I agree wholeheartedly. I have enjoyed Francesco Tornatore Sicilia Etna Rosso Pietrarizzo, and Francesco Tornatore Etna Rosso Trimarchisa as well. The Pietrarizzo cost <$30 and the Trimarchisa <$40 a bottle. They are both Nerello Mascalese wines. The Francesco Tornatore Sicilia Etna Bianco is no slouch either. It is Carricante and costs <$20 here.
I agree wholeheartedly. I have enjoyed Francesco Tornatore Sicilia Etna Rosso Pietrarizzo, and Francesco Tornatore Etna Rosso Trimarchisa as well. The Pietrarizzo cost <$30 and the Trimarchisa <$40 a bottle. They are both Nerello Mascalese wines. The Francesco Tornatore Sicilia Etna Bianco is no slouch either. It is Carricante and costs <$20 here.
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Donnafugata Ben Rye is one of my absolute favorite sweet wines made anywhereâŚ
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Just opened the '19 of the Bianco last night with seafood spaghettini. A nice change from the usual. Good spine of acidity and a lovely citrus/ stone palate. $24 or so here.
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I actually have a 2017 but havent ever had one before. How old do you prefer them?
But technically that is from Pantelleria, not Sicily 
Iâd say 7+ years post-vintage. Iâve had a couple of vintages in my cellar that Iâve been tracking through time and thatâs when they seem to really have blossomed.
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Pantelleria is like a Sicilian suburb 
I do like the Donnafugata Ben Rye, but would observe that if you donât like apricot fruit, you may not care much for it.
Re: Gulfi, their top of the line Nero is the NeroSanlore.
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Please donât forget MARSALA!!!
Especially https://www.marcodebartoli.com/en/
or
https://www.duca.it/en/categoria_vino_brand/riserve-storiche-en/
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What would be a Sicilian equivalent of the Greek Assyrtiko - a bright cheerful acidic Mediterranean Sea dry white wine, with a touch of depth to it [possibly even cellarworthy]?
VIVC doesnât list any synonyms for âAssyrtikoâ, which leads me to believe that âAssyrtikoâ never made it over to Italy [to the extent that there seems to be no Italian word for it].
Usually if a cultivar has widespread use in other countries, VIVC will include all the local names as synonyms in the database.
Etna Bianco, basically. Most Greek Assyrtikos tend to be rather boring - at least based on my experience - unless the wine comes from Santorini, where the volcanic soil lends remarkable minerality, intensity of flavor and capability to retain remarkably high acidity when very ripe. Iâve had a few great Assyrtikos from outside Santorini, but in general Santorini Assyrtiko >> other Greek Assyrtikos.
Etna Bianco is the Sicilian white that comes from volcanic soil, which is the key factor that makes the wine come across as pretty similar to a Santorini Assyrtiko - volcanic soil boosts mineral flavors in a wine and helps the grapes to retain high acidity even when very ripe. Carricante, Catarratto and Minella arenât similar to Assyrtiko, so you wonât get identical wines, but thanks to the soil, youâll most likely find high acidities and pronounced mineral tones in these wines.
Other Sicilian wines tend to be either too big and flabby (due to it being a quite hot place) or light, zippy and simple (as the grapes need to be harvested way too early so they donât get overripe). On the cooler slopes of Etna the grapes ripen more slowly, so they can be harvested later without compromising acidity or getting excessively alcoholic wines.
VIVC doesnât list any synonyms for âAssyrtikoâ, which leads me to believe that âAssyrtikoâ never made it over to Italy [to the extent that there seems to be no Italian word for it].
Yup. In Europe, grape varieties really donât travel outside their cultural sphere (unless they are French!). Thatâs why you donât find Greek varieties in Italy or vice versa. If Italy has hundreds - possibly even more than a thousand - indigenous grape varieties, why would they have need for any extra varieties from Greece? 
Some people have thought varieties like Greco (âGreekâ) have arrived from Greece, but ampelography has disproved these theories. IIRC, all these varieties that have supposedly traveled from Greece have turned out to be indigenous varieties from Southern Italy.
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I am surprised to hear you say this, as you like varieties from everywhere, just like most people do. Just because a place has their own foods doesnât mean people donât like to try something new. Witness Chinese restaurants in the most remote locations. Sure, they have their own foods but once in a while they want to try something new. Same with grape varieties and why they spread.
Basically because in places where the production relies on local, indigenous varieties, the introduction of new varieties usually comes at the expense of local varieties. So what one might think of as increasing diversity, might actually result in the total opposite.
However, if these varieties replace some international varieties like Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon that ever so rarely produce anything of real interest outside of a select few corners in the world, Iâm all for it! I would think Assyrtiko might make more interesting wines than Chardonnay if planted on the volcanic soils of Etna. However, I wouldnât be rooting for Assyrtiko if any Carricante or Nerello vineyards were replaced with it.
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I am very thankful that Italy has not had the near infinite variety replaced by other foreign varieties. Such an incredible level of diversity within Italy already. I cannot imagine that I will ever be lucky enough to try all the varietals, let alone all of the different styles.
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This! Although there are tons of regions where the ubiquitous Sangioveses, Montepulcianos, Trebbianos and Primitivos have taken over acreage from lesser local varieties - even in places where these said varieties have not been farmed before. So even though Italy has managed to resist many of the international varieties, it can happen that the less popular varieties can still get overwhelmed.
Iâm nevertheless happy that there has been renewed interest in local varieties and many growers are replanting their vineyards with these often overlooked varieties instead of the same familiar names. We need more Timorassos, Nascettas, Nosiolas, Gaglioppos and Mammolos instead of more Trebbianos, Primitivos and Sangioveses!
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agreed. I cannot help but imagine what the world would be like if the same resources were poured into each of these varieties as has been put into some of the big name varietals. So much potential for incredible wines, I hope that renewed interest continues, we see more diversity and we start to push the potential of many more of these lesser known grapes.
I conditionally agree with Ottoâs post - I do love the amazing variety in Italy, but not all grapes have the same potential for greatness - and if there were more producers making serious Trebbiano at the same quality level as, say, Valentini, Pepe or Tiberio, I think that would be a great thing for Italian wine drinkers.
Some grapes âhighest and best useâ are merely as blending grapes, but the revived interest in Italyâs viticultural diversity has caused some folks to bottle certain varieties as stand-alone releases, which in my mind only serves to emphasize the grapeâs shortcomings - Colorino and Croatina, Iâm thing of you here. ![[wow.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/7/7d450e9830889c8943b674446a21b7254cad657e.gif "wow"){kind=small}
Joseph, youâre going to be attending the Dan Hammer shindig on the first, right? I have a Ben Rye in the cellar from 2011, so Iâll bring that along for our post-pizza wind down.
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Had a bottle of Terre Nere Etna Rosso Santo Spirito 2019 over the weekend. Really fantastic stuff. Orange peel, clove, light bodied, medium acid
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I will be there and that would be awesome!
I have been trying my way through some Terre Nere lately from their baseline Etna Rosso to the Feudo di Mezzo, Santo Spirito and Moganazzi. Stocked up on a Zachys deal recently. Santo Spirito is really solid, even better the second day. My favorite so far is the Feudo di Mezzo, but the base Etna Rosso is damn tough to beat at $20-25.
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