I’ve tasted wine from a lot of different countries, both because I like to experiment and as a result of having written this website for the last six years. Sicily is one of those areas where I haven’t tasted much, which is funny since Italian wine holds such a special place in my heart. In fact, searching through my previous posts, I haven’t written about Sicilian wine since 2012. Fortunately, I was able to rectify this oversight this past week thanks to a pair of Sicilian wines that were sent to my doorstep.
I started with the 2013 Timpune Grillo. In the glass the wine was a golden color, likely the result of having aged sur lies in stainless steel tanks. On the nose I picked up round citrus notes, mostly apple, and in the mouth the wine showed more apple, with some pineapple. While the wine was aged in stainless steel, it had a certain roundness to it that I rather enjoyed, though whether this is indicative of the grape or of how it was prepared, I don’t know.
As part of the wines being sent to me, I also received a recipe for swordfish. I ended up not making this dish for two reasons – first, I couldn’t find swordfish as my local store and ended up going for yellowfin tuna instead, and second, the recipe was heavy on olives. I cannot stress enough how much I don’t like olives – not a martini guy for the record.
That being said, the tuna dish I ended up making was a great complement to the wine – cooked in the pan with a topping of lemon, garlic, cilantro (I was out of parsley), salt and pepper and with a side of pesto risotto. The wine did a fabulous job of providing enough acid to cut through the richness of the food, but still providing just enough roundness to not be too acidic.
Of the two wines this was definitely more of a food wine, meaning that I don’t know how much I would have enjoyed it without pairing it with dinner first.
A few days later I opened the second bottle – a 2013 Miano Catarratto. Again, a very new grape for me. Also aged in stainless steel, I found this wine to be crisper than the Grillo, though still showing a surprising amount of gold in the color.
Lighter in the mouth, it showed more lemon to me, with just the right amount of body as to not slip into reminding me too much of a Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc. This my wife and I shared on a Saturday with some rotisserie chicken salad, cheese, and crackers. It was a great pairing. There was a hint of mineral effervescence to the wine that I found went well with the food, providing a nice contrast, and it’s definitely one I would look to as a summer sipper in the hot weather – very food versatile, but not requiring it either.
Both of these wines are retailing for $12, which I think is a great price. The 2013 Timpune Grillo is definitely one I would consider taking to your next dinner party as it’s likely to be something different from what anybody else will either bring or have had before. The 2013 Miano Catarratto is perfect for your next casual cook-out; easy enough to sip on while relaxing with friends and family, but will probably go with something coming off the grill. Either way, they’re both worth checking out as they both provide good value.
I received these wines as a free samples for review.
