Interest in Sicilian Wine Continues To Erupt
This past May, I had the pleasure of visiting the fascinating Island of Sicily. While politically part of Italy, it’s almost a continent in itself located at the crossroads of the Mediterranean. Its vast coastline sports hundreds of sandy beaches while the interior has a remarkable range of landscapes. Ancient Greek ruins are a testament to a rich and storied history that spans several millennia. But we can’t not mention grape growing and wine making, a flourishing, major sector of the economy. While vast vineyards are found throughout the island, we want to concentrate on Mount Etna. This active volcano is THE most important and imposing geographic feature of Sicily. We missed a small eruption only a few days prior. The Cusumano family is headquartered in the town of Partinico on the northwest end of the island, close to Palermo. We were graciously hosted by Export Manager, Maria Leone. Mount Etna is where the excitement is these days. Over the past twenty years premium winemakers from around the world have been attracted to this lava-strewn landscape. Cusumano’s Alta Mora estate with three contradas, that is single vineyards, is located on the steep north slope of the volcano. Covered in black lava soil, it is not in the path of any lava flows. For white wine production, the indigenous white Carricante grape dominates. Fermented solely in stainless steel to preserve the aromatics, citrus, minerals and green apple dominate. Mid weight in body, it has an almost Chardonnay-like feel about it with a complex, lingering finish..
Since Sicily is surrounded by the Mediterranean, the obvious pairing would be your favourite seafood. Noted journalist James Suckling scored it 93 points.