The story continues! Click here if you missed my initial post on the crazy journey of this twig cut from a tree in Sicily now growing in my office: For The Love of Figs. I'll post weekly updates on our progress!
Step 5 Water the cuttings only when the soil dries out completely. Lift the container and if it feels light, place it in a shallow pan filled with water. Allow the soil in the container to soak up water from the pan. Remove the container when the soil is moist again. I finally did this a few days ago.
Step 6 When new shoots and leaves extend from the cuttings, remove the bottle cap. If the cuttings continue to grow after several days, remove the bottle. If they wilt, replace the bottle and try again in a few days. If they thrive, it is time to transplant the cuttings. As you can see, the cutting has thrived, so I'll be transplanting it this week!
It was our first rainy morning since we started the trip. We headed out early to meet Ciro Biondi, the current owner of Vini Biondi, with instructions to meet him at the piazza in front of the church of S. Alfio in the town of Trescastagni. Well of course it took us twice as long to get there, as it does traveling anywhere in Sicily, but after a few phone calls, the accommodating Ciro arrived at the piazza and asked us to follow him up the mountain to his vineyards.
The Biondi family has owned vineyards on the Etna since 1635, but didn't start producing their own wine until the late 1800's. Over the past hundred plus years they have seen countless medals and awards, partnerships, periods of prolific production countered with declines in quality, all leading to the present day tutelage of Ciro Biondi. In 1999, an architect by trade, Ciro decided to restore his family vineyards. He hired renowned Salvo Foti, considered one of the most gifted interpreters of native varietals in Sicily, as his winemaker and the match has resulted in multiple Gambero Rosso Tre Bicchieri awards for his red wines. We followed Ciro up the winding roads first to Monte Ilice, a dormant volcanic crater whose slopes rise to a steep 900m at a 50% gradient! A blanket of fog lay over the top of the mountain, obscuring much of the 2 hectares of east facing vineyards that stretch up right to the edge of the crater. They are planted with bush trained Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio using 2meter poles to help hold the soils in place on the steep gradient. Of course everything has to be done by hand, so Ciro has a 300 meter cable lift to bring materials up and down the mountain. At harvest, it takes 4 people 10 days to hand select the grapes from the Monte Ilice vineyard. It is an incredible vineyard site and a definite source of pride for Ciro.
The soils here are amazing. Although in the photo it just looks like fertile black earth, it is actually more like a gravel of ground volcanic rock and sand. It is these soils and the dramatic climate on the slopes of the volcano that make the Etna so unique and one of the most exciting spots in the world of wine today.
We piled back in to the cars to follow Ciro to his next vineyard site, Carpene, where he nostalgically recalls the days that wine was still made here in the old palmento. The typical winemaking structure of the 19th century, the palmento at Vini Biondi is built into the hillside with openings on the upper part of the back wall where the grapes would be brought in to stone basins for foot treading. By gravity, foot-trodden musts would pour into fermentation basins on the lower floor. While no longer used for production, it has been beautifully restored and makes for a wonderfully romantic setting!
Next we headed to Ciro's current production facility where we tasted from the fermentation tanks, freshly picked Nerello Mascalese, and the Outis, a consistent Tre Bicchieri winner from Gambero Rosso. The Outis is a blend of Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Capuccio that come from his east facing Monte Ronzini vineyards at 620m. He also popped a bottle of his newly released and current award winner, the 2006 M.I.(Monte Ilice), that was just announced as a Tre Bicchieri recipient for the 2010 edition!
Beautiful wines, amazing vineyards and a gracious host, we totally enjoyed our visit with Ciro and Trescastagni. As Ciro headed off to a filming in the vineyards with British chef and restaurateur Gary Rhodes, we went back done the mountain into town for a delicious lunch!
Click here for the full slideshow of our visit: Vini Biondi
Sicily's only DOCG region, Cerasuola di Vittoria, is not known very well outside the island. Having received DOC status in 1973 and DOCG as recently as 2005, this area of south eastern Sicily produces one of the most distinct Sicilian red wines. Cerasuolo wines are bright and lively, thoroughly refreshing, and while not the most complex wines in the world their lightness and vivacity insistently invite you back for another glass. They're versatile with food and actually stand alone beautifully as well.
