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Sicily is a rising star - 2007/05/09 13:29
Once known for its bulk wine production, Sicily has been turning her efforts to making artisan wines in the last few decades. Sicily had an awakening in the early nineteen-nineties, just like many of the wine growing regions of her mainland.
Prior to the Second World War this island was farmed by large land owners, with little to no small estate wine producers. After WWII, agricultural reforms awarded land to the common man in hopes of creating private wine estates. Unfortunately, most of the new farms sold their grapes to the large Marsala cooperatives or cashed them in for government subsidies, rather than create their own wine label.
Many Italians will tell you a version of the same story. Unlike their ancestors, they sent their children to be formally educated about winemaking at prestigious Universities. The 1990 vintage was the milestone of change. It was an exceptional harvest, which caused many to rethink how they made wine. Armed with modern winemaking skills many grape growers in Sicily created their own label.
Regaleali's focus has kept pace with the artisan mindset, the Italian winemaking renaissance, and is producing some incredible wines. We met up with Alberto at Cherry Creek's Piatti for lunch, wine, and good conversation.
Alberto Tasca d'Almerita is director of Regaleali, one of Sicily's most prominent wine estates. Regaleali has been producing wine in Sicily for the better part of two centuries. Alberto tells us a little bit about his family's business and their winemaking philosophy. He explains why his grapes are exceptional.
"My family had different properties around the coast. After WWII we decided to invest all the money inside the county side. The difference between night and day further from the coast is about 22 degrees Celsius, [almost 40 degrees Fahrenheit.] This swing in temperatures allows our wines to have good acidity. In Sicily, we produce the same amount of wine as Australia. We have the same sunlight as some of California's best growing regions. We have the long growing season, which allows for good acidity so our wines can age."
"The most important thing is to feel your soil and plant the right grape for the soil. There are big differences in soil and differences in the sun, wind, and differences in the varietals. The wines are more complex because the soil is complex."
Italy, like France, regulates the types of grapes that are grown in a region. One of the changes that took place with this renaissance was Sicilian growers and producers began to challenge what they could grow and what they could vinify. The government also dictated that the grapevines produce large quantities of fruit and it was further encouraged by the subsidies offered for excess grapes. Producers began cutting back production, which in turn produced much better wines.
Alberto told us with a sly smile and a shrug; "People are shocked about the quality of our wines. My family was the first to do this. The government said you 'cannot do this' and we said, 'but we already did it' and the government again said 'you can't.' Then Wine Spectator started praising our wines, so the government then said, 'okay, I guess you can do this.'"
Stylistic changes have been widespread all over Italy. "Sicily went from three wineries fifteen years ago to 250 wineries. You have to feel how it is changing. We sell in sixty countries, so you have to be there at least once a year to know what is going on. We have to take risks. It is a lot of work."
Their risk and hard work are paying off. Regaleali and Tasca d'Almerita are producing fantastic wines. Sicily has the weather and mindset to become another gem in the Italian winemaking crown. Check out the reviews of their wines.
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