Marsala, Sicily
Terre Siciliane IGT
While Marsala is famous for its solera-aged wines, Nino Barraco is unusual in that he specializes in wines made the way they were before the sweet tooth of the British prevailed. Nino took over his family's vineyards in 2004 and from the outset he has worked organically, focusing on the native grapes of his Western Sicily and single vineyard wines, hoping to show others the potential he sees in the region he calls home.
His remote vineyards are spread out up and down the coast and Nino works as hard as any grower anywhere, constantly driving his beat up Fiat through the sand dunes to check on his plants. In the cantina, his aim is simply to guide the wine from the vineyard to the glass.
Nino's are wines with an uncanny sense of place. With each swirl and sip, they transport you to Marsala; the warmth, the breeze, the golden light and the sense that the sea is never too far away. They are savoury, sun-kissed wines that, like Nino, have a lot to say.
From Nino's youngest vines planted over sand, this is mostly Grillo, with a little Catarratto and a touch of Zibibbo in the mix. The grapes were fermented on the skins for just a day, before being pressed off to vats for a short rest. The result is a pretty and perfumed wine that takes you straight to the Sicilian seaside with its citrus, wildflowers, sea salt and brine. A wonderful aperitif that has a natural affinity with anything from the sea.