Sicily Guide

The Moscato grape, a variety that is cultivated in several wine regions, operates an extensive cast of subvarieties and serves as the primary foundation of several dessert wines. In Italy’s Sicilia, it is known as Zibibbo, the direct relation of Spain’s Malaga and Greece’s Muscat of Alexandria. Interestingly, its proportions fall outside those considered conducive to quality winemaking. In fact, its most revered performance as Moscato di Pantelleria derives from grapes that have been reduced through either natural drying or the passito process, in which the grapes are sun-dried on mats. (That said, its size does render it well-suited to the role of a table grape, a popular role that was somewhat compromised when seeded grapes fell out of fashion.)

The process of achieving the desired size has itself been fraught with difficulty. In the mid-1990s, producers on the island of Pantelleria claimed that Sicilian winemakers were utilizing artificial measures to incite and expedite the drying process of Zibibbo, thereby producing a disingenuous product. This controversy, however, went beyond production issues, involving political matters far removed from the viticultural realm. The image of Moscato di Pantelleria is greatly elevated, however, by its celebrated position in Greek legend, where it served as the wine that the goddess Tanit used to successfully woo Apollo.

Baglio Oneto Zibibbo Odinetto
The Baglio Oneto Odinetto, a blend comprising Zibibbo, Inzolia, and Cricket, offers an unctuous expression of golden hue worthy of its lead grape’s dramatic past. Its luscious character is layered with flavors of honey, crème brûlée, and vanilla spice.

For more information or to buy the wine, please visit The Italian Wine Merchants or Baglio Oneto.

Baglio Oneto 2005 Zibibbo Odinetto (500ml) $30.95

Technorati Tags [ sicilian wine | zibibbo | odinetto | baglio oneto | sicily | moscato | italian wine ]

An increasing number of movies have been filmed in Sicily in the past few years. The island has unbeatable settings and has not being fully exploited by filmmakers. The German director Wim Wenders will be shooting his next movie “A Tarantella Story” in the Valley of Belice this coming May.

The movie casts big Hollywood stars, such as Robert De Niro and Cathrine Zeta-Jones, and is inspired on the true story of Maria Tantilla who now 31-years old left her hometown in Sicily ten years ago to become first etoile at the Deutsche Theater in Berlin. Wim Wenders met Maria last year during the performance of “Le Nozze di Figaro” at the Volkstheater in Wien last year. Since then, the director has always wanted to make a movie about the dancer’s life.

I truly hope this is a good sign for Sicily. The Sicilian Region has tried to push Sicily as an ideal destination for filmmakers, but its efforts have been vane so far. Lately, a new initiative has been promoted through a guide “Film in Sicily. Facilities and Accommodation”, geared at attracting new movie productions from Italy and the US.

I still remember the filming of Ocean Twelve (sequel of Ocean Eleven) nearby Trapani about two years ago, when some mafiosi were suspected of seeking protection money from the film’s producers. Then, you wonder why most of the movies that take place in Sicily deal with Mafia, violence and offer a total different view of what everyday life in Sicily is.

Technorati Tags [ sicily | sicily movies | wim wenders | tarantella story | Maria Tantilla | robert de niro | catherine zeta-jones ]

The next season of the Sopranos, the HBO hit that portraits an Italian-American Mafia family in New Jersey, starts next Sunday. Everybody seems to be looking forward to it.

I have been in New York for almost seven years now and I remember that I heard about the Sopranos when I was still living in Italy. The show is extremely well written and filmed. In spite of the great reviews and television awards that it continues receiving, I personally never got into it. It is mostly because I am so damn tired of always having to explain where I come from and try to paint a picture of a different Mafia that an average American might have. 

I really do not care that some of the stories of this show might be true. It is since the Godfather that we have been going through this stereotypical Hollywood imagery of Sicilian Mafia and the Italian-American community. I wonder if filmmakers could be more original and start using a positive subject instead. Perhaps they might be able to recreate something memorable in a positive way. All communities can be bad and good, but not all communities are continuously displayed in a negative way.

Soon, maybe… destination marketers could use the show for their own good. Many Italian-Americans sympathize with the show overall; they see in it their community and lifestyle. The success of the Sopranos should be seen as an opportunity at this point. Am I being too extreme? What are your thoughts about this? I do not think that bashing a successful show is going to gain anything - I will probably start watching it. 

Technorati Tags [ sopranos |  sicilian mafia | mafia stereotypes | italian american mafia ]

Some of the best Sicilian wine producers are attending the Vinitaly show in Verona from March 29 through April 2. Vinitaly is a landmark event for the Italian and international wine world. The largest wine show in the world has progressively and increasingly become a mainstay even on an international scale.

Vinitaly showcases a list of Italian wines that have changed Italy in the last twenty years. Three of them are Sicilian:

Faro Palari - Palari
Turi Geraci, the winemaker behind this wine, turned a decaying estate in the Messina province into a successful story. Faro was an ancient wine, almost totally forgotten, produced by autocton grapes of the Strait of Messina.
Best years: 1996, 1998, 2002, 2004.

Duca Enrico - Duca di Salaparuta
It is the first great Nero d’Avola, brought to the market in 1984. It started a trend for Sicilian wines, always overlooked before then. Numerous other Nero d’Avola wines have been produced, but Duca Rosso remains the best.
Best years: 1985, 1986, 1990, 1992, 2001, 2003.

Contea di Sclafani Cabernet Sauvignon - Tasca d’Almerita
The first red wine produced with allocton grapes in Sicily. It gained the deserved attention in 1988 and kept it since then.
Best years: 1988, 1989, 1990, 1995, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2003.

In the past few years, Sicilian wines have become increasingly popular in Italy and abroad turning into the best testimonial of the island. A recent event in the US, the Tre Bicchieri® wine tasting show organized by Gambero Rosso and Slowfood, introduced the Gambero Rosso/Slow Food Italian wine guide 2007. The Sicilian wines elow were awarded the Tre Bicchieri®, the highest rating:

Benuara ‘05 Cusumano
Cometa ‘05 Planeta
Contessa Entellina Milleunanotte ‘03
Donnafugata Duca Enrico ‘03 Duca di Salaparuta – CVDS Etna Bianco Sup.
Pietramarina ‘02 Benanti
Etna Rosso Feudo di Mezzo Quadro delle Rose ‘04 Tenuta delle Terre Nere Etna
Rosso Serra della Contessa ‘03 Benanti
Faro Palari ‘04 Palari
Merlot ‘04 Planeta
Montenero ‘04 Abbazia Santa Anastasia
Passito di Pantelleria Mueggen ‘04 Murana
Passopisciaro ‘04 Passopisciaro
Ribeca ‘04 Firriato Rosso del Conte ‘03
Tasca d’Almerita Tenuta Dorrasita Nero d’Avola’04 Foraci

And the Sicilian winery Benanti was selected as best winery of the year. A long way for wines that were labeled as bulk wines until ten years ago!

[techtatgs: sicilian wines, vinitaly, gambero rosso, slowfood, benanti, palari, nero d’avola]