This delightful wine is named for its remarkable color as cerasuolo means "cherry red" in Italian. Made from two local grapes, the Frappato imparts ripe berry flavors and freshness, while the Nero d'Avola gives it a supple tannic structure, richness and intensity.
The Planeta Cerasuolo is 60% Nero d’Avola, 40% Frappato and aged for four months in 100% stainless steel. It offers an immediate bright cherry fruit component that dominates the aromatics, but then gives way to the blacker, earthier fruits of the Nero on the palate. Soft, supple, fresh and lively it is a wonderful change for Pinot Noir lovers looking for something on the wild side! A GREAT pick for Thanksgiving, it will really shine with turkey and cranberries!
One of the culinary joys of our recent trip was eating and comparing each cook's version of Sicilian Caponata, a condiment of chunky fried eggplant and other vegetables and seasonings, jam-packed with flavor—sweet, sour, salty all at once. A staple of the Sicilian diet, caponata is served in a variety of ways and every family has its own recipe. We learned how to make it during our cooking class with Silvia at Mandranova (see me stirring on the right) and have been craving it ever since! It can be used as a condiment for fish and meats, served with pasta, spooned onto bruschetta or just eaten on its own.
We were in charge of the Antipasti course at a Sicilian dinner Saturday night at our friend Carol's house. Kerry developed her own recipe for caponata, combining her ideas with classic ingredients and techniques from Silvia at Mandranova and Lidia Bastianich. It got rave reviews from the crowd!
Ingredients 3 eggplants 2 yellow onions (1 pound approx), cut in 1-1/2 inch chunks 5 or 6 ribs celery, trimmed cut in 1/2-inch chunks 1-1/2 cup cerignola or other large green brine-cured olives, pitted and cut in ½-inch pieces 5-6 fresh plum tomatoes 1-1/2 tablespoons tomato paste ¼ cup capers if desired 1 cup cooking grade olive oil extra-virgin olive oil 12-15 large fresh basil leaves few springs of flat-leafed parsley coarse sea salt or kosher salt fresh ground black pepper dried peperoncino flakes 3/4 cup red wine vinegar 2 tablespoons sugar
Note: if olives are super salty, you may want to add less salt to the vegetable mix.
Directions Trim the eggplant ends and partially skin them using a peeler to alternately remove skin in a striped fashion. Cut them into chunks about 2-inches long and 1-inch thick. Toss the chunks with 2 teaspoons of salt and drain in a colander for 30 minutes to an hour. Rinse and pat them dry with paper towels.
Meanwhile pour the red wine vinegar and 3/4 cup water into the small pan, stir in the sugar and bring to a boil. Simmer until reduced by half and syrupy, then remove from the heat.
Slice the onions into 1-1/2” pieces. Trim the celery stalks (and peel them if they’re tough and stringy) then chop in 1/2-inch chunks. Cut the plum tomatoes in half and scrape out the seeds and ribs. Slice lengthwise into 3/4-inch or so thick wedges. Roughly chop the pitted olives into ½-inch pieces.
To fry the eggplant, pour the cup of cooking grade olive oil into the skillet and set over medium-high heat, 360 deg. Spread all the eggplant chunks in the hot oil and fry for 10 to 15 minutes, tossing and stirring frequently, until the eggplant is soft and cooked through and golden brown on all sides. You will probably have to do this in a few batches as you don't want to crowd the eggplant. Lift the chunks out of the oil with a slotted spoon and spread them on paper towels to drain.
Pour ¼ cup of the extra virgin olive oil in another large skillet and set it over medium heat. Stir in the onion and celery chunks, season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, tossing often, until they’ve wilted and lightly colored, 8-10 minutes or so. Toss in the olives and the capers, heat quickly until sizzling. Dilute the tomato paste with ¼ cup or so of water then mix in. Scatter in the tomatoes wedges and fold them in with the other vegetables. Season with another ¼ teaspoon salt, black pepper to taste, a few generous pinches of peperoncino. Cook until the tomatoes are hot and softened but still holding their shape, about 5 minutes.
Next pour the vinegar syrup all over and stir it in. Cook the vegetables together for about 8-10 more minutes, then turn off the heat. Tear the basil leaves into shreds, roughly chop the parsley and stir them into the vegetables. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper if needed.
