The "Other Side" of Sicily
Cantine Pupillo has become a go-to for white wines on days like we've had here in Portland the last few days - sunny weather and the smell of spring blossoms everywhere.
For those who need a refresher on what makes these wines something to stock up on, read Dan's missive below. If you already know, then just hit that reply button and let me know your request!
Do a quick search for "Sicilian Wines," and you'll get a breadth of information about volcanic soils, Mt. Etna, indigenous grape varieties very few people have heard of, and almost all of it exclusively about red wine. It's sort of weird. Why?
My experience there a few years ago revealed a different story.
Look, I get it. Mt. Etna is majestic. It dominates the landscape in the northeast of the island, wows visitors from the moment they land at Catania airport, and dominates your viewpoint at every turn for 50km surrounding it. You'll have lots of photos to prove it. And yes, there are some really really good wines grown on its hillsides facing the Tyrrhenian and Ionian seas. It's all magnificent.
The problem is that everyone knows that, and that means it's where everyone is. As a wine importer, I've instead always wanted to be where everyone isn't. Perhaps one day my therapist and I will talk about that, but over the years it has served me well to take note of where the crowds are, and then go the other way. It turns out there's lots of interesting stuff in the opposite direction.
The very southeast of Sicily, and the city of Siracusa, is a different world from the Mt. Etna area. It's just over an hour's drive from Catania, and all along the way, the mountain disappears in your rearview mirror, and the landscape changes to something more desert-like, sandier, and wild. Surrounding the city is a low-lying range of hills that feature a farming polyculture of lemon orchards, potato farms, other fruit trees, and vineyards. The sandy soils are fertile here, and winter rains provide enough water to sustain agriculture year-round, providing some wonderfully flavorful and delicious stuff.
Incredibly, this area is considered to have been the first landfall of grapevines that came from the Middle East or Africa, during Roman times! The grape that led the way was Moscato. And today, Moscato di Siracusa has to be considered one of the most important wine appellations on the planet. Yet, with just 12 hectares (yeah, you're reading the right) planted, it is often overlooked, and chalked up as "it must be sweet."
Yet here we are, 7000 miles away, and talking about it anyway, a small stack in our warehouse of the most aromatic, mouthwatering, delicious white wine we import. It comes from a vineyard of 4 hectares (that's right, representing 1/3 of the entire appellation!) called Cantine Pupillo. Maybe you already know this wine and need a reload because you agree. But if you've never pulled the trigger on this one before, maybe it's time to find out what all the fuss is about.
And then someone will be heading in the opposite direction with me!
Cantine Pupillo "Cyane" Moscato di Siracusa 2023
Pure 100% dry Moscato di Siracusa, a variety nearly extinct in the area. Dry (yes, it really is) and refreshing, this is ready for anything--your next seafood plate, appetizers, pizza, to drink while preparing the meal, or just to sit around enjoying an amazing white wine and planning your trip to Sicily. There's no bad moment. I find this wine to be one of the most versatile of all the wines we import. The salivary glands are kicking into gear just writing about it! There's no bad time to open one.
but, there's more...
Cantine Pupillo "Targetta" Catarratto 2022
This is one of those indigenous white varieties from Sicily that I mentioned earlier. From 1 hectare of a grape called Catarratto on Pupillo's fantastic property, just a few minutes from the seaside city of Siracusa. Mostly planted around Palermo in the west of Sicily, and used for the production of Marsala, there are also some hidden vineyards around Siracusa, from where it was probably first cultivated. Many versions can be light, simple, and easy, but this one is straw-colored, high-toned with aromatics, sunny and bright--just like this fertile part of southeast Sicily. It picks up where the Moscato leaves off in terms of richness, and tends more toward tropical stuff--mangoes, papayas--that sort of spectrum.