09):
winemaker whose name escapes me at the, moment but they
have bought their estate in two thousand and four and
began renovating. It it's a it's in Between monica and No,
to so it's with and all of that's THE Unesco
World Heritage. Site by the, way the giasira means it's

(35:34):
An arabic word or it comes from An arabic word
that means, island so it's their own little island and
that's and that's the way they live. It they live
there pretty much full. Time they spend very little time
up In pimonte Or venice at this. Point and the
wines are just. Delicious AND i was very taken with
with what they're. Making they again do Grilow. Cotanto they

(35:57):
also Make chardona and. Merlou they do narrow De, ovolo of,
course and then they do a mescato bianco Not, zabibo
which is muscat Of, alexandria but moscotto bianco which is
a different great and the scotto bianco is really the
main muscat that's grown in The noto.

Speaker 4 (36:13):
Region, okay so there's a.

Speaker 2 (36:17):
Lot do you know Why i'm looking that way like
we're having a mini hurricane hurricane season just. Started the
trees are kind of. Sideways, Anyway let's.

Speaker 4 (36:26):
Get to the.

Speaker 3 (36:26):
Wines because BECAUSE i could, GO i could watch poetic
about the winery and the people run the.

Speaker 4 (36:31):
Wines we got like so. Left so the WINES i.

Speaker 3 (36:34):
Loved the bianco was a mix of, moscato sharden and,
catrato a really lovely. Mix six months and six months.
Aging it was all done and stainless, steel a lovely, wine,
great high, acidity floral, notes, bright.

Speaker 4 (36:50):
Just a lovely.

Speaker 3 (36:50):
Wine then there was a wine that was kind of
the step up, white which Was, caratan which is a
cutter Of lucido. Variety it's a particular clone of, conturanto
WHICH i hadn't actually heard of, before and then again
six months aging and stainless, steel much more dense and

(37:14):
intents of a, wine and then one THAT i thought was.
Amazing he's the only person That i've met outside Of
Mount etna that is Growing neurello. Mascalaesi AND i asked
him about this while we were having the while we
were having, lunch which was, fabulous by the, way AND i,

(37:37):
said why are you growing? NEURELLA i, said nobody's growing
it outside Of. Etna he, goes, WELL i was talking
to a friend of mine up on and he, said
give it a. Try SO i, did and it's. Delicious
it's a much More it's a vastly different style of
nerellamscalaesis than The neurello escalaesi that you get On etna's
From etna's volcanic, soils and it was very interesting to.

(37:58):
Try it's a saw after Warmer neurella mascalazi than the
ones that you get on at which are kind of
Light pivontese style wines that have a that have a
lot of tension to. Them this doesn't have, that but
it really brings out the the plushness and the floral

(38:19):
notes that the That norello can Provide violet's red, fruit et.
Cetera but and also because the soils Of, noto it's
got minerality and it's got chalkiness and.

Speaker 4 (38:30):
Supidity exactly a lovely. One and of course it's.

Speaker 3 (38:34):
Narrow, davola which was one of another one of his,
flagships was a delightful, one just. Delicious so the next
one we went to was in the town of Me
Marmie mars AND memi getting that. Wrong i've gotten it.

Speaker 4 (38:53):
Wrong the entire.

Speaker 2 (38:57):
Culture.

Speaker 3 (38:57):
There it's it was called K remedini and it's a
it's it's not a new. Winery this was the one
THAT i, said sold off in bulk for a long
time before they actually. Privatize so this was bought in
the early two thousands by by a group of friends
who who decided to invest in privatize the. Winery and
they've been on that unique path ever. Since they've got

(39:19):
twenty seven hiked aares of, vineyards all, organic and they
make all their wines organically as. Well it's a really
interesting project and the wines are are very.

Speaker 4 (39:29):
Nice AND i thought.

Speaker 3 (39:32):
What was interesting About mars And, memi which is a
very unique old fishing. Town it's right right down in
the corner Of noto and so you can see. It
you can look off in the distance and you see
where the where the two sections of The Mediterranean sea
meet at the, corner at the, corner and there's there's
an old fort on an island down off that. Coast

(39:54):
because all of a, sudden all of a, sudden you're around the,
corner and then all of a sudden you're heading back
up towards marcel at the other end of the So
Cantina ramadini And marzimmi beautiful. Area the winery is a
very old historic winery and you could actually see because
it was a bolt wine facility for a long. Time
you can see where they actually had huge tanks and

(40:18):
they would gravity feed the tanks through pipelines out to
the port to fill the. Ships and those those pipelines
are still in. Existence they don't use them, anymore but
they're still in. Existence and again they are it's an
exciting time for. THEM i think they're really coming. Along
and we tasted some very nice.

Speaker 4 (40:38):
Wines.