Take the eggplant pieces and layer over the bottom of a large serving dish. Add the rest of the vegetables on top of the eggplant, but do not mix together. Allow the dish to cool and rest for 1 hour, then gently mix together. Drizzle the top with a bit of your finest olive oil and serve.
*We served the amazing 2006 Murgo Sparkling Rose from the slopes of Mount Etna in Sicily with the antipasti platter. Made with Nerello Mascalese, this is the most unique sparkling wine we've tried in a long time! Currently available only at Swirl, $33.99.
I've been wanting to plant a fig tree for a while now. We were at our friend Kaysey's house in Covington last year and picked fresh figs from a tree right off of her balcony one morning for breakfast. Drizzled with a little honey and spread with fresh goats cheese, they are to die for! So I start looking online, trying to figure out what kind of fig tree I wanted and where I would get it. Should I order one? Should I just find one locally? Could I grow one from a cutting?? For the last year I've been contemplating planting a fig tree but somehow it never seemed to happen.
Sometime before we went to Sicily I was again looking at growing from a cutting. I found out it was relatively easy, but how would I decide where I wanted to do a cutting from? The right answer didn't come, until we were in Sicily...
On a windy Sunday afternoon in Sambuca di Sicilia, we were walking the beautiful grounds of Planeta's Ulmo winery with Chiara Planeta. Having just finished an amazing tasting of way too many of their wines, we were heading into the dining area of the 16th century farmhouse for lunch, when I noticed a beautiful fig tree on their property. After more wine and a delicious lunch of local foods, I asked Chiara if I could possibly have a cutting from their fig tree. She said of course and cut off a small piece about 6-8" long. As delighted as I was to have it, I now just had to figure out what to do with it!!
So, I put the cutting in my purse and tried to recall what I had read about propagating fig trees from cuttings. When we got to our next lodging spot, Mandranova, I was so enthralled with the place that I had forgotten about my cutting. Four days later at our last agriturismo, I found it and decided to put it in a glass of water. Our next stop was Roma for a few days and then home so I wrapped the bottom in a paper towel soaked with water and then put it in a plastic bag. I was a little nervous about getting it through customs, but it made it into the states and into our kitchen.
Well we came back with way too many things to do, so I just stuck it in water again until I had time to do something with it. Another week went by, it was now more than 2 weeks since Chiara had cut it for me, when I found a post about propagating fig trees at gardenguides.com. By this time is was starting to get brown and I really didn't have much hope for it, but I figured what the hell, it couldn't hurt to try. Here are the instructions that I followed:
Step 1 Cut stems for rooting in late winter. Cut 1-year-old stems growing in the center of the tree. Make the stems between 6 and 8 inches long and approximately as thick as a finger.I kind of got this right, but we did not take it from the center of the tree and it wasn't late winter...
Step 2 Line the bottom of the plastic container with newspaper and place 2 to 3 inches of potting soil into the bottom. Place as many as four cuttings in one plastic container, standing them so that the cut ends are in the soil. Add more potting soil to fill the container--you should see just the tips of the cuttings.
Step 3 Water the soil and place the container in a location where there is bright sun, but not direct light. Keep the temperature at 70 degrees F or higher.My office at home seems to be working well. It has lots of windows and gets light from the east and south.
Step 4 Cut off the bottom of a plastic bottle--a soft-drink bottle works well--and place the bottle over the container. Keep the cap on the bottle.I used an orange juice container that Ron had left in the frig during his house/dog sitting stay.
Step 5 Water the cuttings only when the soil dries out completely. Lift the container and if it feels light, place it in a shallow pan filled with water. Allow the soil in the container to soak up water from the pan. Remove the container when the soil is moist again. I have not had to do this yet, probably in a few days. Step 6 When new shoots and leaves extend from the cuttings, remove the bottle cap. If the cuttings continue to grow after several days, remove the bottle. If they wilt, replace the bottle and try again in a few days. If they thrive, it is time to transplant the cuttings. This where I am now, I just removed the cap, take a look at my photo!! I am amazed that this thing is actually growing after what I've put it through...
So, I'll keep you posted as to how the rest of this goes, but so far so good! Keep your figures crossed and hopefully one day I can be giving some of you cuttings from my Planeta fig tree from Sicilia!!
