A Tour Of Sicilian Wine With The Women Of Planeta
By Erika Kubick in Food on May 6, 2014 6:00PM
May is a perfect time to celebrate women who bring us fantastic wine. Earlier this week, we sat in with the women of Planeta for a complimentary wine tasting and luncheon at La Scuola di Eataly. Owner Francesca Planeta along with winemaker Patricia Toth and Export director Penny Murray shared with us six different wines paired with six dishes from Planeta’s family recipes.
Planeta’s philosophy is pretty simple: use small-batch, quality wines that showcase the terroir in each region of Sicily. The company is made up of six boutique wineries, each created in harmony with the location. Planeta is dedicated to creating the best wines using indigenous varietals and old Sicilian traditions while conducting careful, patient research on their methods. Planeta also grows international varietals, such as Chardonnay, Syrah, and Merlot. They allow each grape to thrive in its proper terroir, cultivating a specific Sicilian character. Many of their wines meet DOC or DOCG standard, meaning that they adhere to very strict Italian guidelines in production. We tasted wines from two of their wineries, Dorilli in Vittoria and Buonvini in Noto. Each wine paired with a dish straight out of the Planeta’s family recipes.
Owner Francesca Planeta along with winemaker Patricia Toth and Export director Penny Murray
We began with the Moscato di noto DOC 2013, 100% Moscato Bianco from the Noto winery, called Buonivini. They make about 500 cases of this playful aperitif. A candy-sweet nose bursting with elderflower, green tea and roses gives way to a surprisingly dry and clean finish. The complexity and refreshing qualities make this wine ideal for sipping outside with fresh salads and seafood. Paired with a very simple Sicilian dish: olive oil marinated shrimp dressed with the zest of 3 oranges on a bed of arugula.
Our next wine was the Frappato DOC Vittoria 2013, 100% Frappato from the Dorilli winery in Vittoria. Francesca admitted that Vittoria is in a challenging area, but the labor is clearly very rewarding. This grape is often referred to as the Pinot Noir of Sicily. It's almost flirty in the nose with citrus, roses and a fleeting touch or caramelized sugar. The palate is ripe with flowers, smoke and a light spice. It's very playful with high acidity and bold fruit. Paired with an Arancini, a fried rice ball filled with cheese.
The third wine was Cerasulolo di Vittoria DOCG 2011, 40% Frappato, 60% Nero D'Avola. This bottle was a bit more serious than the former, with bright cherry and warm fig and sweet flowers in the nose. It's vibrant with a subtle heat and a long finish. About 7000 cases are made due to the popularity of this wine, and it's easy to see why. Despite the brightness of the wine, it also has a long life in the bottle, becoming rich with notes of smoke and tobacco as it ages. Paired with Busiati with tomatoes, basil & almonds.
A similar blend followed, Dorilli Cerasuolo di Vittoria Classico DOGC 2011, 70% Nero d’Avola and 30% frapatto. Deeper than it’s predecessor, the nose was flooded with a ton of cherry, both sour and sweet, and pear. There was a little more of a caramelized note on the palate, yet the tannins were still soft giving the wine a sort of delicacy. While both fish and tomato can be tricky when it comes to pairings, the acidity in this wine complements both nicely. They paired it with Tonno al Ragu- tuna in tomato sauce.
The last red was the benchmark from Dorilli, Santa Cecilia DOC Noto 2009, 100% Nero d’Avola and aged in oak for 12 months. The nose is rich with plums, cranberry, citrus and carob. The wine is in the Southeastern part of Sicily. They paired it with Filetto al Vino Rosso, steak in red wine sauce.
The dessert wine was one of my personal favorites-Passito di Noto DOC, 100% Moscato Bianco. Apricot, apple, oats and pistachio flood the nose. The mouth feel is creamy but finishes with a lively acidity. It even has some smoky and herbal qualities. It was paired deliciously with Biscotti di Pistacchi (pistachio biscotti).
Planeta distributes 60% of their wines to the United States. I know I’ll be keeping an eye out for these bottles.