Speaker 3 (40:39):
Again they make, caracante they make they make a couple
Of Charmatte, wines a couple of sparkling wines in The
charmette method which are also very. Nice they Make narodavola
and they also make A sirah which was quite interesting

(41:00):
and VERY i really liked it a. Lot and then
they also make a, psito so they're kind of making
a whole gamut of different.

Speaker 4 (41:06):
Wines and again one of the younger.

Speaker 3 (41:08):
Wineries and it's a work in progress AND i think
it's exciting to see what they're going to.

Speaker 4 (41:12):
Do and the name again Is Kentina, Remedini Tina.

Speaker 2 (41:15):
Remedini, yeah do they have an? Importer do you?

Speaker 4 (41:18):
Know they do not? Yet, yeah they do not, Yet
so you're just gonna have to go there and try.
It and.

Speaker 3 (41:26):
Uh and then the next ONE i went to is
it is an old is an old favorite family of.

Speaker 4 (41:31):
Ours we've been to a couple of their other, wineries.

Speaker 3 (41:34):
And It's feudo, mccari which is The No too winery
for The Moretti cusri family who owns Sets A ponti
in who we've been to and we've talked about at,
nauseum shall we, say because.

Speaker 4 (41:49):
We love their.

Speaker 3 (41:49):
Wines were just, There we were just, There, yeah we
were there In. February set To pontia is In tuscany
and the Morety causeri family owns five or six. Wineries
this is their note to. Facility the wines are. Amazing,
again they kind of got into it not that long.

(42:11):
Ago the winery is fairly new and they own two
hundred and sixty five.

Speaker 4 (42:16):
Hectares that's a pretty decent sized chunk of.

Speaker 2 (42:17):
Land six you were just talking.

Speaker 3 (42:21):
ABOUT i think THAT'S i think that's, yeah that's, huge
maybe seven hundred acre or something like. That and they
only have sixty of it planted the minyards at this,
point but that's gonna but that's going to.

Speaker 4 (42:31):
Grow they built a beautiful winery they Have they have.

Speaker 3 (42:34):
Great little tasting rooms and sales areas and things like.
That it's it's a great spot with lovely. Wines and
their wines ARE i think some of the some of
the best wines in the, area as they should.

Speaker 4 (42:49):
Be.

Speaker 3 (42:49):
Right they make a grillow as they make a Beautiful
karakante grillow, blend WHICH.

Speaker 4 (42:58):
I thought was.

Speaker 3 (43:00):
And that wine is actually and that one is called
family and, friends, right even though they it's not just it's.

Speaker 4 (43:06):
Not just family and.

Speaker 2 (43:06):
Friends they get to drink taste of that when we
were in sentivepon.

Speaker 3 (43:09):
Too it's just delicious and it's a barrel fermented caracante
AND i just love. This that's. Nice it's, well family and,
friends only the best.

Speaker 4 (43:18):
Grapes that's the name of.

Speaker 2 (43:19):
One that's WHAT i remember that.

Speaker 4 (43:21):
One it's very.

Speaker 3 (43:22):
Nice and then they do a single vineyard grillo Called vignya,
fiaru and they do a, rose they do narrow, doovolo
they do a couple of different narrowdobolas and they're all,
wonderful different styles and different agings and different vineyards that
they come.

Speaker 2 (43:41):
From they did anyone refer To narodovola by The sicilian
name calib.

Speaker 4 (43:47):
No not not the?

Speaker 2 (43:49):
WINERIES i, went, yeah that's how it's, awesome also known
as because everything has a.

Speaker 3 (43:53):
Dialogue so they actually have a project that they're working,
on which is a which is two different wines where
they're both they're both single vineyard wines and they're and
they're separating all this out and not putting it into
any other wines that they. Make so they're keeping a
single vineyards and one is Called sultana and the. Other
you're gonna love. This the other is Called Guarna shelley

(44:17):
a shout, OUT a shout out to our great Friend Alex,
warnicelley this chef and those are beautiful single vineyard nrodobolus
and the fruit so their fruit is, albirella which is
which is bush.

Speaker 4 (44:35):
Vines they don't trull us.

Speaker 3 (44:37):
Them so it's all everything at that winery is that lovely.
Ones and then of course they make a, sirah which
again going to the international side of, things they make
a beautiful serah Called maharis and and the wines were just.
Lovely the last winery THAT i went to is one
that we had the owner on our show last fall

(44:58):
after we went To etna and talked about all his
wineries and AND i, said you, Know i've got to
get to this one because it just sounds so. Good
Alessio planeta Plant, planetta The planetta families wines.

Speaker 4 (45:14):
Are all Over sicily and all over the.

Speaker 3 (45:15):
World and this Was Planetta bornavini In, noto and it
was a and it's their not too, facility and it's
all the all the planet of wineries are independent of each.

Speaker 4 (45:29):
Other they.

Speaker 3 (45:29):
Don't they don't grow things everywhere and then make them
in one. Spot each winery is a separate winery with
a separate, team separate, viticulture separate wine, making.