Famous for its natural beauty, magnificent châteaux and picturesque towns, the Loire Valley is the third most popular tourist destination in France. However it is also renowned for the exceptional quality, variety and affordability of its wine. The length of the river, and the varied terrain, geology and climates through which it flows, make the Loire Valley one of the few regions in France to produce excellent wines of every variety. Red, white or rosé, still or sparkling, dry or sweet, the Loire Valley wines are among the best of their kinds.
The cool climate of the Loire almost insures that the wines, no matter how ripe, will always have a lean acidity that balances well with their fruit and alcohol. Although many Loire Valley wines age beautifully, most can be appreciated young. They show their best qualities with food, and they possess enough flavor and body to stand up to almost all styles of cooking.
An enormous amount of wine is created in this vast region, mostly white, but with a good deal of red too. Styles change as you follow the course of the river, according to the grape varieties planted and wine-making techniques practiced. But the one thing all of these wines share is that they are made to display freshness and relatively high acidity, and rarely is oak used to ferment or age the wines.
The Loire has a large number of different grape varieties, some of which dominate different parts of the region. They include: • Muscadet which dominates the western Loire, making dry white wines • Chenin Blanc which is the great grape of the middle Loire, with red wines made from Cabernet Franc • Sauvignon Blanc which is the star of the upper Loire. Reds are made from the Pinot Noir
The Vouvray appellation covers dry, moderately dry and sweet whites made exclusively from Chenin Blanc (known locally as Pineau de la Loire). Bernard Fouquet of Domaine des Aubuisiers is making some of the most serious Vouvray of the last few vintages. He is now regarded in France and the international press as one of the top three Vouvray producers, and his wines represent sensational value. No one succeeds better than Bernard in capturing the mineral tones unique to Vouvray’s soil, with the marvelous balance of explosive fruit and titillating sensation of the Chenin Blanc grape.
Brought to us by on of our favorite importers, Peter Wygendt, the Aubuisiers Vouvray has been a favorite on our shelves for years. I was really taken with the amazing concentration and minerality of the 2005 vintage, and while I liked the 2006 and 2007, they were never quite what the '05 was. But the 2008 vintage delivers, maybe even more so than the 2005, and I am really excited to have this wine back in the store!
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate says 92 pts: "Bernard Fouquet’s 2008 Vouvray Cuvee Silex was not picked until October 8 (and then at over 13% natural alcohol) and it shows in a wine whose combination of ripeness, hint of botrytis, and brightness puts me in mind of 1996. Lychee, yellow cherry, Mirabelle, quince, and narcissus in the nose lead to a musky, subtly oily, chalk-inflected, honeyed, yet incisively zesty palate. This combines richness and palpably high extract with cut and invigoration in a way that only Chenin (and then only in the Central Loire) can. Its 6 grams of residual sugar perfectly set off the yellow fruits and hint of honey in this wine’s long finish. This formidably-concentrated yet elegant wine is worth following for at least half a dozen years."
$17.99
Try this wine at our Friday Free For All tasting this week!
One of our "go-to" white wines while staying at Mandranova was the light and refreshing Ajello Grillo Catarratto, a delicious blend of two of Sicily's native varietals! Ajello is a family-owned and operated winery located in the Mazara valley in Sicily’s southwest corner. Founded by Salvatore Ajello’s grandfather in 1860, the family has cultivated vines here for three generations. The winery’s philosophy, in the words of Salvatore Ajello, is simple: “We let nature do most of the work; we try to capture in a bottle the richness, vitality and structure of the magnificent grapes produced by our vineyards. Our role is to simply be the guardians of these qualities.”
Azienda Agricola Ajello's position on western coast of Sicily at an elevation of 200 meters, gives it some protection from the weather that can make winegrowing a more dicey proposition on the other coasts of the island. The estate contains some of those original vines on its south-eastern exposure along with some newer vines planted by the three generations of winegrowers and winemakers that have worked the land with the Ajello name. The hilly landscape in which the Ajellos grow their vines is bordered by two streams (named Bucari and Fudeo) which are responsible for irrigating the wide variety of plant life on the estate, in addition to the vines.
The Ajellos have always been winemakers in some capacity, though they have gone through periods where their emphasis has been mostly on growing grapes rather than making wine. Today, they sell about 90% of their grapes (a mix of local varieties like Grillo, Nero d'Avola, and Insolia, as well as international varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah) to other wineries, but increasingly they are holding some of their best fruit back to make their own wines.
