If I do have a spirit country then it must surely be Italy.

Shane Golden, Manager of Whelehans Wines

This time last week I was on my first visit to Sicily. Having completed two thirds of a grand tour
by visiting North and Central in a mere 50 years of existence,the south had been ignored but
now beckoned. Having now returned from the at once antique, foreign and utterly cosmopolitan
city of Palermo I am already making plans for a return.

“What have the Romans ever done for us? And for that matter, the Greeks, The Normans, The
Ostrogoths, the Habsburgs (both Spanish and Austrian), the Byzantines or the Arabs?” No
Sicilian ever asked. Leaving my hotel, situated in one of the oldest parts of Palermo, my GPS
tells me to go west. I pause to consider whether this is meant literally or metaphorically.
There are more UNESCO world heritage sites within a donkey’s roar of my hotel than in the
whole of Ireland. Enough history here to make Athens or Istanbul blush.

While any trip to a wine producing country these days is inevitably some form of busman’s
holiday for me, the chance to experience its unique offerings meant that the bon vivant in me
was bouncing around like a spring lamb. History, after all, is the Mother of great food and wine.
I took the decision to head on the shoulder of the high-season.The crowds weren’t frenetic, the
heat tolerable. Apart from the airport, I don't recall eating indoors. Truly, I am one of the great
men of the al fresco

Sicily is one of the warmest places in the world to make wine. Syracuse, on the eastern side of
the Island recorded Europe's warmest ever temperature very recently. Not coincidentally, it is
also the home of a wealth of indigenous grapes. Names that read from an almanac of lost
civilisations, Zibibbo, Carijcante, Muscat of Alexandria, Inzolia, Nerello Mascalese, Grillo. Some
familiar, many not. These are relics, ancient grapes that have weathered many storms and have
adapted themselves for survival. Winemakers the world over now look to these forgotten
varieties as a bulwark against our current ecological predicament. It’s straight out of the old dog
for the hard road school of philosophy.

Zibbibo is flamboyant like a citrus-gilded Viognier, and not easily forgotten. Nerello Mascalese
and its associated blends should grab the attention of all red burgundy lovers in need of some
fiscal rectitude. By the end of the week though, it’s the white Carijcante that dazzles. A varietal
previously unknown to me. With an absolute steely raciness that would make an Alsace Riesling
seem pudgy, it’

s hard to fathom that any wine made here can reflect back so coolly. If you’ve
been to Sicily before and had a glass of white then chances are you’ve had it in the form of an
Etna Bianco. Even here, single varietal expressions of it are relatively rare but with all the zeal
of the newly converted, I proclaim this my most favoured white and look down on those still
ignorant to its delights.

Climatic and topographical conditions here means that Sicily is at the forefront of Organic
farming. In practical terms this means that the majority of the wines are all about expressions of

the fruit, the terroir. Very little new oak here. I was routinely impressed by the high standard of
offerings even in the most tourist-driven hostelries. Etna’s shadow looms large, literally and
metaphorically over wine making on the Eastern side of the Island. High-altitudes in general
means that much cooler nights counterpoint the excessive daily heat and Sicily has some of the
highest vineyards in Europe. At this confluence of history and geography, I doubt Carijcante
would thrive anywhere else. It is in fact a supreme expression of terroir, distilled.

Wine of the Month

Caruso & Minini Grillo Naturalmente Bio, 2022

Tasting Notes: Sicily’s most popular white grape and also the key component of
the fortified Marsala (which is not just for cooking!). A palate of white peaches,
orange peel with a hint of saline minerality on the finish. Lush, tropical with a
distinctly glossy and rounded texture. Super with Swordfish or Mediterranean
roasted vegetables

Grape: Grillo

Region: Sicily

ABV: 12.5%

Certified Organic