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DrinkWine and thy will be served!!!!  When we think of Italian wines, we talk of the greats Barolo, Montepulciano, Amarone and Pinot Grigio” to name but a few. If we look a little further to the south we enter the hot arid landscapes of Campania,Calabria and Puglia, where wine has been produced for thousands of years and have a rich, hot spiciness that lend themselves well to the food of these regions. However as we reach the straits of Messina, we reach the southern most point of Italy and this is where the confusion lies for some. It is surprising to find that Sicilian wines are fast approaching their counterparts fame and today produces some of Europe’s finest wines. For many years Sicily grew vast quantities of grapes that were sold to big estates in Italy and France. The reason for this was to strengthen the weaker wines of these countries and in so doing was never recognised as a wine producing region. This however has all changed thankfully and today Sicily’s wine growers are benefiting from the modern techniques implemented from the new world. On the Island there are a number of large wine estates that are consistently producing great wine year upon year.  One of the most famous is the estate of Regaleali tucked away in the interior of the caltanisetta province; this estate has been owned by the Conte Tasca family since 1834 and today with new vinification techniques is producing outstanding wine.The estate itself is really beautiful and has fantastic undulating landscapes that give the wines their unique personalities. The best of the bunch they produce is Nozze d’Oro a famous white that was made to mark the count's 50th birthday. Also a bottle of Rosso Del Conte with its intense velvety texture is a real winner. Of course these wines are not for everyday drinking even in the Sicilian household. Mostly the common wine you will come across whilst travelling around is Nero D’Avola a rich, meaty red that graces most tables daily. Corvo is probably the better known estate for most living outside Italy and the wines are mass market produced today, cheap and usually good quality they signify a real landmark in Sicily’s wines being consumed in other countries. If white is your preference then the warm dry days and cool humid nights at altitude produce some truly great white wines. As with many native varieties, they have been around for centuries and lost some of their lustre when their stronger siblings such as Cabernet Sauvignon and merlot moved in. Thankfully these lesser known grapes are now making a big come back and have their own very distinctive characters. Listed below are a few to get you started. Grecanico Inzolia Cataratto ( Etna region) Nerello Mascalese (Red) Alcamo ( best producer is Cusumano) Grillo Bianco. Other Estates are fast becoming well known and near the town of Castelbuono on the SS 286 route you will find Santa Anastasia a wonderful estate where the hilly vineyards bathe in the hot summer sun on west facing slopes, making them perfect for temperature control at night. Most of the estates unlike France require advanced warning before you wish to visit, and also prefer larger groups to the single traveller. Dessert wines originally found their fame here in Sicily and the Islands, and in the 18th century a merchant from Liverpool known as John Woodhouse landed on the south west side of the island in Marsala an Arab conquest town. Mr Woodhouse realising the potential of the wine created a grape spirit that helped fortify the marsala for long sea journeys back to Britain. The British took instantly to the taste and it wasn’t long before the Woodhouse name became a wealthy trading business. It is also known that the wine had a keen follower in that of Admiral Nelson and his crews. Aperitivi or Digestivi The Sicilians are very big on their before and after drinks and these tend to lean toward the following written below: Aperitivo. To encourage the appetite Campari,soda. Prosecco Gin, lemon. Digestivi. To settle a full stomach Amaro or Averna (Dark thick herby liquid) Jiegermiester (Lighter version of averna) Grappa (grape must spirit and highly alcoholic) Limoncello made of lemons, spirit and sugar. Vino alla mandorla (sweet almond liqueur made in the area of Taormina) Cannella di Liquore ( cinnamon liqueur) All these different drinks are typically taken in Sicily: so if you want to look the part just sit back, relax and order one of the above, oh and don’t forget the sunglasses!! Coffee “Small things come in strong packages” The near obsession in Sicily with coffee brings us neatly to the end of the meal but not to be underestimated as the gentle finale, the cafe in Italy has a tendency to bite back!! The coffee we talk of comes in small cups known as “espresso”. These are rarely taken sitting down and often are thrown back for breakfast with a warm cornetto (croissant). The Italians are not big milk drinkers and only have coffee with milk in the morning, until about 11am it's fine to order a cappuccino. After this time it’s looked on as a little odd to take the milk with coffee as milk on top of food is considered bad for the stomach. Listed below are coffees for all you caffeine hitters out there: Ristretto - a very strong short espresso, not for the faint hearted. Espresso - Small cup of strong black liquid usually has a slight froth on the top. Macchiato – An espresso, with a dollop of hot foamy milk on the top. Cappuccino – A shot of espresso topped up with a foamy hot milk. Americano – What we know as a long black coffee. Café latte - Hot milk served in a tall glass with a shot of espresso. Finally if you are feeling brave try ordering a “double espresso" . Doppio espresso in Italian. What ever your particular coffee hit maybe, sitting in the morning sun wearing a pair shades is the ultimate people watching experience.  Salute Breakfast Colazione ko-la-tsyo-ne Lunch Pranzo pran-dzo Dinner Cena che-na Snack Spuntino spoon-tee-no Restaurant Ristorante rees-to-ran-te Snack bar tavola calda ta-vo-la kal-da Local bistro Osteria os-te-ree-a Pizza restaurant Pizzeria pee-za- ree-a Bar Bar bar Wine bar Enoteca e-no-tka Wine Vino vee-no Red wine Vino Rosso vee-no ro-so White wine Vino bianco vee-no byan-co Rose Vino Rosato vee-no Sparkling Vino spumante vee-no spoo-man-te Coffee caffé ka-fe Water Acqua ac-wa Fizzy frizzante fre-zan-tee Still Naturale na-too-ra-lay Lastly don’t forget to ask for the bill Il conto eel kon-to Good Luck !! ( buona fortuna) |
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