Unusual Grape Varieties Used For Sparkling Wine: Nerello Mascalese

This native Sicilian grape variety is mainly found on the Eastern part of the island, around the city of Catania, where it usually grows on the steep slopes of the Etna. This explains the prolific notes of flint and smoky spices. By itself, it is a wonderful variety that produces elegant and high-quality red and for its sparkling wine, the results are just as stunning! Maybe even more!

The Nerello Mascalese is often referred to as the ‘Pinot Noir of Sicily’ and that is no surprise as it shows the same level of elegance and long shelf life. This variety has been planted on the island for many centuries and is almost never found anywhere else (maybe here and there on Sardinia). It is believed to be a descendant of Sangiovese, along with another unknown Italian variety. Even though the grape can be found all over Sicily, undoubtably the best grapes are found on the slopes of the volcano the Etna, which is one of the most active volcanos in Europe and maybe even the world! Needless to say, this reflects perfectly in the terroir and although the soil is rich in minerals, the drainage is still considered very profitable, as the gapes do need to work a little to get water. The grapes do get the chance to be planted on higher altitude levels and the snowy winters do lead the grapes to enjoy a growing cycle, ensuring crispiness, elegance, natural acidity and beautiful complex herbaceous characters.

After reading this, it is no surprise that this grape gets chosen to produce a sparkling wine as well. The wines will usually be produced as a Blanc de Noir and only be made of the Nerello Mascalese. Being the nickname of ‘Pinot Noir of Sicily, ’ the aromas and level of quality will be very similar, but maybe even a bit more subtle. The wines can be made through different methods, with Traditional being the most popular. The wines made with Charmat and aged for 6 months on the lees in the tank are noticeable as well! The sparkling wines are included in the DOC Etna. Focussing more on the Traditional method, with second fermentation in the bottle and aging on the lees for an average of around 36 months, we will still find citrus aromas that will make us think of Sicilian lemons, a touch of brioche, honeysuckle, flint and roasted almonds. Like more sparkling wines, we should not only consider this for an aperitif but consider the DOC Etna Spumante as a pairing throughout the whole course of the dinner or lunch. Local dishes and informal food that work perfectly are the arancini; it doesn’t really matter what it is filled with meat, fish or cheese! The salami Nebrodi, the hard cheese of Tuma Persa or even just caponata. You can even serve it with Pasta con Sarda, a pasta made with sardines and raisins!

The options for food matching, along with the versatility of this grape, are endless. This once again shows us that the Sicilian culture, not only in terms of history, but especially in terms of cuisine, is everlasting.