Unless you are familiar with Sicilian wines you might not be acquainted with the Frappato grape variety. It is indigenous to the southeastern corner of Sicily near Siracusa and Vittoria where it is mainly used as a blending partner for Nero d’Avola in Cerasuolo di Vittoria — Sicily’s only DOCG wine. But Frappato can also stand on its own as […]
A Chardonnay blend or Nerello Mascalese are perfect springtime sips as the weather is warming, but still unsettled. Can’t decide between a spring salad and a roasted vegetable and farro salad? Still enjoying roasted chicken and not quite ready to fire up the grill? Let us introduce you to Castello Pomino and Duca di Salaparuta, a taste of Tuscany and […]
Today we are sipping four wines from Tasca d’Almerita’s Tenuta Regaleali. It is difficult to decide which qualities I appreciate most in these wines. All four are made using varieties indigenous to Sicily and all are 100% varietal wines. These wines are extremely versatile and will take you from summertime sipping all the way into winter. Then there is the […]
Today’s cellar note takes us to one of our favorite vacation spots…Sicily. The prospect of sipping this delightful Grillo took me back to Sicily’s rolling hills covered with a combination of olive trees, vineyards, pastures and picturesque rural towns. It brought back memories of open-air markets, Baroque churches and arancini. Now I’m longing to return. A quick review of the […]
Few wines really speak of a region or variety to me (no fault of the wines, but rather a lack of skill on my part), but this wine did. As I sipped it initially I felt certain it was Nerello Mascalese. Something about the combination of fruit and earth just made me think of the wines we tasted around Mt. […]
Nerello Mascalese will forever be connected in my mind to Sicily and more specifically Mt. Etna. Not so much because it is, along with the white grape variety Carricante, the signature red grape of the Etna DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata), but because the striking natural beauty of Mt. Etna. Several years ago we spent three weeks traveling around Sicily. […]
2013 Il Censo Praruar Terre Siciliane Bianco — translucent rusty orange that is just a bit cloudy in the glass; interesting aromas and flavors of iron, rocky soil, cut rose stems and walnuts. Hints of iodine and smoke mingle in the background. Juicy acidity keep this wine bright and provides an interesting counterpoint to drying tannins. The finish goes on […]
I am always drawn to a wine with an interesting backstory. And while every wine has a story my personal bias is going to take me in the direction of family winemaking and organic or biodynamic viticultural practices. Or in the direction of a winemaker resurrecting a forgotten style of wine. Winemaking in Old World wine regions using indigenous varieties will catch my eye […]
Although we didn’t know it at the time of our winery tour, Gulfi is an Arab word that translates to a pleasurable place. Gulfi Winery takes its name from the nearby town of Chiaramonte Gulfi which was established in the 6th century B.C. by Greeks who left Syracuse. Akrillay was the original name of the settlement, but its name has […]
The Scilio family has been making wine at the foot of Mt. Etna since 1815, the same date that is carved on the date-stone near the current entrance to the family home.
We enjoy wine, food and travel. Pull That Cork is a chronicle of our wine adventures, the food and wine pairings we create and our travels which are increasingly organized around wine.