Grape: Grillo
Region: Sicily, Italy
Farming: Organic
This dry, warm and sunny island has been at the center of Mediterranean winemaking for 4,000 years, but most refined by Greek viticulture practices. On the west side of the island, in the commune of Mazara del Vallo (famous for its shrimp), you find Annamaria and Clara Sala – 2 sisters who run the Tenuta di Gorghi Tondi, adjacent to Preola Lake and Gorghi Tondi Unesco World Heritage site - an area of Mediterranean karst lakes forming high mineral content bodies of water. The Sala family have been farming their vineyards here for four generations, working with native grapes only. In addition to Zibibbo, Nero d’Avola, Catarratto, Frappato and Nerello Mascalese, Grillo is one of the island’s indigenous varieties and was used as a base in Marsala wine which was widely exported in our parents’ generation. Grillo (aka Riddu), however, hails for thousands of years, being a favorite of Julius Caesar, as it is capable of a sweetness level used in the famed ‘Mamertino’ wine of Messina. The Sala sisters have a steadfast commitment to organic farming and showcasing the potential of their spectacular terroir.