Sicily is a land unto itself. Politically, this scenic and diverse Mediterranean island is a part of Italy. Emotionally, though, Sicily is a blend of many cultures, mostly from Italy and North Africa. Stroll the frenetic, traffic-clogged streets of Palermo and you are likely to see lines of small shops hawking Sicilian produce and household goods, across from an exotic Arab souk.
In the countryside, the pace is slower and more casual. Mixed agriculture shares the volcanic soils with vines and, in certain places (like the plains of Agrigento) remnants of magnificent 5th & 6th century BCE Greek Doric-style temples. Sicily is truly a welcoming land of contrasts and a rising power in the ever-evolving Italian wine scene.
Bill Nesto, MW and Francis di Savino explore this complex land in their new book, “The World of Sicilian Wine,” delving deep into the island’s history, from the Phoenicians and Greeks to the
Roman era and the present day. Drawing on their Italian heritage, Nesto and Savino, husband and wife, share their love of Italy and the importance of Italian wine to the island’s culture and people. Without experiencing this Sicilian symbiosis firsthand, it is difficult for Americans to understand–since wine is a relative newcomer to American culture, whereas in Sicily wine it is as integral to everyday life as bread and olive oil.
The first nine chapters provide a detailed look at history, geography, viticulture, grapes and winemaking in Sicily from the 8th century BCE to the present. In Chapter 9, “At The Heart of Sicily,” Nesto relates the story of Elio Sireci and his son Fabio and their dedication to Feudo Montoni, the 62-acre vineyard Elio’s father Don Rosario bought at the beginning of the 20th century. Working the land and growing grapes is a labor of love for the Sirecis. “My father and I have been carried here by the wind,” Fabio explained to Nesto. “It is our family duty to maintain Montoni, to be socially responsible, and, through responsible agriculture, to preserve its nature.” This dedication to the land and the generations that have worked it is what Nesto believes is true heart of Sicilian wine.
As engrossing and well-written as the first nine chapters are, the meat of the book, at least from a practical, wine-related view, begins in Chapter 10, “Understanding Sicilian Wine by Place: The Three Valleys.” Nesto maintains that “there is no simple and logical way to discuss Sicilian wine from a regional perspective,” so he suggests using the Tre Valli (Val di Mazara, Val di Noto, Val Demone) approach to explore the modern Sicilian wine industry. Briefly into the six-page chapter, Nesto veers off to explain the Italian appellation system, a departure from the Tre Valli to a controversial subject that demands more than the few pages devoted to it here. Following this brief discourse on DOC, DOCG and Sicilia IGT, the author admits that understanding Sicilian provinces and appellations is helpful to understanding Sicilian wine, but to really be tuned in, the reader would be better served by using the political and administrative subdivisions of the Tre Valli.
The next three chapters cover the three valleys in detail: Val di Mazara, the most extensive wine valley with western and eastern sections; Val di Noto, in the southeastern corner of the island with three coastal regions; and Val Demone in the northeastern corner, where the vineyards hug a thin coastal strip along the north side of the island. Val Demone is also the site of Mt. Edna, an active volcanic threat that must keep growers and winemakers awake at night. Along the eastern flank of Etna is a small boomerang-shaped vineyard zone called Etna. Each of these three chapters includes a rudimentary map and Nesto’s recommendations of the top growers and wineries, many of which are likely unknown names to many American wine drinkers.
The authors wrap up their wine-tour of Sicily with a short chapter titled “The Garden-Vineyard,” a personal observation of the symbiotic relationship that exists between the land and the people. Sicilians are “a people with a deeply rooted sense of place and a profound respect for the fruits of their land.” I lifted that quote from the text, although I don’t know who wrote it. In the Preface, Nesto provides a short explanation of the division of labor in writing this book: Di Savino on history and culture and himself on wine. Miss the Preface and the reader would only be guessing who wrote what chapters.
“The World of Sicilian Wine” is a well-researched work of love by the authors; however, readers may be left with a few small gripes. In the 320 text-laden pages, there are no photographs and only five basic maps that appear to have been sketched by an amateur cartographer. Wine-book collectors, used to detailed maps in wine atlases, may consider these maps basic at best and not of much use. The absence of photographs is unfortunate, especially since the authors introduce vintners and growers whom one wishes to see, especially when poet-growers like Fabio Sireci say things like, “My father and I have been carried here by the wind.” The excessive use of italicized Italian words with the plural form in parenthesis is annoying, adds little, and tends to break the narrative mood that is otherwise well written and realized. Nevertheless, these are minor criticisms.
Wine drinkers who like their wine and vine facts with generous helpings of history, culture and geography will enjoy “The World of Sicilian Wine.” Nesto and di Savino have written a handy and informative guide for the wine tourist and armchair traveler alike.
“The World of Sicilian Wine,” Bill Nesto, MW and Frances di Savino, University of California Press, hardcover, ISBN: 978-0-520-26618-6, $34.95.
WRO Columnist Emeritus Gerald Boyd continues to provide occasional wine book reviews in this space from his so-called "retirement."
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