Back with our latest Italian indigenous variety, this week’s grape is Grecanico from Sicily. The grape is often blended with Grillo and/or Catarratto. It is part of a host of D.O.C. wines from Contea di Sclafani, Contesa Entellina, Menfi and others.

I recently had a lovely one at Vinitaly from Tasca d’Almerita. The one I tasted was a wine made without the addition of sulfites, an experiment that Tasca had undertaken. Tasca is very conscious of its carbon footprint and is heavily involved in sustainability initiatives in Sicily. I will write about them tomorrow though. Today is about this grape variety. Grecanico has aromas and flavors of lemon and citrus.

A wine without the addition of sulfites still has some sulfites in it because they are produced during fermentation. This wine spends four months on its lees which is a natural level of protection for the wine. As we know, sulfur is added to wines as an anti-oxidant and to stabilize the wines.