​In recent years, some of the most exciting wines from Italy have come out of Sicily.  Even before HBO’s White Lotus extolled the sensual beauty of Planeta’s Eruzione wines, Sicily has experienced what many have dubbed a “wine renaissance”, where vines from antiquity have been given new life.  There is a creative energy here, gaining steam like Mount Etna’s volcanic eruptions.  A new generation of winemakers are reinvigorating Sicily’s wine producing culture, resurrecting their previously overlooked native grapes that millennia of wine was made from.  Exploring new vineyard sites and improving winemaking methods, winemakers are advancing Sicily’s modern wine potential, morphing it into one of the most important wine producing regions in the world.

Nocera vineyards, Courtesy of Casa Vinicola Cambria

For over three thousand years, waves of invaders and traders have left their indelible mark on this Mediterranean island, from the Greeks, Phoenicians, and Romans, and wine became the currency of connection for all these cultures.  Today, Sicily is the largest wine producing region in all of Italy, even more than Tuscany or Piedmont, and its hilly vineyards enjoy a Goldilocks moment, with near perfect weather, sunny island breezes, a mosaic of diverse soils, and higher elevations.  Over 70 native grape varietals in all colors offer fascinating tastes of future past, where the rich viticultural tapestry of wine emerges from the glass with a fresh elegance and characterful palate.  Farming for quality, and doing it sustainably, with over 30% of its vineyards certified organic, is propelling Sicilian wine to new heights.

The Italian-American Chamber of Commerce West (IACCW), in an ongoing effort to spotlight the different regions of Italy, organized “A Night in Sicily” with Cantine Madaudo and Casa Vinicola Cambria.  Winemakers from Cambria and Madaudo wineries participated, starting with a wine seminar, conducted by Sommelier/Educator Matthew Kaner, followed by a four-course dinner, paired with their wines, for wine industry professionals at Tesse Restaurant.  It was a fascinating first look at small production wineries that are mining their viticultural heritage to achieve a modern expression of Sicilian wine.

Casa Vinicola Cambria, established in 1864, embraces whole heartedly Sicily’s ancient wine history, reviving the Nocera grape in the 1960’s, which, according to legend, was made into “Mamertinum”, the favorite wine of Julius Caesar.  In the Furnari Hills of the Messina District in north-eastern Sicily, Cambria’s limestone-infused vineyards provide the perfect environment for Nocera to once again flourish, first harvested in 2009.  Only 74 acres are planted here, in total 50,000 bottles are produced at Cambria, of which only 2,300 are sparkling and 2,000 are passito.

Nocera produces deeply colored wines with high acidity, balanced alcohol and soft round tannins, from which Cambria makes six different bottlings, three 100% Nocera and three blended with other varietals.  It was so fascinating to taste Nocera in three different incarnations, a sparkling, still and sweet wine.  The Cambria Fin Che Venga Nocera Brut Rosé 2017 is bright with citrus, currant, orange blossom and toasted bread aromas, a fine bubble stream leads to persistent citrus flavors, framed by mineral, bitter almond and lightly tannic notes, fresh and delicate.  The Cambria Mastronicola Nocera 2014, the “Gran Cru of the Furnari Hills”,  is a full-bodied round wine, soft with blackberry and blueberry fruit, earthy with nice acidity, and a long finish.  The Cambria KIO Nocera Passito 2017 is a rich dessert wine, complex with its deep cherry fruit, blackberry jam and prunes, accented with dark chocolate caramel, vanilla and balsamic notes, velvety and persistent on the finish.  This was an unusual opportunity to discover and taste a small production of an ancient grape, made with modern technology, that showcased the potential for Sicilian winemakers to resurrect the past while reinventing the future.  Definitely a hit, the wines are unique and intriguing.

Cantine Madaudo, founded in 1945, has always focused on indigenous Sicilian grapes, seeking to produce the highest quality wines.  Madaudo produces several different collections of wine, averaging 8 million bottles annually of IGT, DOC, DOCG and sparkling wines.  In fact, Madaudo makes a wide array of sparkling wines, both traditional and charmat method.  Pouring wines from their Sicilia Illustrata lineup, this collection of eight wines embrace the native and international grape varietals that do so well in Sicily.  Colorful labels were designed by Lelio Bonaccorso, and three wines were explored, one from each quality category.  The Madaudo Etna Bianco DOC 2021, 70% Carricante and 30% Cataratto, a true study of Sicilian terroir, with both grapes grown on the volcanic slopes of Mount Etna.  The wine is fruity and floral, yet mineral with a delicate bouquet of sea spray and lemon peel.  Madaudo Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG 2018, 60% Nero d’Avola and 40% Frappato, is a rich and intense wine.  Cerasuolo di Vittorio is Sicily’s only DOCG wine, the recipe for the blend can run from 50-70% Nero d’Avola, which gives it power and fullness, and 30-50% Frappato, that adds the lighter, easier to drink, fruitier aspect.  Aromas of plums and berries dance among the floral, chocolate, leather and tobacco notes.  Madaudo Syrah IGT 2021, 100% Syrah, is intensely aromatic with dark berry and licorice notes, a sturdy red wine that is persistent on the palate.

In the break between the seminar and the dinner, two additional wines were poured.  The Madaudo Grillo Cuvée Spumante Extra Dry IGT, 100% Grillo, is a fragrant sparkler with fine bubbles, aromas of fresh fruit within a delicate structure.  The Cavifur Nero d’Avola DOC, produced by Cambria, is elegant and spicy, with soft tannins and good structure, aromas of black current and blueberries flesh out the palate.

Alda Fantin & Rosario Madaudo of Cantine Madaudo

Nino Pelleriti of Cambria Vini

Fabian Rodriguez enjoying the wine and education of "A Night in Sicily"

Then the delicious dinner was served, family-style, along with a couple of new wines and two from the seminar.  First course, the Madaudo Sicilia Illustrata Etna Bianco DOC was a fabulous companion to the Little Gem Salad, with Chickpea Mousseline, Pepitas, Sumac and Dried Tomato Vinaigrette and the Hamachi Crudo, with Crispy Wild Rice, Gooseberries, Sudachi, and Yuzu.  Second course, the flip side of the Etna coin, the Madaudo Sicilia Illustrata Etna Rosso DOC, with its red fruited aromas, spice and leather notes, served with the Beef Tartare “A L’Huile d’Olive”, with Caper berry, Shallots, Grana Padano, and Chive Aioli.  Third course, another new wine, the Cambria Giulio Cesare Mamertino Rosso DOC, 60% Nero d’Avola and 40% Nocera, another wine that supposedly Julius Caesar was very fond of.  It’s a big but elegant wine, complex with ripe red berry fruit, and notes of tobacco, vanilla, leather and toasted wood, with a balanced structure and long lingering finish.  The Mamertino Rosso accompanied the Truffle Cavatelli, with Spinach Cavatelli, Wild Mushrooms and Velouté and the Aged Skirt Steak, with Duck fat Fries, Green Peppercorn, and Baby Gem Salad.  Fourth course, a Sticky Toffee Pudding dessert, paired with the Cambria KIO Nocera Passito IGP, a fabulous end to “A Night in Sicily”, living vicariously through food and wine.