The Grillo-Catarrato is a 50/50 blend aged for 3 months in stainless steel. Grillo is the mainstay grape of marsala, Sicily’s almost extinct fortified wine. Catarratto brings grounding acidity to grillo’s exotic flavors. Bright yellow-gold color and aromatics of pineapple, evergreen and lavender are a welcome surprise. Quite full bodied, with great acidity and a nice dry finish. Excellent length. Try it with the Melanzana di Mandranova eggplant appetizer recipe this week!
They had me at the appetizer course...our very first dinner in the beautiful dinning room at the Mandranova Resort began with a heavenly, silky eggplant dish that received instant raves from the entire group. We knew we were in trouble. We would be staying there for the next three nights and if the rest of the food was anything like the appetizer, we'd have a hard time fitting into the cars when we left! Three dinners, 12 total courses, and I'm not even counting breakfast, and each dish just got better and better and better. But since this appetizer was our first taste of Mandranova, it became the symbol of the freshness and quality, simplicity and elegance, of our dinning experiences at the estate.
An olive estate, I can't really call it a farm, owned by Guiseppe and Silvia Di Vincenzo, Mandranova is a beautiful oasis in the midst of an agricultural area of southern Sicily. We were there during the press and got to see the process first hand. I'll do a post on our whole experience there in the upcoming weeks, but here is a previous post I did on there olive oils with a video of how to taste olive oil featuring Silvia Di Vincenzo: Mandranova, Sicilian Olive Oil from the Gods.
This recipe makes four generous appetizer portions. If you wanted smaller portions you could divide into 6.
Ingredients 4 medium eggplants, whole 1 clove of garlic finely minced 1 teaspoon fresh oregano finely chopped salt 1/2 cup olive oil (the better the quality, the better it will taste!) olive oil, chopped tomatoes and fresh basil for garnish
Directions -Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roast the whole eggplants for 30 - 45 minutes. Time will depend on the type and size of eggplant. After 30 minutes, check periodically by inserting a skewer into the widest part of the eggplant. It should be very soft and come out clean. -Remove the eggplants and allow them to cool. Peel, finely chop, place in a colander and sprinkle with a little salt to help draw out any remaining bitterness. Let drain for 30 minutes. Rinse, press out the water with a spatula and pat dry. -Place eggplant, garlic, oregano and olive oil in a bowl and mix well. Add salt to taste. -Divide the mixture between 4-6 ramekins, depending on desired portions. Place ramekins in the refrigerator for a minimum of 2 hours (max 24hours) to allow the flavors to blend. -When ready to serve, remove ramekins and run a knife around the outer edge of the eggplant to loosen it from the bowl. Turn the ramekin upside down onto a plate, shake it a little and tap the top with a knife until it comes cleanly unto the plate. -Garnish with chopped tomatoes seasoned with salt and pepper and basil. Drizzle with olive oil and serve.
Try this with a crisp Sicilian white wine like my wine of the moment, the Ajello Grillo-Catarratto available at Swirl!
After our lovely breakfast at the Scilio Agriturismo, we packed ourselves into our vehicles and headed off to our much anticipated visit with controversial producer Frank Cornelissen. Of Belgian descent, Frank is a newcomer to the Etna which presents both advantages and disadvantages for the passionate winemaker who arrived on the volcano in 2001. Having no roots or ties to the age old regional traditions in winemaking, Frank feels free to do things his own way. Blending white and red grapes for his Contadino, skin fermenting his white wines, using clay amphora for aging; these are just a few of the unconventional methods he uses that helped him earn the title the "Madman of Etna".
When I asked what drew him to the Etna, he said it was precisely the Etna that called him to Sicily. The unique climate, soil and the history that the volcano presents are unlike anywhere in the world and give him an exciting venue for his minimalistic approach to winemaking. Frank takes the term non-intervention to the extreme. He feels that anytime you add something to the process, be it herbicides, oak, sulfites, you take something away from the wine. Which is why Frank avoids all possible interventions including any treatments, whether chemical, organic, or biodynamic, to keep the process in tune with nature as it was done thousands of years ago.
