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Do you hear ‘Pecorino’ and think cheese? It’s also the name of a grape that makes some terrific wines. Our wine columnist shares some intel on obscure varieties winemakers love

HOW CAN SOMETHING commonplace also be obscure? This would seem to defy logic, and yet many grape varieties key to the world’s wine producers remain a mystery to most oenophiles. These grapes may not be household names like Merlot or Cabernet, but they’re responsible for some very solid, very drinkable and occasionally even great wines. I consider the following grapes particularly deserving of a bit of acclaim.

[…] FRAPPATO

Despite a name that sounds like a fast-paced dance, the Frappato grape has been slow to gain fame outside its native Sicily. Much like Bonarda, this red grape is beloved by local winemakers but little known to the world at large. It’s not always easy to find in stores.
One Frappato producer who stands out, in terms of both quality and production numbers: Valle dell’Acate. According to proprietor Gaetana Jacono, the Frappato grape was the source of the very first wine her family produced back in the late 19th century and was once the sole grape in the family’s Cerasuolo di Vittoria wines. Today their Cerasuolo wines contain a blend of Frappato and the much better known Nero d’Avola grape.
Ms. Jacono loves the fresh character and bright acidity of Frappato, which she said can even pair well with seafood such as salmon, tuna and fish soup with mussels. This grape is as versatile—light and lively with a delightful bitter-cherry aroma—as it is easy to love.

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We received a bottle of Il Frappato wine to review from the Valle dell’Acate winery in the southeaster part of Sicily. It was suggested that we chill the wine and enjoy on a hot summer day. We tend to drink more white and rosé wines during the heat of the summer; however, this red wine was delicious served cold. The wine was made from the Frappato grape, native to Sicily. We have had Sicilian wines before made with the red Nero d’Avola grape and the white Grillo grape; this was our first taste of a wine made with Frappato.
The 2017 Il Frappato Vittoria Frappato DOC Sicily had a translucent dark red color with 13% alcohol. There were floral and red fruits on the aroma. The taste was reminiscent of violets, cherries, juicy black raspberries and baking spices. The medium bodied wine had mild tannins. The finish was crisp with fruit yielding to spices.
The Valle dell’Acate winery has a series of wines from the “7 Soils for 7 Wines” portfolio. This Frappato was made with grapes from the “black soil with white pebbles” vineyard. This vineyard is about 100 meters (328 feet) above sea level. The compact soil has a black color with white stones throughout. Grape vines are deep rooted.

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Wine Trail Traveler.com – Frappato from Valle dell’Acate Winery in Sicily: a Versatile Summer Red WineLeggi altro »

by Sarah Tracey

Because warm weather isn’t only about rosé.

Temperatures are rising but that doesn’t mean you have to switch to rosé. Red wines still deserve a place on your table, whether that table is indoors or out. The most refreshing way to make red wine a part of your summer routine is to chill it. Not all red wines should be chilled, though: Chilling full-bodied, high tannin, high-alcohol reds like cabernet sauvignon will make them taste astringent and metallic; and savory wines like syrah that have lots of leathery, earthy, or spicy flavors will not drink well when chilled. The best red wines to chill are naturally light in body, low in tannins (the compound found in the seeds, stems, and skins of grapes that can make your mouth feel dry and prickly), and are fruity. Chilling reds like these brings out their liveliness and minimizes the perception of alcohol. (That’s the warming sensation that alcohol in wine can bring and it’s not something we usually desire when it’s hot out!).
The best way to chill a bottle of red for summer sipping? In an ice bucket or cooler. If you can’t tuck the bottle into ice, simply put it in your refrigerator for 45-60 minutes before you plan to drink it. Here, five red wines that are perfect chilled.

[…] FRAPPATO
A fantastic, easy drinking wine from Sicily, frappato is brimming with wild strawberry and red raspberry flavors and aromas, and has an incredibly smooth texture. Try Try Tami By Occhipinti Frappato 2017 ($21.99) or Il Frappato, Valle dell’Acate 2017 ($19.99). Embrace the spirit of Italy in the summertime by pairing a chilled glass of frappato with a fresh summer pasta.