Speaker 2 (45:40):
A separate wine maker or Is.

Speaker 4 (45:42):
Patricia overseas a lot of. It but they have people on.

Speaker 3 (45:47):
Site that that are there AND i think she makes
the decisions.

Speaker 2 (45:51):
Right So patricia tof is the executive wine makers who
were all the planets of Winy she's.

Speaker 4 (45:57):
Amazing, yeah she is, great and we saw her while
we were.

Speaker 5 (45:59):
There.

Speaker 3 (46:00):
Yeah So alessio and his family purchased the property in
nineteen ninety, eight and, it AS i said, earlier note
is the driest. Region AND i THINK i In, SICILY
i THINK i got really the best visual of that
dryness and that dry region WHILE i was at their,
winery which is just, white, dry chalky.

Speaker 4 (46:20):
Soil, wow and it's it.

Speaker 2 (46:22):
Was it very, thin, chalky really chalky or.

Speaker 5 (46:25):
Sandy sandy chalkying because there's that, powdery beautiful wines and
you almost didn't know the winery was there because there's
just a little cabin up on top of a knoll
in the middle of this.

Speaker 3 (46:36):
Beautiful, dale which is where the winery and the olive,
oil olive groves and vineyards. Sit and then there was
this low cabin up on the top and you parked
at the cabin and they're, like where's the. Winery, well
the winery was underneath. It they, grew they built the
they built the winery into the side of the. Hill

(46:56):
interesting and they also have a wonderful contemporary arc election
there as. Well but really it's the wines that take
center stage. Again they have forty, hectares, uh and they
it's all of its Carib it's, grapes grapes.

Speaker 2 (47:15):
All everybody, has all of everybody has an all because
they have a side hustle. Doing also a lot of
almonds grown, THERE i THOUGHT i found. Out, YEAH i
mean it is an agricultural, bounty AND i wish WE i,
MEAN i feel like we need to take another suitcase
to take back all the wonderful. Things. Right, yeah, well so.

Speaker 3 (47:33):
Let's talk about the, wines because they obviously grow narradobla
and they also grow moscato, bianco which is the, SECOND i,
say most important grape In. Noto, right there's those, two those,
two those two wines is what is made the most.
Of so they do a couple of mescatto. Biancos they
do a Beautiful narrowdobela Called Contra, donza and then they

(47:58):
have A Scantage Giulia, neradovolo and we tasted a few
vintages of those WHILE i was, there which was very
interesting to see the different vintages back up next to
each other and taste them side by.

Speaker 4 (48:11):
Side, uh they make again a beautiful fra.

Speaker 2 (48:15):
Pata because they have they have a.

Speaker 3 (48:17):
Because they also have a place In, Vittoria, victoria, Right so.

Speaker 4 (48:21):
We actually got to taste the wines From vittoria while
we were. There because it was so, close they figured.

Speaker 3 (48:26):
Out just throw them into the tasting so we got
to taste the, frapata The chirosola De vittorio and a
couple of versions of. That but but really it's the
it's the wines that they grow there that are the.
Stars The Moscanto. Bianco they don't grow a lot of
different types of grapes here because they do that in other,
space other places that they make, wine so they really

(48:47):
kind of focus on what's.

Speaker 4 (48:48):
In noto at The Noto, winery AND i kind of
like that about. Them it was.

Speaker 2 (48:54):
We don't have a lot of time, left but just,
quickly how would you compare The Mascota bianco here made
in this area to say, elsewhere.

Speaker 4 (49:03):
Maybe a little more minerality to. It yeah, again.

Speaker 2 (49:06):
SUPIDITY i just THINK i think we should all be
looking harder At Moscato bianco and not putting it into
the sweet wine category, corner because it's really quite amazing and,
versatile partunity with the spicy foods that we all, love
and this area is known for this specific type of.

Speaker 3 (49:26):
Wine just just just to note The Santa, sicilia which
is a narra davola is there is their top wine
from that.

Speaker 2 (49:36):
Area, well you know, what we can't go. On we're
getting a time. Thing so we hope you've enjoyed this
little mini tour Of, sicily specifically The valdanoto area And
cherospola Di. Vittoria we want to thank the organizers Of
Sicilia entrepreneur and there various agencies including zcom and Just

(49:58):
sicily that those are great tour. Organizers we hope we're invited.
Back we will be bringing you some of the producers
that we met on future editions of The Connected. Table
you can follow us On instagram at The Connected, table
you can follow us on, YouTube and you can read
our blog at The Connected table dot. Com which documents
much more in detail our travels and the people we.

(50:21):
Meet we encourage you to write and share our, shows
and more, importantly we want you to, travel, explore step
out of your tasting comfort, zone and always stay insatiably
curious like we.

Speaker 4 (50:35):
Are take care, Everybody, yeah
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