Pellegrino Passito Di Pantelleria 2010

Winery: Pellegrino

Varietal: Muscat

As one of the oldest grape varietals in the world, the Muscat grape has a huge amount of variation in its character, flavors and even color As such, it is a wildly popular grape in several different countries, and its hardiness and reliability, coupled with its excellent characteristics makes it a highly popular grape varietal with wineries looking to produce fine and elegant wines with a wide appeal. One of the key attributes of Muscat varietal grapes is the fact that they have proven themselves to be highly versatile. Indeed, Muscat grapes are used for a vast range of different wines, from superbly aromatic sweet wines typical of eastern Europe, to refined and elegant sparkling wines, dry white wines, and even fortified examples. They are recognized by their bright and sharp fruity taste, and their characteristically floral aroma.

Region: Sicily

The beautiful island of Sicily has been growing grapevines and producing wines for thousands of years, ever since the ancient Greeks first landed on its golden shores and noticed the island's true potential as a haven for quality grapes. Today, the island is one of Italy's primary wine regions, and even though over eighty percent of Sicily's grapevines are used for the production of sweet fortified wines, the remaining wineries making other wine styles are renowned around the world for their quality and character. Indeed, Sicilian wineries are famed for their ability to capture something of the sun-drenched region in their wines, and the vines they cultivate benefit enormously from the almost constant sunshine and the incredibly fertile volcanic soils which typify the island.

Country: Italy

There are few countries in the world with a viticultural history as long or as illustrious as that claimed by Italy. Grapes were first being grown and cultivated on Italian soil several thousand years ago by the Greeks and the Pheonicians, who named Italy 'Oenotria' – the land of wines – so impressed were they with the climate and the suitability of the soil for wine production. Of course, it was the rise of the Roman Empire which had the most lasting influence on wine production in Italy, and their influence can still be felt today, as much of the riches of the empire came about through their enthusiasm for producing wines and exporting it to neighbouring countries. Since those times, a vast amount of Italian land has remained primarily for vine cultivation, and thousands of wineries can be found throughout the entire length and breadth of this beautiful country, drenched in Mediterranean sunshine and benefiting from the excellent fertile soils found there. Italy remains very much a 'land of wines', and one could not imagine this country, its landscape and culture, without it.