Sicilian Wine Pairings with Sicilian Cuisine, 2nd part

As I promised some days ago here it is the second part of the pairing between Sicilian wines and Sicilian recipes. The article is written by Jacqueline, sommerlier and wine lover. Here you may find her blog.

"It wouldn’t be a proper discussion of Sicilian wine without Nero d’Avola, and one of my favorite Sicilian red wines is the Corvo Rosso, a blend of Nero d’Avola, Nerello Mascalese, and Pignatello. 

Nero d’Avola, quite possibly the most important red grape in all of Sicily, originated in the southeastern part of Sicily as it prefers hot and dry climates, but it is now widely planted throughout the island.  The grape produces wines with characteristics of dark fruit, berries, and plum, and hints of spice and pepper, and a smooth texture. Pignatello, also known as Perricone, is a red grape grown in Sicily and Sardinia, and is used mainly for blending with Nero d’Avola and Nerello Mascalese. 


Corvo Rosso is a very dependable red wine with both red and dark fruit characteristics and a bit of peppery spice to add another dimension to the flavor. The wine is smooth yet a bit on the rustic side, and is best for enjoying with a casual Sicilian dish. The Sfincione (traditional pizza of Palermo) featured in the Sicilian Cuisine Blog is a delicious “pizza” consisting of a soft dough and topped with tomato and onion and caciocavallo cheese, and often enjoyed as street fare. Such a casual dish should be paired with the unpretentious yet equally delicious Corvo Rosso.

One of the most unique and fascinating Sicilian wines I’ve tasted is the Scilio Phiale Etna Rosso. Phiale is a blend of Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio, also known as Nerello Mantellato. Nerello Cappuccio grows in the volcanic soil near Mount Etna, and is known for producing wines with notes of red and dark fruit and a pleasant spiciness. Phiale is a dark and complex wine, with characteristics of the ashy soil where its grapes are grown, as well as very dark fruit, spice, wood, and a slight bitterness. The texture is full and dense with a very long finish.

I believe this wine would be an excellent choice with the Brociolone, a wonderful recipe posted on the Sicilian Cuisine Blog which is a sort of pinwheel of pounded beef, and stuffed with salami and caciocavallo cheese, and cooked with red wine. This hearty Sicilian dish calls for a substantial wine, and the Scilio Phiale Etna Rosso would make for an ideal pairing."

Sicilian Wine Pairings with Sicilian Cuisine, 1st part

Hi everyone, do you know what kind of Sicilian wine would match some of the recipes of the Sicilian Cuisine? Keep reading and you will find out. My blog recently reached 30,000 visitors in about four months and I think there is no better way to thank my readers than posting a great guest article written by a wine lover and expert. Check her blog out here. Thank you very much Jacqueline!

Here she is in her own words:

"I recently came upon the Sicilian Cuisine Blog and instantly loved the recipes posted. Being Sicilian-American and a sommelier who loves to cook traditional Sicilian dishes, I thought this would be a great opportunity to spotlight some fascinating and dependable Sicilian wines, paired with recipes posted in the Sicilian Cuisine Blog.

Crisp white wines are a great way to start, and a favorite Sicilian white wine is the Corvo Bianco. Corvo, a very reliable producer in Sicily, uses Inzolia, Catarratto, and Grecanico grapes to produce their very enjoyable white wine.

Inzolia, also known as Ansonica, is a white grape grown in the western part of Sicily; it has characteristics of citrus fruit and nuttiness and floral aromas, and contributes a crisp acidity. Catarratto is a white grape widely planted in Sicily mainly near the western coast, known for contributing robust aromas and flavors reminiscent of citrus and orchard fruits. Grecanico is the smoothest and most elegant of the three, adding to the blend its notes of apple, and soft texture. 

The Corvo Bianco is a pale straw colored wine with bright characteristics of white flowers and notes of lemon, apricot, and green apple. The wine leaves the palate feeling clean.

When pairing, this wine would accommodate lighter fish and vegetable dishes.  When browsing through the recipes posted in the Sicilian Cuisine Blog, I felt this wine would mirror the flavors of the lemon flavored artichokes as the wine pairs very well with vegetables and the lemon flavors in the artichoke dish would be reflected in the citrus characteristics in the wine.

When thinking of Sicilian wines, Rose is probably the last style of wine to come to mind. However, last year I was introduced to a lovely Rose from a well-respected producer in Sicily. The Tasca d’Almerita Regaleali Rose, produced by the Tasca family at the Regaleali estate in the hills of central Sicily, is made of Nerello Mascalese.

Nerello Mascalese is an important red grape grown at high altitudes in Sicily, and displays characteristics of red fruits and berries with a slight smokiness and is relatively tannic. The Tasca d’Almerita Regaleali Rose is a salmon-pink wine, full of red fruit aromas and flavors including strawberry, raspberry, and cherry, with just a hint of smoke that reflects the volcanic soil present where the grapes are grown. The wine is soft and subtle with a modest finish, and is best paired with light pasta and seafood dishes. I would be interested in trying this wine with the mussel soup posted in the Sicilian Cuisine Blog which consists of fresh mussels, red pepper, plum tomato, and other ingredients. I believe the freshness and light fruitiness would compliment the mussels and tomato nicely, and the slight sweetness of the wine would provide a very good contrast to the red pepper.

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Thanks again to Jacqueline! A second part of this excellent pairing will come soon. Stay tuned and in the meantime... enjoy a glass of wine, obviously a Sicilian one!!!

In Palermo Marsala wine and Art nouveau have only one name: FLORIO!

There is nothing better than sipping a fine Florio Marsala wine with a nice dessert or at the end of a rich lunch. The Vecchioflorio, the old dry one, is a wine of very ancient tradition, made from two qualities of grapes: grillo and catarratto, that grow in the province of Trapani. It is aged for 2 years in ancient oak casks to become one of the best incomparable wine of all times for sweets and desserts.

The Florio family is undoubtedly considered the most industrious and enlightened family of entrepreneurs in Palermo's modern times. Originally from Calabria, they arrived in Sicily at the end of the XVIIIth century starting the production of wine, the famous Marsala that took the name from the area in which the wine cellars were located: Le Cantine Florio.

Vincenzo Florio started the production in 1833 becoming the biggest competitor of the English companies that had started to produce and sell the Marsala wine some years before in the same region: Woodhouse, Ingham-Whitaker, Hopps.

Florio had their fingers in many pies: not only wine, but also tuna-fisheries, shipping company, a spinning mill, foundries and ceramics factory, and last but not least they created a car race across Sicily that still boasts their name: Targa Florio.

But this is not the end of the story. Infact, they were so important that made build many mansions for their family: from Villa Igiea to the precious Villino Florio (in the picture). This villa was commissioned by the head of the family Vincenzo Florio, an art lover, to the famous architect Ernesto Basile who started the construction between 1900 and 1902. 

The building is situated near corso Olivuzza and is an exceptional testimony of the Art Nouveau style and architecture. It has a garden, a pond and is surrounded by trees. Besides at the entrance there is a wrought iron gate. It is still considered one of the best jewel of architecture and originality of the Palermitan "Stile Liberty" (the name we call the Art Nouveau in Italy.) 

After an arson in 1962 it had several restorations both in the building and in the decorations.

So now it's easier to understand why the Florios became symbols of a wealthy Sicily, centre of culture; modern, proactive and extremely civilised, and it is definetely for these reasons that their legend was so well consolidated during centuries and it remains strong until today.