Sicily history in a bottle
Sorry for the blog pause. Yes, all seven of you patiently waiting, I see you. The last couple of weeks were vacation and, honestly, recovering from vacation, which is a real and necessary thing.
I went with two friends to Sicily for what was supposed to be a chill beach trip. Instead, it turned into hiking two volcanoes, visiting two wineries, and road-tripping way more than planned. Sicily packs coastal views, volcanos, nature reserves, and charming cities - each telling it’s own story. I know we don’t have the attention span for a novel, so I’m breaking this trip up into a few bite-sized blogs.
Visiting Duca di Salaparuta
Ageing wine in the cellar of Duca di Salaparuta
On a Monday, while my friends were busy remote working (bless them), I hopped on a 2-hour train from Capaci to Casteldaccia to visit the caves of Duca di Salaparuta. By caves, I mean where they ferment and store wines, not the vineyards.
I met a fantastic guide- a Venezuelan with Sicilian roots who moved to studied oenology there- who usually works vineyards but this summer was working at the cave. Energetic and full of passion, she made the tour (give her a raise her, please).
Duca di Salaparuta isn’t just a winery. It’s Sicily’s wine history in a bottle. What began with a duke’s passion grew into a family legacy: a son who turned it into an award-winning name spanning Rome to New York, a daughter who ran the place with stubborn independence while raising writer Dacia Maraini, and in the ’80s, a leader of the Nero d’Avola revolution. Fast forward, new vineyards popped up from Riesi to Etna, and they experimented with Pinot Noir and bold Sicilian reds. Visiting felt less like a winery tour and more like strolling through Sicily’s rebellious, beautiful identity.
After the tour, I joined a Canadian couple in the tasting room for five wines, each paired with food to do one of three things: equalize, neutralize, or enhance. My standout? The Triskelè paired with an eggplant and tomato dish. Triskelè is a Nero d’Avola (whole post incoming on this wine because it deserves it) with red berry aromas, spices from barrique aging, and smooth tannins. The acidity and fruit of the wine pairs perfectly with the tomato’s tang, while the wine’s spice and soft tannins love the earthiness and gentle heat of the spiced eggplant. The pairing lets both food and wine shine.
This was one of my first true wine-pairing moments, and honestly, I was shocked how the right food could flip the script on a wine’s taste. Double the pleasure- two sips, two different wines.
“Fun fact: Ala, their sweet dessert wine, was created by Enrico, the first son, who wanted to find a way for his wife (who didn’t like alcohol) to enjoy wine. Inspired by her love of chocolate, he crafted the wine specifically to pair with her favorite dessert.”
The Canadians left unfinished- how do you let good cheese and wine go to waste? You don’t. I stayed behind, finishing the last drops and bites before buying a bottle of Triskelè to take back to my friends. Plot twist: I missed my train, so my wine bottle and I went to the Casteldaccia beach, scavenged for sea glass, and took a nap to the sound of the waves.
This post is already way too long, so I’ll save the next parts, a natural wine bar in Palermo and a winery on Etna’s foothills for later. :)
April | Brut Honesty
