A wine blog by Susannah Gold
I've been dragging my feet to write about Nerello Mascalese in my Italian Indigenous variety series. I don't know why but I think it's because it's such a "fashionable" grape that I am shying away from it. Of course, that's ridiculous. It's fashionable because it's delicious and therefore deserves attention. Years ago no one had... Continue Reading →
I first heard of Tasca d'Almerita many, many years ago. I knew it was one of Sicily's great wineries with a long and noble past and family behind it. What I didn't know was how innovative the winery is as well. Tasca d'Almerita is its 8th generation of their history. They have five estates and... Continue Reading →
In its 8th generation, Tasca is at the head of a group of wineries working on a project called SOStain that is involved in protecting the environment. The mission of the project is to promote sustainable agriculture. Tasca is convinced that the responsibility of each producer is to make great wine and to protect the... Continue Reading →
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... Continue Reading →
D Day 1 at Vinitaly is off to a great start. Thrilled to be here and to see old friends and taste great wines. Despite the cold and rainy weather, typical at least one day of Vinitaly a year, the weather is turning out to be even better than expected. I started with a tasting... Continue Reading →
As Vinitaly approaches again, I have been going through my notes to see which producers I want to visit this year and what I have tasted and written about in the past. Of course, as happens to the best of us, numerous articles that I promised I would write last year didn't get written. Not... Continue Reading →
Catarratto bianco is a widely planted grape on the island of Sicily. There are two very common types of Catarratto grown: bianco comune e bianco lucido. According to experts, the latter produces more elegant wines than the former. Catarratto is a high yielding grape which does well on this Mediterranean island, especially in the province... Continue Reading →
