Fourplay: the Italian Blend with the Naughty Name

Normally, I'm not a fan of cutesy wine names. Just tell me the grapes in the bottle, and make good wine. However, there are many, many people who do buy wines because of the name or the packaging (remember Bitch Grenache??). No matter if you're a fuddy-duddy like me, or someone who likes tongue-in-cheek wine service, I've got a bottle for you to check out: the 2007 Dievole Fourplay (suggested retail $14.99; available for $11-$14)

This is a terrific Sicilian red wine made from a blend of equal amounts of Nero d'Avola, Nerello Mascalese, Frappato Nero, and Nerello Cappucio. Luscious aromas and flavors of cherry, blackberry, and licorice are accompanied by a smoky tobacco note. And the licorice is what made the wine stand out for me, and consider it to be excellent QPR. The wine is still a bit tight and young, so give it some time to open up with help of some air (via vigorous swirling or decanting) or buy a case of it and drink it over the next two years.

Dievole's Fourplay is an excellent pizza and pasta wine, with enough cherry fruit to make it good as a stand-alone sipper, too. But I'd advise pulling it out to go with your mushroom pizza, some spaghetti with meatballs, or any other traditional Italian fare that involves a tomato.

Full Disclosure: I received this wine as a sample.

Memorable Wine

I was browsing through tasting notes on CellarTracker and fellow-Tracker drphil described a wine as "more drinkable than memorable."

That got me thinking about wines I've had that remained with me--their color, their taste, their smell--long after the bottle hit the trash and I'd moved on to something else. Happily, many of these are drinkable, too. Recently, I had a wine that was both memorable AND drinkable: the 2006 Frank Cornelissen Contadino. I purchased my bottle from Garagiste in January of 2008 for $17.99. Only 25 cases made it into the US, and I can't find it anywhere, so there are no links for you to follow so you can get some of your own.

Azienda Agricola Frank Cornelissen is located on the edge of the Mt. Etna national park, home to volcanoes and free-thinkers, in Sicily. It's got that mix of progressive while backward-looking agriculture that is making many of us think we are in a time warp as people adopt traditional farming methods in order to preserve the land and their traditions. Here are a few excerpts from their website that help to explain:

"Our farming philosophy is based on our acceptance of the fact that man will never be able to understand nature's full complexity and interactions. We therefore choose to concentrate on observing and learning the movements of Mother Earth in her various energetic and cosmic passages and prefer to follow her indications as to what to do, instead of deciding ourselves. Consequently this has taken us to avoiding all possible interventions on the land we cultivate, including any treatments, whether chemical, organic, or biodynamic, as these are all a mere reflection of the inability of man to accept nature as she is and will be."

So, these guys aren't even using biodynamics because it's too interventionist. You can imagine, then, their perspective on the use of sulphur:

"Our products are made without the use of preservatives (i.e. no added sulphur) in order to be able to develop freely to their full potential. This requires transportation and storage below 16°C. When you open a bottle, we suggest not to decant. Rather, take the wine at cellar temperature (12-16°C), pour into Burgundy balloons, nose immediately, and follow its full aromatic progression as it expands, warms up. If a little frizzante upon opening, keep the bottle cool at 14-16°C, and allow to settle for circa 15 minutes. Our wines have only natural - no added - protection against colour degradation, so if left open a few hours, you will see the colour evolve from granite red to volcanic black ash!!! Don't worry - the flavours become more complex with time, as the colour turns."

I didn't try this experiment. My wine remained hot pink, as shown in the picture, throughout. What goes into this hot pink, take no prisoners wine? 80% of the juice comes from Nerello Mascalese and the remainder comes from Nerello Cappuccio and other indigenous grapes.

So what did it taste like? First off, do you know what an unfiltered, unfined, sediment-laden Nerello Mascalese from Etna is supposed to smell and taste like?? Neither do I. We chilled it down at first from the 58 degree cellar temperature at which it was stored, and then set it in the fridge upright for 12 hours to try to settle the sediment, which was abundant. Then we pulled the cork, uncertain of what to expect.

When opened, this wine smelled of the holidays with orange peel, mace, cinnamon, and clove. The flavors were redolent of spicy cranberry and pomegranate. As we drank it, and the wine warmed, the flavors bloomed and became more pronounced. This was best with food--sausage, cheese, and we thought it would be excellent with pizza. Even though it's pink, it's not a "light" wine at 15% alc/vol.

It was excellent QPR, however--because it was so memorable and different. What was the last memorable wine that you had? It doesn't have to have been expensive or famous to be memorable. It just had to make you sit up and pay attention.

