Ciao Tutti!
This weekend at Piazza Italian Market, we will taste the Fiordiligi Grillo DOC ($15.99, ABV 12.5%) from the Assuli winery near Trapani, Sicily. The stylish label was inspired by the character Agramant, the king of Africa and Charlemagne’s opponent in “Orlando Furioso”, an epic poem by Ludivico Ariosto. Antonio Vivaldi was inspired by the poem to create his opera “Orlando” and the Assuli labels illustrate the characters in the opera.
Fiordiligi Grillo DOC ($15.99, ABV 12.5%) from the Assuli winery near Trapani, Sicily
Sicily is Italy’s largest region and its three primary winemaking areas vary from the slopes of Mt. Etna in the NE coast to Vittoria in the SE and the NW where Assuli is located near Trapani. In the Sicilian dialect, “Assuli” means “Al Sole (the Sun) which is an apt description of their unique terroir of blazing sunlight, soils with strong minerality and fragrant scents that are borne on the breezes from the Mediterranean Sea. The results are wines with distinctive personality in the “Sicilia” DOC.
Assuli Winery is owned by the Caruso family.
Being an architect, I could not resist including the picture of the Assuli winery, owned by the Caruso family. The Assuli story began in 1948 with Giacomo Caruso, an entrepreneur who discovered a new marble variety, “Perlato di Sicilia.” The demand for the marble soared and Caruso purchased new quarries to keep up with orders. In 1972, Carrara, a global stone center, moved to new headquarters that were designed by Italian architects Bertelotti and Bertelli. This efficient and modern building is a reinterpretation of an ancient baglio on the site, dating from the 18th century.
Their grillo grape is grown in the Carcitella vineyard near the coastal towns of Frapani and Marsala in NW Sicily.
By 1993, Assuli’s estate covered more than 130 hectares containing five distinct vineyards where seven indigenous grapes are grown. Their grillo grape is grown in the Carcitella vineyard near the coastal towns of Frapani and Marsala in NW Sicily. Since 2016, the third generation of the Caruso family, Nicoletta, Roberto and Michele have been leading the winery to new heights. Their current collaboration is with the Instituto Vite Vino di Marsala for management of an experimental field of 600 vine grafts of six grapes. The goal is to bring these ancient vines back to life that reflect the Caruso family’s strong link to its terroir.
It has been a while since the Grillo grape has been in Piazza’s collection. I enjoyed its fruity nose of citrus and strong pineapple and fresh minerality-perfect pairing for spring, with tomato and watermelon or smoked trout salads; pasta dishes with seafood, grilled veggies, especially asparagus; seafood or white meat entrees and fresh goat cheese.
Come join me Friday from noon to 5:45 or Saturday from noon to 4:45 for a taste of this delectable wine!
Cin Cin!
Jenn
Contributor Jennifer Martella has pursued dual careers in architecture and real estate since she moved to the Eastern Shore in 2004. She has reestablished her architectural practice for residential and commercial projects and is a real estate agent for Meredith Fine Properties. She especially enjoys using her architectura
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