So what does all this mean in terms of Frank's viticultural and vinification practices? Frank has 12 hectares of land that he uses for grapes, fruit and olive trees. Out of those 12 hectares, 9.5 are classic free standing bush vines with some from cuttings of prephylloxera vines. He cultivates other plants and species in between the vines, such as buckwheat, fruit trees and even beehives to help maintain a balanced ecosystem. He keeps his yields low, 300g per plant and harvests totally by hand, usually in late October into early November.
Once the grapes reach the "catina", Frank again takes a minimalist approach. After crushing, the must is then placed into big plastic drums in his backyard (no temperature control here) which are then covered with a tent-like plastic material to keep the rain out. The wine is left to spontaneously ferment and macerate with the skins for a long time not to disturb the complex natural processes of fermentation. The skins, seeds and wine remain unseparated during the entire process in order to extract all possible aromas of soil and territory. Pressed with a wooden basket press the wine is then put into the clay amphorae with the help of gravity and later bottled unfiltered. Absolutely nothing else is added to this wine. Nothing. Not even SO2 (Sulfur Dioxide). The "cellar" is currently a small room adjacent to the oudoor "catina", although Frank was in the process of moving to a larger facility while we were there. The 400 liter amphorae are buried to the neck in ground volcanic rock keeping in tune with the ancient traditions of aging. Again he is looking for the most pure expression of the territory and feels that oak of any kind will take something away from wine.
Frank currently produces 5 wines, Munjebel Bianco, Munjebel Rosso, Contadino, Magma and Susucaru all of which we tasted with Frank (except for the Susucaru, his rose, which we had with dinner the next evening, but we'll leave that for another post....)on this lovely fall day outside on his black lava rock courtyard. The wines are like nothing you've ever tasted before! I once heard someone describe them as "energetic" which I think is a great term as there is a natural vibrancy and living energy that is present in every one of Frank's wines.
We started with the Munejebel Bianco a blend of Carricante, Grecanico Dorato and Coda di Volpe which is vinified like like a red wine, in full and long skin-contact because as Frank says "the flavors of the grape are on the skin". A beautiful orangish gold color, cloudy (no fining or filtering here), intense minerality, an earthy/ashy/smoky quality with apricots and herbs. Light tannins and firm acidity, but not overdone. Next up was the Contadino that started as house wine for the workers where he combines Nerello Mascalese (70%) and an assortment of his white grapes. It is a light, fresh style wine with red berries and currants, that unmistakable earthy/ashy quality, little tannin but nice acidity. Young and fruity and a joy to drink. We then moved to the Munjebel Rosso which combines various vineyards and vintages of his best Nerello Mascalese grapes. Beautiful, sweet earthy red fruits with a little black tea and spice. Again a smoky minerality comes through on the palate; bold but with a fresh elegance as well. My favorite of the reds for its approachability, complexity and price. The finale is the Magma, made from ungrafted pre-phylloxera, single vineyard Nerello Mascalese that is only bottled from vineyards and vintages that provide the perfect quality. This is Frank's top wine and it exhibits a complex nose of cherries, plums, earth, smoke and a little tar. Sort of nebbiolo like with a nice density on the palate. Full, a little tannic and tight; needs time but you can already taste the amazing quality and potential of this wine.
Through his practice of non-intervention Frank allows the wines to take a natural course and through taking that course a very distinct quality comes through each and every wine. I can only describe it as an essence of purity and an expression of the grape from a very particular time and place that you taste in every sip and each one of his creations. That particular place is the Etna and is like no other on earth. And Frank's wines are alive with the spirit of this amazing place.
Thank you Frank, it was an honor to meet you and spend such a wonderful afternoon with you and your wines! I can't wait till our next visit! To view the full slide show from our visit, click here: Munjebel, Frank Cornelissen
Winding through the switchbacks and little hill towns around the Etna, we arrive at the church in Passopisciaro to meet vineyard manager Vincenzo Lo Mauro who leads us up the narrow roads that circle the vineyards. We stopped along the road above the estate to get the full view of the terraced vineyards of Chardonnay, Nerello Mascalese, Cenase d'Affile and Petit Verdot.