Sicily: Final Wine, Final Thoughts

February provided me with one more day to wrap up my month enjoying the wines of Sicily. I have a dessert wine review, and some final thoughts. In the past 18 months I've enjoyed 7 Sicilian wines--and three of them I popped open in the last 30 days. So I am far from an expert in the wines of the region. But I've been really impressed with the quality, diversity, and value coming out of Sicily. (the symbol of Sicily--the trinacria--photographed by John Lee)

As I reviewed my tasting notes, I realized that I have a misperception or two to erase as I continue on this journey through Italy. The first is that not all Italian reds are big, bold wines. Sicily is no exception. From the delicate and floral Frappato, to a 2003 Cos Pojo di Lupo that I enjoyed in a restaurant, to the 2004 Firriato Nero d'Avola Chiaramonte I picked for my blogger pack at domaine547, Italian reds are as likely to be herbal with good acidity as they are to taste like drinking red velvet. This is one of the reasons why they are such great food wines.

The second is that not all Italian wines are red. I'm only two months in, but I already know that the whites of Italy are going to be the big revelation of the year. If you can put the omnipresent Pinot Grigio aside, a white wine lover can get an awful lot of bang for the buck trying indigenous Italian white varieties. The Italian white that I had this month cost around $11, and delivered delicious, distinctive flavors for a very attractive price. Why? Because its a blend of chardonnay and a grape you've never heard of before. Low recognition (and hence demand) means big value.

I'm just starting to look for sparkling wines other than Prosecco, and for Italian dessert wines. Here I'm still meeting with mixed success and would appreciate any help or advice that you have to offer. I tried a Sicilian dessert wine, the 2004 Colosi Malvasia delle Lipari, which I found on sale at a local retailer. ($17.99/375ml, K & L Wines on sale; available from other merchants for between $23 and $30)The wine was peachy-amber in color, with aromas of honey and apricot. The flavors of sweet fruit (mostly apricot) had a slightly cloying honeyed aftertaste. Even on sale, this represented poor QPR in my opinion as there wasn't enough acidity to counteract the sweetness. It is better with some nutty cookies or shortbread than on its own, but this was not a wine that made me want to rush out and buy more.

Overall, I'm astounded with the range, versatility, and affordability of the Italian wines I've had--and was especially impressed this month with Sicily's bottlings. If you are on the hunt for good value wines, look for Sicilian labels on your local store shelves. I think you'll be pleased with what you taste.

Next Month: Campania

Sicily Makes White Wine, Too

When you think Sicily you might think of big, brawny red wines that go along with ample bowls of pasta with red sauce. This side of Sicilian wine and food is well known--but Sicily makes white wine, too. The island off the toe of Italy's boot is known for its volcanic soil, and its rich whites that seem to soak up the essence of warm Mediterranean sunshine.

One of the wineries that makes the most of the sun and soil is the Gulfi winery, located in the ancient province of Ragusa. Evidence of Ragusa's viticultural heritage extends back as far as the 4th century BCE. Gulfi's owner, Vito Catania, has been making wine in Ragusa since 1996, and specializes in Sicilian grape varieties, including Frappato (my choice for WBW #42).

This time, though, I picked one of his whites to try. The 2005 Gulfi Valcanzjria was a very good QPR choice. (K&L Wines, $10.99; available from other merchants for $12-$14). Made from a blend of Chardonnay and an indigenous Sicilian variety, Carricante, it had rich aromas of apple, honey, and almond. Carricante is known for its nuttiness and citrus-like acidity, with brought nice dimensions of richness and freshness to the wine. On the palate, the mouthfeel is rich and round with apple and citrus notes. The wine had a lovely satiny texture, and the nuttiness turned into a slightly bitter almond aftertaste.

We had our Sicilian white with some cheddar cheese grits topped with pan-seared sausages tossed in the pan with apple, fennel seeds, and a splash of apple cider vinegar. A southern Italian white was the suggested wine to go with this dish, and it was a very nice pairing. The nuttiness of the Carricante went well with the earthiness of the grits, and the acidity cut through the fat of the sausage and picked up the sharpness of the cheddar cheese.

I'm only two months into my Italian wine adventure, and feel like I've already learned an awful lot. I can already tell that Italy's white wines are going to be a revelation and an inspiration as I continue through the other regions.

Wine Blogging Wednesday #42: An Italian Red in 7 Words

It's time for the 42nd edition of Wine Blogging Wednesday, the online tasting event founded by Lenn Thompson of Lenndevours. This month Andrew Barrow, from the UK wine blog Spittoon, is our host. Inspired by BBC 6's challenge to describe what you did last night in just a handful of words, he charged wine bloggers around the world with this task: drink an Italian red and review it using seven words (or less).

