An artful Italian pairing
The Food
In yesterday’s tasting, Marcus served a vibrant panzanella (Tuscan chopped salad) of chargrilled zucchini, anchovies, preserved lemon and capers with shaved pecorino. We paired this summertime classic with a stunning glass of 2017 Catarratto, Barraco, Sicily, Italy.
Sicily & the wine
Every harvest, natural and sustainable practices in the Sicilian vineyards are being supported by gentle techniques in the wineries to create the perfect expressions of Sicily’s extraordinary range of grape varieties and terroirs. By respecting the island’s history and committing to modern enological practices, Sicilian winemakers continue to rediscover the distinctive characters of some of the most ancient wines in the world.
Nino Barraco is making some fantastic dry wines in Sicily, using local grapes. Cataratto (also used for Marsala production) is one of them, and the results are mind-blowing. This wine is made from vines planted on volcanic soils a few meters away from the sea – these smoky characteristics contribute to making this wine a perfect match for the dish.
The short contact with the skins during fermentation results in a lovely texture to this wine. The aromas of white blossoms combined with a slight smokiness and a great backbone of iodine and almost saline minerality compliments the fresh flavours of zucchini, anchovies and capers beautifully.