From: Sicily, Italy
Varietal: 60% Catarratto, 40% Pinot Grigio
Taste: This fragrant, light-bodied white layers ample floral, spice, and talc accents with ripe, juicy green melon and nectarine fruit flavors, followed by a crisp finish.
Pairing: This Sicilian white blend is refreshing on its own as an aperitif, or as a complement to a smoked salmon appetizer or snack. Other successful pairings include serving this alongside sushi, fried seafood, or vegetables, grilled chicken and salad, or rice dishes, and fresh seafood.
About. The Purato winery’s philosophy is “green to the extreme”: it is certified organic, certified carbon neutral through an international organization called Natural Capital Partners, and every aspect of its packaging is recyclable and made from recycled materials whenever possible.
This blend comes from the Trapani area of Sicily, which is a port city in the northern part of the Marsala region on the western part of the island. The Catarratto dominant in the blend is an indigenous Sicilian grape variety that is very widely planted in the area and typically used as an ingredient in fortified Marsala wines. In this dry wine, the Catarratto lends its juicy texture and crisp lemon flavors to the aromatic Pinot Grigio.
Cooling sea breezes offset the effects of direct sunlight on the vineyards. This wind, combined with scarce rainfall, provides natural protection against pests in addition to the natural techniques and fertilizers employed in the vineyards. The 15-year-old vines are grown on sandy soils with a limestone base.
The Pinot Grigio grapes are hand-harvested early in the first half of August to preserve freshness, while the Catarratto is picked by hand in the second half of September. Each varietal is pressed after a three to six-hour period of maceration on skins and fermented separately in stainless steel. Once fermentation is complete, the varietals are blended and then aged together on fine lees for about four months in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks with no malolactic fermentation.