The property was bought by Tuscan wine superstar Andrea Francetti in 2000. Completely abandoned since a fierce eruption of the Etna in 1947, they had their work cut out for them. They completely renovated the 150 year old lava rock buildings and replanted the vineyards using the existing terraces. There is a specific spot on the property where the lava flow from the 1947 eruption stopped, saving the structures and the vineyards from complete devastation. Marked by a Madonna in a lava rock shell it is a constant reminder of how lucky and how vulnerable they are.
Piling in to the bed of the pik up, Vincenzo drove us up into the vineyards where winemaker Anne Martens was collecting samples of nerello mascalese to determine the precise moment of harvest in the next few days. It was an absolutely stunning day with temperatures in the low 80's and soft breezes rustling through the vines.
From there we went to the production facility where we were greeted by a few adorable dogs with a little girl named "pucci" stealing the show before we went inside. After touring the fermentation tank area Vincenzo took us to the cellars where the wine is stored before bottling. Only one wine, their franchetti sees small barriques for a short 6 month period, everything else is aged in large, well used foudres that impart little to no flavor to the wines. There are 4 current releases , the Guardiola, a Chardonnay; the Passopisciaro, a Nerello Mascalese; the Franchetti, a Petit Verdot/Cenase blend (that just happened to receive 97 Parker points); and the Dolce, a beautiful passito style white dessert wine. But they've got a few new wines in production right now and we were able to barrel taste a few of the 2008 that will highlight the nerello mascalese grape at different elevations.
Next we went up to their sorting room that they set up as a tasting area for us. Here they laid out a table covered in typical Sicilian foods such as the local pecorino and smoked ricotto cheeses, salumi, grilled eggplant and zucchini, olives, fresh tomato salad and a house baked bread all accompanied by the 2007 Passopisciaro, delizioso!
While we were enjoying the food and wine, winemaker Anna Martens had finished testing the bags of grapes she had gathered from the different vineyard sites. To end our visit with a special treat, she squeezed the bunches of nerello mascalese and handed us glasses of the most amazing grape juice I've ever had!
We reluctantly said our good byes and headed back down the mountain to the agriturismo.
One of the highlights of our wine and culinary trip to Sicilia was the cooking classes we participated in as we moved from region to region. Putting on our aprons and rolling up our sleeves we were taught how to prepare wonderful Sicilian recipes using products that were specific to the area we were visiting. As we learned new cooking techniques using fresh local ingredients we had a blast interacting with the local chefs who proudly taught us family recipes passed down for generations. And in true Sicilian style, after a few hours together in the kitchen we then sat down at the table and ate what we cooked, enjoying every delicious bite!
During the first part of our journey we stayed at the Scilio Agriturismo in Linguaglossa on the north eastern slope of Mount Etna. This beautiful property has been in the Scilio family for four generations and the current owners are Giovanni and Elisabeth Scilio. In the cucina, our gracious hostess Elisabeth and chef Carmella, gave us our first taste of the most sought after pistachio in the world from the tiny town of Bronte. Bronte is perched at the top of slope of volcanic rock, located about half a mile northeast of Etna.
The Arabs, who once controlled the region, are responsible for bringing pistachio trees to Sicily from the Middle East. Sicily is the only place in Italy where pistachios are grown, and have become quite expensive due to their limited production. Pistachio cultivation in Sicily is laborious work. The trees only bear fruit every two years and the steep volcanic slopes prevent the use of machines to harvest the fruit. The intense, full flavor and grassy aroma of Bronte pistachios comes from the mineral rich soil and the Sicilian sun and air. Bronte pistachios are an essential ingredient in many Sicilian cakes and cookies but also find their way into just about everything from pasta to meat dishes and of course the infamous gelato.
This pistachio cake was the simplest dish we prepared on the trip and is amazingly rich and sinful. Elisabeth Scilio was kind enough to share her house made walnut liqueur with us that evening and the pairing was heavenly. I had to convert grams to ounces and Celsius to Fahrenheit so hopefully everything will come together!
Ingredients: 8 large organic eggs whites 14 ounces (400 grams) of sugar 1.5 t. pure vanilla extract 14 ounces (400 grams) of ground pistachio, shelled, skins removed 3.5 ounces (100 grams) of cake flour ("00")
Directions: Preheat the oven at 325°. Mix all ingredients together to form a moist paste. Pour the mixture into a well greased spring form pan. Bake for about 30 minutes until an inserted knife comes out clean but moist. Dust with powdered sugar and drizzle with chocolate sauce if desired.
