Salon Saturday, April 15: A Tour of Sicily

While it is tempting to go with mass-produced wines because of their lower cost, there are times when every wine lover wants to taste honest wines; not manipulated into something that tastes like every other mainstream wine. That’s one of the reasons why many European wines are popular. Last week we covered wines of the Languedoc-Roussillon area of France for quality wines that won’t severely injure your pocketbook.

This week we look to Sicily, once more known for its mafia, but now making a name for its wines; a decidedly better proposition. To accompany these wines I’m pairing the music of Ennio Morricone, one of the most prolific film composers of all time. Since Morricone wrote more than 400 scores for film and television we’ll look at some of those films, too. All this on the expanded Salon Saturday.

Italian wine on a budget: Sicily

For this wine tour we are going offshore to the island of Sicily. This volcanic island figures deep in Italy’s history. Mt Etna is its most remarkable landmark, but it also serves as the breeding ground for some of Sicily’s most important wines. Here it is not uncommon to see islanders sporting a shotgun over their shoulder. And it’s not just to shoot birds.

Italian Wine Overview:

Italy was known for their quantity, but not their quality in mid-20^th century. In 1963 Italy began forming their wine classification system, updated in 1992 and again in 2010.

• Italian IGT wines are defined geographically and by limited viticulture/vinification practices
• Italian DOC wines identify a geographical area and stricter viticulture/vinification practices
• Italian DOCG wines identify a geographical area and strictest viticulture/vinification practices

The IGT standard came about because many super Tuscan wines used French grapes as well as Italian, which put them outside the DOC/DOCG classification system, but still represented high quality wines. While many wine lovers search out DOCG wines, it is often easier to find great values in IGT and DOC-rates wines.

Italy is first in wine production and third in wine consumption. (The number one wine consumption country is the Vatican; make of that what you will.) There are 37 wine regions within Italy and more grape varietals, over 1000, than any other country. Wines are named for the grape, location, or both.

Sicily

Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean and home to its most active volcano, Mt Etna. Richly steeped in history; it includes the Valley of the Temples, which boasts seven Greek Doric temples and Palermo houses Byzantine mosaics at the Cappella Palatina.

History

At times, the island has been at the heart of great civilizations, at other times it has been nothing more than a colonial backwater. Its fortunes have often waxed and waned depending on events out of its control. In earlier times it was a magnet for immigrants, in later times a land of emigrants. I believe the character of the people is reflected in the character of the wine.

• The indigenous peoples of Sicily were the Sicani and the Siculi, which evolved to Sicily.
• Phoenicians settled there in 11^th century BCE and began its grape culture.
• Greeks colonized Sicily in 8^th century BCE founding Syracuse in 734 BCE. Both Empedocles and Archimedes were from Sicily.
• Warring Carthaginians and Greeks were quelled by the Roman Republic in the 3^rd century BCE.
• For the next 600 years, Sicily was a rural backwater of the Roman Republic and later Empire.
• In the Byzantine period came the Germanic Vandals and then the Goths. Surprisingly they didn’t wear weird eye shadow, but they could be surly.

More bizarre was the Muslim period when in 826, Euphemius, the commander of the Byzantine fleet of Sicily, forced a nun to marry him. Emperor Michael II learning of this ordered General Constantine to end the marriage and cut off Euphemius’ nose. Euphemius, rather proud of his nose, killed Constantine but was driven out and enlisted the aid of the Emir of Tunisia to come to his aid. Boy, you just can’t make this stuff up, huh? You might say he spited his nose to save his face.

• It was during the Aragonese period that Sicilians as a people began to emerge with Aragon and Castile jointly reigning in Sicily.
• There was a unification of sorts with Sardinia under Garibaldi in 1860.

Mafia reign

The Mafia became an essential part of the social structure in the late 19th century. They imposed their concept of law and its monopoly on violence since Rome was unable to do it. A new middle class of violent peasant entrepreneurs emerged who profited from the sale of lands and established a system of clientage over the peasantry. “I’ll make you a deal you can’t refuse.”

The government was forced to compromise with these “bourgeois mafiosi,” who acted as mediators between society and the state. Cosa Nostra is what the Mafia families called themselves. In the 1920s, Mussolini imprisoned many only to be liberated as political prisoners after the allied invasion of Sicily in July, 1943. Oops!

In the 1980s great strides were made in boosting the quality of Sicilian wines. Better farming methods and processing techniques were applied by those with the vision for Sicily’s future as a wine destination.

Geography of Sicily

Sicily almost kisses the toe of the Italian boot at Messina, there’s less than three miles between the two. Catania is the largest city in the south, with Mt Etna just north of it. Further south is Syracuse. In the north is Palermo the capital and to the west are Trepani and Marsala where the famous fortified wine of the same name originated.

