Sicily, Italy
A gorgeous interpration of the Moscato Bianco grape, which is traditionally used in the production of Moscato d'Asti (in the Piemonte, in the north of Italy) or in the production of Muscat Beaumes-de-Venise (a fortified sweet wine in the south of France). This is fermented completely dry with lemon-lime notes, bitter citrus pith, baked bread, overripe quince and an underlying note of biscuit. The mousse is delicate, the acidity is bright and tart and the finish lends a pop of salinity and minerality to the proceedings. Smash this with a bowl of extra buttery popcorn or hit it up with alongside light fried foods, like arancini, fritto misto and the like.
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Tenuta di Castellaro’s breathtaking, sustainable winery is located on Lipari, the largest of Sicily’s volcanic Aeolian Islands. It was here, in 2005 — in this rocky, mineral rich soil — that Massimo Lentsch and Stefania Frattolillo, a couple of entrepreneurs from Bergamo, planted Castellaro’s first vineyards. The proximity to the sea creates a near constant wind, which helps prevent mildew and most fungus. It also cools the berries during the midday heat, occasionally lashing them with a fine slat spray, giving the finished wines their characteristic salty tang.