We sadly said arrivederci to Sicilia and its amazing food, wine, culture and people this morning. It was a truly wonderful trip with an incredible group of adventurous wine lovers who spent the past two weeks falling in love with Sicilia and sharing a very special time together. We'll never be able to recreate the experience and feel so fortunate to have been a part of it!
So on to the next leg of our trip, Kerry and I hopped on a quick flight to Rome. With only two days to explore this amazing city, we are cramming a lot of walking, eating and drinking into our schedule. We found a great little enoteca for lunch and went to La Pollarola near Campo dei Fiori for a wonderful Roman meal. The photo is of Kerry chowing down on the classic Pasta alla Carbonara!
Feeling a little over saturated with our wine consumption we took the day off from visiting wineries today to explore the western coastline of the island. We had a picnic on the beach at San Vito lo Capo, a little seaside village noted for its beautiful ceramics. Afterwards we drove up the amazingly steep limestone spur high above the sea to the medieval walled town of Erice. The views of the surrounding country side are breathtaking and on a clear day you can see the coast of Tunisia to the south west and the Etna to the east. I'll post the photos as soon as I can, absolutely stunning!
Today we left our beautiful home at Mandranova and headed to the western side of the island where we will spend the next four days at the Donna Franca agriturismo just north of Marsala. On the way we stopped to tour the Planeta winery at Sambuca with our very gracious host, Chiara Planeta. One of five properties they own on the island, the vineyards here are the main production areas for their white wines and merlot and overlook Lago Arancio. Chiara led us through a wonderful tasting of many of their wines that are not available in the states as well as their award winning Cometa and Merlot. Afterwards she put together a delicious lunch of regional products including the absolute best fresh ricotta we've had yet, and believe me we've had a lot of it in the past week!
We're back on the road now, heading to our next home that will look out to the Egadi Islands and the Mediterranean Sea...ah la dolce vita!!!
The beautiful weather today allowed the staff at Mandranova to finish picking the olives. We were able to watch the pressing today and the photo is the end product, amazing and delicious freshly made olive oil. We are heading to the cucina in a few minutes for a tasting of the four different single varietal oils made on the estate. I've eaten more olive oil in the last few days than I usually have in a month and loved every drop of it!
Today we are at Principi di Butera for a tasting of their wines and the most amazing lunch of regional foods. This is the group making a toast to all of you wishing you were here!
Yesterday was a travel day as we said arrivederci to Etna and drove south west to the Mandranova Olive Estate. They be picking olives over the next few days and we will watch them press tomorrow!
Our dinner last was the best yet which is quite an accomplishment considering what we've eating over the past 6 days! I'm having difficulties with Internet connectios and AT&T will cost us a fortune if we're not careful! But I've been taking tons of photos and making detailed notes so I will try to post more when we can find some free wifi. But I think it is safe to say that everyone is having a fabulous time and we go to bed each evening with our bodies and our minds completely satiated.
After way too many hours of flying and terrible airplane food, we arrived at our first agriturismo on the northeast slope of the volcano, the beautiful Scilio. The terrain and vegetation here are similar to that of southern California with undulating sepia toned foothills, dotted with cactus, palm trees, oleander and scrubby bushes. However the most remarkable and dramatic feature is the abundance and use of black lava rock. Not only does it create dramatic rock formations but it is also one of the primary building materials for local structures, terrace and retaining wall and even roads circling the Etna. And of course it is what makes the wines of the region so interesting, unusual and amazing!
I woke early after a belly-filling evening of delicious local wines and foods from the farm and decided to investigate the property. The black lava soils line the paths and roads which weaved through the vineyards and olive orchards eventually leading me to the Catina where the wines are produced. Lucky for me I met a little companion cenino who accompanied me during the rest of my walk (don't tell Sangi!).
The estate has been in the family now for five generations and the current owners, Salvatore and Elisabeth remember that electricity was a luxury that they didn't receive until the late 1960's!! The property was just recently renovated and the colorful stucco and lava rock buildings are in perfect harmony with the surroundings and the view of the Etna from anywhere on the property is breathtaking!
Time for a quick shower and breakfast before we head up to the vineyards of to meet Vincenzo at the vineyards of Passopisciaro!
