With the warm days of summer, I have decided to switch from my normal red table wine to tasting a variety of rosés and some white wines that are lighter and pair better with grilled veggies, seafood, and salads. I have done a very informal survey of white wine drinkers and it seems that most them are in a Pinot Grigio groove. Yes, it's a tasty drinkable wine, easy to sip and reasonably priced, but I'm proposing that you break out and try a Sicilian white wine that is all that and more. Grillo ("greel-loe") is a classic Sicilian grape that's been around for thousands of years and that most of us have never heard of. It's a variety so ancient that it was used in one of Julius Caesar's favorite wines, the sweet, luscious Mamertino of Messina. 

In more recent centuries, Grillo toiled anonymously as the primary grape of Marsala, the strongly fortified, Sherry-like wine of Western Sicily, which is better known to most of the world as a cooking wine, the base for dishes such as chicken Marsala and Zabaglione.

Today, the Sicilian wine industry uses the Grillo grape not only for making Marsala, but for producing a refreshing, bold, and citrusy white table wine. It especially appeals to red wine drinkers as it delivers a full, "big-shouldered" taste. Next time you're at your favorite wine store, reach for a bottle of Grillo and have a taste of Sicilian sunshine. 

To experience a true "taste of place" you should consider joining us this fall for either our Divine Sicily Fall Cuisine and Culture Tour (September 10th-19th) or the Divine Sicily Fall Wine and Culture Tour (September 24th-October 3rd) . Whichever one you choose, you'll be able to taste and tour vineyards that produce Grillo and Marsala wine, found mainly on the west coast of the island of Sicily. Please contact me with any questions you may have about our small group trips.

A reminder: We give professional discounts to folks who are in the food and wine industry.