As it's Sicily month at GWU$20, I decided to drink a Sicilian red. Primitivo would have been the classic choice, but I'm trying to drink outside the normal range of grapes so I selected an indigenous Sicilian grape called Frappato instead. Frappato is the gamay of Sicily--lighter and fresher than Primitivo. Mondosapore's Terry Hughes (aka Italian Wine Guru), gives valuable (longer) tasting notes and serving suggestions over at his site, so if you are interested in this unusual grape, you may want to check those out. I tried a later vintage of the wine he discusses in his post, the 2006 Valle dell'Acate Frappato ($17.99, K & L Wines; available elsewhere for between $15 and $18)

This has to have been the most devilishly difficult WBW yet. So, without further ado, the review:

Musky flowers perfume this bright, cherry wine.

Finding the perfect pairing for a Frappato turned out to be a challenge. It was so-so with pizza, even with a slight chill on it. I tried pasta with turkey and sun-dried tomatoes, and it was also kind of bleh. Then I made some chicken souvlaki--and the wine just sang. The Mediterranean spices went well with the brightness of the wine, and finally I felt like I understood its charms.

Check back here for the roundup of tasting notes and details about WBW #43, hosted by Joel of Vivi's Wine Journal (now the Wine Life Today Blog). Thanks to Andrew for a fun and enlightening WBW that underscored the value of words in describing what it is that we drink.

Looking for a Sicilian Red? Check Out My Blogger Pack at domaine547

The blogosophere achieved synergy this week on the subject of Sicilian reds. Yesterday I mentioned that GWU$20's regional focus this month switches from Friuli to Sicily. WBW #42 is coming up, and Andrew from Spittoon wants us to describe an Italian red in 7 words or less. And then domaine547 officially launched their newest blogger pack--a trip around the world for $45 + shipping via some wine selections that combine terroir with great value. And the wines were selected by yours truly! (logo from domaine547)

Domaine547's blogger pack program is unique in that Jill (the brain in the domaine) asks bloggers to serve as guest buyers. I've really enjoyed the blogger packs. The first pack by Ryan and Gabriella really jump-started my love of Portuguese wines, and I'm just about to dip into Good Grape's selection of Oregon wines that refer back to Alsatian grape varieties.

Jill's put up some bits and pieces about the wines that I've selected over on the site, along with ordering information. And one of the wines I picked for the pack was a Sicilian Nero d'Avola that it turns out was recommended by Bastianich and Lynch in Vino Italiano! (the first book in the new Wine Book Club).

This really must be a sign, just like the domaine547 mascot says. Buy the blogger pack, get your Sicilian red for WBW #42, AND have something to sip while listening to Sicilian pop music and reading Vino Italiano! Yet another offer that, as Don Corleone would be quick to say, you can't refuse.

An Offer You Can't Refuse: Sicily in February

It's February, which must mean that it's time to switch Italian wine regions. Last month we focused on Friuli, and this month we are sweeping southwest to the island off the toe of the Italy's boot: Sicily. Sicily is an ancient kingdom that stood at the crossroads of many cultural influences, including Greek, Roman, Norman, Arabic, German, and French in addition to those of its native Sicilian population. As you might imagine, all of those cultural influences left their own stamp on the region's wine, and today Sicily has a thriving viticultural scene as the map to the left shows. (map from Discover Sicily)

I'll be tasting a white, a red, and a dessert wine from Sicily, and sharing my observations about the region's wine with you as I go. I've been reading in the Wine Book Club's first selection, Vino Italiano!, and one of the things I'm continually struck by is how wine and food are an integral part of a region's culture. So, beginning this month I'm going to share some resources that will help you to immerse yourself not just in a region's wine, but in region's culture, too. So here are some of my recommendations for movies to watch, food to eat, and music to listen to while you're sipping some wine from this historic wine region.

For More About Sicilian Wine: web resources include the Wines of Sicily and Wine Country Italy's Sicily page.

Movies to Watch While Drinking Sicilian Wine: Moonstruck, The Godfather (take your pick of which one), Cinema Paradiso, Il Gattopardo, Il Postino

Food to Eat While Drinking Sicilian Wine: Sicily has a rich culinary heritage and is home to many classic Italian dishes familiar in the US including Involtini de Pesce Spada (Swordfish Rolls), eggplant dishes like Pasta alla Norma, cannoli, ziti with tomatoes and tuna. Click here for recipes for these traditional Sicilian dishes, and many more.

Music to Listen to While Drinking Sicilian Wine: Sicilian folk music, Carmen Consoli, the jazzy, Arabic-inspired sounds of Enzo Rao and his band Shamal.

Enjoy, and remember: WBW #42 asks you to drink an Italian red and describe it in 7 words or less. Why not make it Sicilian?

Coming in March: Campania