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Family Expansions

Cantine Madaudo
Barone di Bernaj
100% Nerello Mascalese  
Terre Siciliane IGT
Villafranca Tirrena, Sicily, Italy
Winemaking family: Rosario Madaudo (son), Alfio (dad), Andrea (uncle), Giuseppe (younger brother), and more

Shiny garnet glass. Scents of cherries, plums, raspberries, strawberries, pinch of vanilla that grows into dried figs & maybe dates too, touch of tomato leaves that turns into a smidge of drying tobacco leaves with a little smoke. Tasting again all sorts of cherries tart, tangy, fresh, dark & deep plums, young strawberries, raspberries, blackberries (seeds & all for that bite), and dried cranberries. It’s like a pinball bouncing around in the machine hitting flavors as it goes and it’s bright & fresh with a dryness on the back.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: delicious

Back in 1945, Rosario’s great grandfather started this venture with only a small farm and now it’s expanded into a full blown family affair of around 60 ha and several different collections that will take you, “Traveling through our Sicily through a glass”. You can do it like me from home on quite a few times now, or you can visit them in person at their wine bar “Palaverve“ connected to their Agrigento winery that from what I read features their bubbly bottles. Come to think of it out of all the wines I’ve tried from their lot not a single one was sparkling which means I’m truly missing out since they are so celebrated. Ah man, decisions…decisions…what am I to do? Hop a plane or find a way to get one to fly to me. 🥂✈️

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting  #wineislove #winetime #worldbyglass #italy #Sicily #wineemporium #CantineMadaudo #docwineshop #docwinebar

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Raised To Appreciate

Frank Cornelissen
Susucaru 2022
Rosato
Terre Siciliane IGP
Malvasia, Moscadella, Cattaratto, Nerello Mascalese
Organic, unfined
Etna (North Valley), Sicily, Italy

Deep magenta rose with a cork that gave me a battle, but I won. Scents start emerging of a blend of raspberry, strawberry & cherries, and it has a lot of depth. There’s also a straw of hay (that fades), smoke, black pepper, and orange & lemon squeeze and zest. Sipping and tart fruit flavors of cherry, blood orange & lemon, along with yellow plums, young strawberries, raspberries, red currants, watermelon Jolly Rancher, and a shake of white pepper. It’s crisp and glou glou worthy.

Pairs with Cheez-Its: NOPE

Frank Cornelissen’s father is who led him to fall in love with wine by letting him take a sip (at a young age), taught him to appreciate a good glass, and eventually let him start picking bottles at their local shop. Makes total sense that this Belgian would land in Sicily and purchase hectares of ungrafted vines on the slopes of Mt. Etna, and dedicate himself to working obsessively organic and as natural as possible. In fact, he’s so committed to his environment and all that live in it that his site also has instructions on how to go about recycling everything from the bottle, the closure, label, case and pallet. His “Susucaru” Rosato is a very special wine, not only for how delicious it is but also for its name. Turns out in their local Sicilian it translates to “they stole it” which happened to a good part of the grapes from Frank’s first vintage. I wonder if the thieves were 2 footed, 4 or of the winged variety. Hmmmm? 🤔

#wine #vin #vino #vinho #wein #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #rosato #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #winelover #winetasting  #wineislove #organic #winetime #worldbyglass #Sicily #italy #zevrovineselections #Susucaru #FrankCornelissen #docwinebar #docwineshop @zevrovineselections @frankcornelissen_winery @docwinebar @docwineshop

 

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Pairs With Tryptophan

Tenuta Tascante
Ghiaia Nera 2019
Etna DOC
Nerello Mascalese
SOStain certified sustainable, vegan
Mount Etna, Sicily, Italy
Owners: The Tasca Family; Alberto Tasca 7th generation
Winemaker: Stefano Masciarelli

Color shining stained glass window ruby. At first there’s scents of buttery creamy cherry that leads to crème de cassis as it opens, plums, a little lavender breeze, with a blend of blueberry, blackberry & strawberry love, a bit of cola soda, and a smidge of peat on day one that later waves bye as it heads out the door. Lovely cocktail of flavors of cherry, cranberry, strawberry, blackberry, a hint of citrus peel, light lavender, a sprinkle of black & white pepper, lick of rock, a whiff of smoke, and there’s just so much going on that I didn’t expect in a good way.

Pairs with Cheez-It’s: makes it all smoooooth

The Tasca family found a perfect marriage of Nerello Mascalese and their Mt. Etna soil which keeps the vines healthy even if there’s a very rainy year. Their other major ingredient is also their dedication to the hard work of tending the vineyards and harvesting on the volcanic slopes (and boy are they beautiful). Their Ghiaia Nera (black gravel) is an honest lovely invite to experience and learn about them and their part of Etna. In my book, it’s also a light fresh friend that will help rouse you from the tryptophan induced holiday haze we’re entering into until the end of the year. Happy holidays y’all! 🍷

#wine #vin #vino #葡萄酒 #ワイン #winestagram #instawine #pairswithcheezits #cheezit #worldbyglass #MtEtna #Etna #Sicily #Italy #NerelloMascalese #Tryptophan #happyholidays @dallaterrawinerydirect @tascadalmerita @docwineshop @docwinebar @cheezit