I am in my ‘taste new wines’ era. Of course, I have my favourite styles and regions (Saint-Émilion, I’m looking at you!) but lately, I am pursuing tasting wines that I have never tried before. So when I saw the invite for a dinner with wine pairing from a producer in Sicily whose wines I’ve never tasted, I was super excited.
This event was the perfect opportunity to talk to the winemaker and learn about the history of the vineyards and the passion that goes into his wines, so join me on this discovery journey of a Sicilian winemaker.
Al Feù Winery
The Al Feù Winery is located in the heart of Sicily, between the towns of Marsala and Trapani. Does Marsala ring a bell? Yes, you’ve heard it before. Marsala is a fortified wine and is sometimes used for cooking (especially in sauces). The area has a large tradition for wine so it’s no surprise that these enjoyable wines come from this region.
The Al Feù vineyards date from 1915 when the first generation started making wine. The knowledge has been passed down from generation to generation and they are in the third generation now, led by Michele Castiglione. The winery’s goal is to create unique wines that express the identity of the Sicilian land, a place rich in traditions, flavours and aromas.
The Sicilian Terroir
The vineyards are located ~300m above sea level in an area with a large diurnal range (this is the difference between day-time and night-time temperature). This is important because it impacts the ripening process of the grapes and in this case, allows them to achieve a greater concentration of flavours and develop aromatic notes.
The soil is a mixture of calcareous soil and clay which supports the development of native varieties (like Catarratto or Insolia) along with international varieties like Merlot or Syrah.
Organic Wine
Al Feù produces organic wines which means that the grapes in their vineyards are grown following the principles of organic farming. In short, there is no use of chemical fertilisers, pesticides, or herbicides in the vineyard. In the wine, there are no added sulphites, only those that occur naturally during the fermentation process.
I tasted 5 wines from the Al Feù Winery.
Insolia. IGT Terre Siciliane. 13% abv.
This wine is named after the grape varietal, it is 100% Insolia (or Inzolia) grape which is a native grape from Sicily and Tuscany. This grape is also part of the blend for the Marsala wines. The Insolia white wine fromAl Feù is fresh and balanced with notes of tropical fruit (mango), citrus (grapefruit) and a pleasant salty undertone. This wine comes from a vineyard that is 20 years old and the grapes are harvested by hand. Also, it has been aged in steel tanks for 8 months on the fine lees. This wine was one of the favourites on the night! If you see it, grab a bottle it is totally worth it.
Catarratto - Zibibbo IGT Terre Siciliane. 12% abv.
This wine is also named after the grape varietals, here we have an assemblage of 2 native grapes: 80% Catarratto, and 20% Zibibbo. All of the grapes used to make this wine are hand harvested. This is a dry white wine with fruity and floral notes, delicate and very easy to drink. This wine also comes from a 20-year-old vineyard and has aged for 8 months in steel tanks.
El Loco. IGT Terre Siciliane. 12% abv. Orange wine
This wine is a personal project of Michele and it was the other big favourite of the night. This orange wine is made with 100% Catarratto grapes. If you don’t know what is orange wine, don’t worry, here is the short answer. Orange wine is a wine that is made by leaving the pressed juice in contact with the skins of the grapes (the colour comes from the skins, not the flesh). Have you ever seen ‘skin contact’ on a wine list? Yes, it refers to orange wine. In this case, the skin contact is for 20+ days. El Loco wine has medium + acidity and notes of apricot, flowers, cheese (malolactic) and a hint of anise. Only 500 bottles were made from this wine, what a treat!
Syrah. IGT Terre Siciliane. 12.5% abv.
Also named after the grape varietal, made with 100% Syrah. This wine comes from a vineyard that is 15 years old with clay and limestone soil. The grapes are harvested by hand and the wine has been aged for 9 months on steel tanks. This red wine has notes of black cherries, black pepper and cloves.
Merlot. IGT Terre Siciliane. 13.5% abv.
This wine is 100% Merlot. Interesting fact: Merlot is considered ‘the most Sicilian’ grape variety amongst the international ones because of the way it has adapted to the local conditions. Just like the Syrah, the Merlot grapes come from a 15-year-old vineyard and they are harvested by hand. This is a red wine with pale ruby colour, medium acidity and delicate cherry notes.
Bonus, the labels are gorgeous. This is a project of Yulia, Michele’s wife. If you look closely, you can see how the women on the labels are facing each other when the bottles are together, or if you swap them, it looks like they are leaning on each other's back.
Dinner with Wine Pairing
This event was a business supper club organised by Radici, a communications and events company that promotes Italian wines in Ireland. The wines were presented by Michele Castiglione, the winemaker at Al Feù Wines and third generation of the Rizzo family who owns the winery. The food and venue were in charge of Fusciardis, an Italian restaurant located in Capel Streed in Dublin.
The Food & Wine Menu
My mouth is watering while I type, so don’t read this if you are hungry.
Amuse Bouche
Arancini
Wine: Insolia. 13% abv.
This was the perfect way to kick off the night. The pairing was so good we even had a second serving, *chefs’ kiss*.
Starter
Arancino - deep fried rice ball/triangle filled with cheese and ragú
Wine - Catarratto - Zibibbo. 12% abv.
This delicate wine was a nice pairing for the arancino, the freshness of the wine worked well with the deep-fried arancino.
Pasta course
Ravioli filled with aubergine, tomato and ricotta cheese
Wine - El Loco. Orange Wine. 12% abv.
This wine was very nice and worked well with the flavours of the ricotta plus the tomato and aubergine.
Main course
Pistacchio breaded Lamb chops with mash & sautée spinach
Wine - Syrah. 12.5% abv
Syrah and lamb is one of the most famous pairings and for good reason, it works!
Desert course
Cannolo filled with ricotta and candied fruit
Wine - Merlot. 13.5%
This pairing was a bit peculiar. Even if this would not be my go-to, I am happy that I tasted it. This is an example of experimentation and deciding what pairing works for you.
This was a fun night, I was delighted to meet Michele and Yulia along with some other fab people on the night. Talented chefs, sommeliers, wine shop owners and fellow members of Wine Spirit Women. This event was 10/10.
Take It to the Next Level
A dinner with paired wines brings the experience to another level. It is interesting to see how the wine enhances each course and it allows you to have different styles of wine throughout your meal. It also reflects the personality of the restaurant (or your host) as they choose each wine to enhance an element or more of the food.
Do you have a favourite wine-pairing dish? Or a memorable dinner with wine pairing that you want to share? Let us know in the comments.
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