Snapshot of Sicily

• Total vineyard area: 276,800 acres (64% white, 36% red)
• Number of producers: 453
• Climate: Mediterranean, but large differences between regions and picking times based on altitude and proximity to the sea. Up to a three month’s span.
• Number of DOCGs: 1 (Cerasuolo di Vittoria)
• Number of DOCs: 23

Principal grapes

Sicily makes a much higher number of white wines, many of them undistinguished, than their more popular reds, but the choice of maintaining quality, site selection and lower yields can make their best white wines worthwhile, such as Grillo, Caricante and Chardonnay.

Grillo: The range is as far north as Liguria, but Grillo calls Sicily home; its parents are the widely-planted Catarratto and the more famous Muscat of Alexandria (known locally as Zibibbo). Its principal area is Trapani, and for several decades was a main ingredient in fortified Marsala. While vigorous, Grillo fell out of favor with farmers who began to focus on planting more productive varieties.

But now Sicilian producers are making zesty sparklers, old-vine wines, orange wines and hearty, botrytized dessert wines. There are two bio-types and flavors range from herbaceous, Sauvignon-like to tropical, Chardonnay-like wines.

Carricante: On the nose, Carricante delivers aromas of citrus, crunchy green apple, orange blossom, and just-ripe peach. The aromatic undertones give it a strong mineral note like crushed rocks and salty air.

Wines taste dry, saline, and flinty on the palate with high acidity and a long tingly finish. With age, wines soften and deliver richer yellow apple and peach flavors with petrol or diesel-like* aromas.

*From Wine Folly, here is where that taste originates: The petrol-kerosene note comes from a naturally occurring aromatic compound that increases as wines age. The compound is called TDN (1,1,6,-trimethyl-1,2-dihydronapthalene), all wines have it but it’s more noticeable in aromatic whites like Riesling, Carricante, Furmint (Hungary), and Rkatsiteli (Eastern Europe). So it’s really a good thing.

For your consideration: Lavico 2021 Etna Bianco ABV: 12.5% $17 avg. global

Sourced from the slopes of Mt Etna this Carricante white has a clean, delicate nose with flowery notes. On the palate lemon zest, crème brulee and wet stone minerality with crisp acidity. A dry, refreshing wine that is a pleasure to drink. Duca Di Salaparuta has been making wine since 1824. Iodized is a term employed in the websites tasting notes and indicates iodine or blood-like notes in the wine.

Nero d’Avola: (also known as Calabrese) is the most important and widely planted red wine grape variety in Sicily. Vast volumes of Nero d’Avola are produced on the island every year, and have been for centuries. The dark-skinned grape is of great historical importance to Sicily and takes its present-day name from the town of Avola on the island’s southeast coast. The area was a hotbed of trade and population movement during the Middle Ages and Nero d’Avola was frequently used to add color and body to lesser wines in mainland Italy.

Nero d’Avola typically has high tannins, medium acid and a strong body. However, it can also be very smooth if grown at higher elevations where cooler temperatures restrict the alcohol levels. It is made into dark, intense wines aged in oak or fresh, fruity wines. Younger wines show plum and juicy, red-fruit flavors, while more complex examples offer chocolate and dark raspberry flavors.

Nerello Mascalese: is a highly regarded, dark-skinned grape variety that grows most commonly on the volcanic slopes of Mount Etna. Its wines, which have had a rapid upsurge in popularity in the last decade, have a tendency to reflect their surroundings, giving taut, fresh red wines with fruity, herbaceous flavors, excellent minerality and an earthy nuance. Nerello Mascalese wines often have a perfume reminiscent of those of the noble wines of Barolo and Burgundy.

Nerello Mascalese is a late-ripening variety, and most vines are trained in the traditional bush-vine training method, which works well in the terroir. The higher elevation of Mt Etna, up to 1,000 meters, produces wines with immense character and complexity, and without the excessive weight that often characterizes Sicilian red wines from lower altitudes.

For your consideration: Lavico 2020 Etna Rosso, 13.5% ABV

As the name suggests; a red wine from the slopes of Mt Etna. This Nerello Mascalese-based wine is from the Vajasindi Estate in northeastern Sicily, on the slopes of Mount Etna on the side of the Alcantara Valley in the municipality of Castiglione di Sicilia and Randazzo.

Winemaker notes: Native to the slopes of Mount Etna, Nerello Mascalese has different features according to the area in which it is grown. These black grapes are grown on the terraces of the Vajasindi Estate and are used to produce Lavico Etna Rosso, a wine with an elegant body, fresh and slightly savory, partly aged in French oak barriques.

Jim’s notes: I was sent both of these wines to try. I served the Etna Bianco for guests and everyone was impressed. The wine was clean, elegant with good minerality and crispness and easy drinking and compelling. I admit I hogged most of the Etna Rosso, enjoying it over two nights. The lighter color told me the tannins were going to be solid, just like a Nebbiolo, with perfumed notes, rich red fruit and minerality from the volcanic soils. The wine was still solid and lively the following evening indicating a well-made wine.

