2008 Passopisciaro

Passopisciaro is in the Mount Etna region of eastern Sicily, and it is one of the pioneers in the winemaking renaissance sweeping these volcanic slopes. It was started in 2001 by Andrea Franchetti, a northern Italian who started Tenuta di Trinoro in Tuscany in the 1980s. But in the late 1990s he became interested in the extraordinary terroir around Mount Etna, where very high vineyards of up 3,600 feet, intense sunshine, and rich, volcanic soils have historically been exploited for vineyards. However until recent decades most Sicilian grapes went to bulk wines, and the wine world was unimpressed. But since the early 2000s, Franchetti and other forward-thinking viticulturalists have turned Sicily, and especially the Mount Etna district, into some of Europe’s most exciting wine regions. With about 65 vineyard acres, Franchetti grows the indigenous grape Nerello Mascalese, as well as Cesanese d’Afille, Chardonnay and Petit Verdot. Because they are grown on such high altitudes and sometimes are made of non-traditional grapes, many of Passopisciaro’s wines fall out of the traditional DOC boundaries. Gambero Rosso regularly awards these wines ratings of two to three glasses

Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean, and, with its 329,000 vineyard acres, Italy’s largest wine region by acreage and the quantity of wine produced. Nevertheless, only 2.1% of all Sicilian wine is DOC, or wine made according to appellation standards. Until the 1970s Sicilian wine grapes either went to make Marsala, the sweet dessert wine introduced by 18th century British wine merchants, or to cooperatives that specialized in bulk wine production. But in 1968 Sicily was awarded its first DOC, which was the Etna DOC on the southern slopes of Mt. Etna, and today there are 19 DOCs. Along with the Maremma on Tuscany’s western coast, Sicily is considered the most exciting winemaking region in Italy. Longtime family agricultural estates are being turned into high quality commercial wineries, and because land prices are low compared to other parts of Italy, enterprising young winemakers and viticulturalists – many of whom practice organic and sustainable farming – have started wineries in Sicily. Marsala is still produced, and the Marsala business is one reason why 60% of Sicily’s vineyards are planted to Catarratto, the white grape used as a base for Marsala. But dry white wines are made from Inzolia, Malvasia, Zibbio and Chardonnay. But it is Sicily’s big, complex red wines that are grabbing the attention of wine enthusiasts. Nero d’Avola is Sicily’s most common red grape, and it produces rich, somewhat spicy wines. Other red grapes are Nerello Mascalese, Frappato and French varietals.