3 great red wines from Sicily

LAST WEEK, I RAVED about three Italian wines that just happen to come in a box.

This week, I thought we could stay in Italy and focus on one, distinct region – Sicily.

One wine column cannot do justice to this large island (the largest in the Mediterranean) near the southern tip of Italy. It’s one of the largest producing wine regions in Italy. And the history of winemaking in Sicily dates back long before this island became part of Italy in 1860.

So while you can briefly learn more below about the history of winemaking in Sicily, I’m not going to even dream of trying to cover all the different types of Sicilian wines in this week’s wine tasting.

Instead, think of this week’s article as a brief introduction, an appetizer or antipasti featuring three different types of Sicilian red wines. Let me add that the three, outstanding wines recommended this week range in price from $20 to $32 a bottle.

And one more thing, as Lieutenant Columbo used to say. These red wines can be served slightly served. So if you’re looking for a refreshing red wine on a hot summer day, these wines are the perfect choice. However, I also believe these wines taste great at room temperature as well. You decide and hope you enjoy.

Wine History

People living on the island of Sicily have been making wine for nearly 6,000 years, according to archeological evidence uncovered there. As a result, Sicily is one of the first winemaking regions in Italy, according to Visit Sicily. Over the centuries, everyone from ancient Greeks and Romans to Vikings and the British have enjoyed Sicilian wines. Nowadays, people throughout the world enjoy wines from Sicily, which produced more than 154 million gallons of wine last year, which is roughly 65 million cases, according to

Ken Ross Wine Press

WINE REGIONS

There are many great wine regions in Sicily but let’s just focus on the best-known ones. No discussion of Sicilian wine would be complete without mentioning Etna, which is named for the island’s famous volcano. Sicily’s Etna wine region has rich, volcanic soils located in high-altitude vineyards, according to “The World Atlas of Wine” by Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson. Sicily is also perhaps best known in terms of wine for Marsala, the region that produces Sicily’s distinct fortified wine. Other notable wine regions in Sicily include Faro and Vittoria.

WINE GRAPES

The most popular red wine grape grown in Sicily is nero d’avola. Other distinct, red wine grapes from Sicily include frappato, nerello mascalese and perricone. As far as white wine grapes, the most popular one in Sicily is catarratto. Other well-known white wine grapes from Sicily include grillo and carricante.

Tasting Notes

• 2022 Duca di Salaparuta ‘Calanica’ Frappato

Sicilia (Suggested Retail Price $19.99)

Grapes: 100% frappato

Region: Terre Siciliane, Sicily

Let’s start with one of my favorite wines of the three recommended this week. While many people serve frappato wines slightly chilled, I highly recommend first trying this wine at room temperature or around 60 to 70 degrees. This dark, inky, red wine has absolutely wonderful, flinty finish with hints of poached blackberries and violets. An hour later, those flavors are just as intense, along with dense, dark fruit flavors. The second day, this wine remains just as dense and flinty and delicious. A truly outstanding, elegant wine perfect with a wide range of hearty foods.

• 2019 Planeta ‘Eruzione

1614′ Nerello Mascalese Sicilia (SRP $25)

Grapes: 100% nerello mascalese

Region: Etna, Sicily

This distinct red wine comes from the black soils near the Etna volcano. Straight out of the bottle, its flavors range from light, bright, cherry notes to hints of red licorice and spice notes. Just make sure to give this wine time to evolve. After an hour, dense, dark fruit flavors emerge. And the next day, this wine has a dry, flinty yet fragrant floral finish with hints of dark cherry. Goes great with hard cheese.

• 2019 Barone Montalto ‘Ammasso’ Rosso Sicilia (SRP $31.99)

Grapes: Blend of nero d’avola, nerello mascalese, merlot and cabernet sauvignon

Region: Terre Siciliane, Sicily

This blended red wine has many different, exciting characteristics, which seem to change from one sip to the next. At first, this dense, dark wine tastes robust and flinty, with hints of blackberry and raisins. An hour later, those fruit flavors taste slightly sweet and ripe. The next day, those dense, dark fruit flavors reemerge, especially hints of plum and blackberry. A great wine with steak or dessert and which illustrates why Sicilian red wines deserve a place at the table reserved for outstanding wines of the world.

Cheers!

Wine Press by Ken Ross appears on Masslive.com every Monday and in The Republican’s Weekend section every Thursday.