Ennio Morricone: His Greatest Film Scores

Most film lovers would recognize the name Ennio Morricone; one of the greatest composers of film. His scores have helped elevate many films in popularity. While he has over 100 compositions of classical music it is his film scores that most music lovers will recall. That includes over 400 scores for film and television. Early on Morricone’s popularity began with his scores for the Man With No Name trilogy. His score for the third; The Good, the Bad, the Ugly (1966) is regarded as one of the most recognizable and influential soundtracks in history. It was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

However westerns were not the only genre for which he composed music. He actually began doing scores for comedies. And before that he was a well-regarded trumpet player performing with many groups including Il Gruppo (Gruppo di Improvvisazione Nuova Consonanza) that he helped form. Later he would conduct his many film scores in orchestras all over the world. He also composed for radio, television and many pop artists.

From the 1970s, Morricone excelled in Hollywood, composing for prolific American directors such as Don Siegel, Mike Nichols, Brian De Palma, Barry Levinson, Oliver Stone, Warren Beatty, John Carpenter, and Quentin Tarantino. However his lists of scores still fall heavily on Italian films and he never left his beloved Roma for Hollywood; choosing to do most of his arrangements in Italy.

His acclaimed soundtrack for The Mission (1986) was certified gold in the United States. The album Yo-Yo Ma Plays Ennio Morricone stayed for 105 weeks on the Billboard Top Classical Albums.

In 2007, he received the Academy Honorary Award “for his magnificent and multifaceted contributions to the art of film music”. He was nominated for a further six Oscars, and in 2016, received his only competitive Academy Award for his score to Quentin Tarantino’s film The Hateful Eight, at the time becoming the oldest person ever to win a competitive Oscar. He passed away in 2020 at the age of 91.

The Films of Ennio Morricone

Comedy:

Morricone’s earliest scores in the 60s and 70s were Italian light comedy and costume pictures, where he learned to write simple, memorable themes. His best-known scores for comedies include La Cage aux Folles (1978) and its two sequels. It stars Ugo Tognazzi and Michel Serrault as a gay couple operating a drag nightclub in a French resort town.

Westerns:

Morricone’s collaboration with Sergio Leone extended from westerns to gangster movies and might have gone on much longer but Leone died at 62.

For a Few Dollars: Because budget strictures limited Morricone’s access to a full orchestra, he used gunshots, cracking whips, whistle, voices, Jew’s harp, trumpets, and the new Fender electric guitar, instead of orchestral arrangements of Western standards à la John Ford. Morricone used his special effects to punctuate and comically tweak the action—cluing in the audience to the taciturn man’s ironic stance.

• Morricone’s score for Once Upon a Time in the West is one of the best-selling original instrumental scores in the world today, with over 10 million copies sold.
• Morricone’s last score for Leone was for Sergio’s last film, the gangster drama Once Upon a Time in America (1984).
• He worked with many Italian directors on comedy, drama, mystery and crime.

Giallo and Horror:

Morricone’s eclecticism found its way to films in the horror genre, such as the giallo thrillers of Dario Argento, from The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (1970), The Cat o’ Nine Tails (1971), and Four Flies on Grey Velvet (1971) to later works, The Stendhal Syndrome (1996) and The Phantom of the Opera (1998).

In 1977 Morricone scored John Boorman’s Exorcist II: The Heretic and Alberto De Martino’s apocalyptic horror film Holocaust 2000, starring Kirk Douglas. In 1982 he composed the score for John Carpenter’s science fiction horror movie The Thing with Kurt Russell.

Morricone’s Hollywood Career

• In 1970, Morricone composed the music for Don Siegel’s Two Mules for Sister Sara, an American-Mexican western film starring Shirley MacLaine and Clint Eastwood.
• In 1978, the composer worked with Terrence Malick for Days of Heaven starring Richard Gere, for which he earned his first nomination at the Oscars for Best Original Score.
• The Mission, (1986) directed by Joffé, was about Spanish Jesuit missionaries that see their work undone as Paraguayan natives fall within a territorial dispute with the Spanish and Portuguese.
• At one point the work was one of the world’s best-selling film scores, with over 3 million copies worldwide. Morricone finally received a second Oscar nomination for The Mission.
• On three occasions, Brian De Palma worked with Morricone: The Untouchables (1987), the 1989 war drama Casualties of War and the science fiction film Mission to Mars (2000).
• Morricone’s score for The Untouchables was his third Academy Award nomination for Best Original Score.

During his career in Hollywood, Morricone scored films for Frantic for director Roman Polanski (1988) starring Harrison Ford), Franco Zeffirelli’s 1990 drama film Hamlet (starring Mel Gibson and Glenn Close), the neo-noir crime film State of Grace by Phil Joanou (1990) starring Sean Penn and Ed Harris and the romantic drama Love Affair (1994) by Warren Beatty.

In 2014, Morricone wrote an original film score for Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight, which won him an Academy Award in 2016 in the Best Original Score category. Finally!