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MARTHA STEWARD.COM

by Mauro Pisu and Tim Bulman
Italy Desk, OECD Economics Department

In Curno, 50 km north east of Milan, is the headquarters of Brembo, the Italian company supplying brakes for Teslas and Ferraris as well as for mass market cars and motorcycles. Founded in 1961, its 255 employees generate over USD 3 billion of revenue from production facilities across 15 countries.
1500 km away, in Sicily’s south-east, Gaetana Jacono runs the Valle dell’Acate winery. She is bringing to six generations of wine making tradition new production technologies and distribution approaches that are developing exports to large new markets.
Enterprises like Brembo and Valle dell’Acate have helped Italy in recent years gradually recover from its extended recession. These are mostly medium sized enterprises that are highly productive and have grown activity and created jobs though investment and exports, supported by government policies such as the Industry 4.0 programme or labour market and education reforms.

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OECD ECOSCOPE

08by Monica Mendal

Move over whites, rosés and proseccos: this spirit will elevate your summer wine.

On hot summer days, it’s easy to stick to whites, proseccos, and rosés. There’s nothing quite like those light and minerally wines to refresh the spirit after a long day in the sun. While the options are certainly endless for summer wine, it seems reds are typically relegated to cooler temperatures or steak dinners, but what if we wanted to enjoy a glass of red by the beach or in the city on a hot afternoon?
Finally, one Sicilian red wine is making its way into summer wine collections. Frappato is a light-bodied red Sicilian wine grape variety with a distinct fruity aroma.
Gaetana Jacono, owner of Valle dell’Acate calls it: “the wine of the past, the ancient wine of Sicily,” although she adds, “It’s also the wine of the future for a healthy and light taste. A real precious pearl that must be searched for carefully.” Until now, Frappato has been inconceivably hard to find as its grape variety only grows in one area of the world, the Vittoria area in southeast Sicily, and thus has just 30 producers.

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L’Officiel Usa – Upgrade from Rosé this Summer with this Sicilian WineLeggi altro »

by Sonny Figueroa

After three straight lessons with white wines, I’m ready for a red, aren’t you? So this month we will drink a red that enjoys a light chill, a necessity perhaps in July.
The grape is frappato, and the wine comes from the Vittoria region of southeast Sicily. The wines of Mount Etna may be getting all the attention, but the wines of Vittoria deserve to be recognized.
The leading wine of the region is Cerasuolo di Vittoria, a blend of frappato and nero d’Avola. We will be tasting straight-up frappatos, which are a little lighter than Cerasuolos and can be enjoyed a little sooner.
Reds like frappato have gained popularity in recent years as consumers have come to appreciate wines that rely on freshness rather than power. Twenty-five years ago it was an entirely different story, as producers in Sicily were betting on international varieties like merlot and cabernet, but tastes have evolved. Nowadays, consumers are far more interested in indigenous grapes like frappato than those grown everywhere else in the world

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The New York Times – 3 Frappatos to Drink Right NowLeggi altro »

by Eric Asimov

Wine comes in seemingly endless varieties, from a growing number of places and in countless styles. While the choise may sometimes seem overwhelming, they also present a wonderful opportunity for pleasure and experimentation.
On a recent expedition through a handful of Manhattan shops, I found these 20 excellent bottles, all under $20. They come from eight different countries, and even more regions. Most of these are red, in deference to the season, when most people gravitate toward heartier dishes. But in winter I still eat foods that call for white wines, and I always like sparkling wines, so both are represented as well.
The $20 price is crucial. Budget-minded shoppers may recoil, believing they can find plenty of bottles under $10. That’s true, and most of those wines will be technically sound. They will also be boring, the scourge of mass-market wines today. …

The New York Times – 20 wines under $20: touring the world, familiar to obscureLeggi altro »

di Patrizia Catalano

Gaetana Jacono, the sixth generation at the helm of the historic winery Valle dell’Acate, welcomes guests into an old sicilian baglio where tasting becomes a sensory experience that blends flavor with the quality of the place