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Winery
Nino Barraco
Varietal: Muscat
The Muscat grape has been grown and cultivated for centuries all over Europe, and in more recent years has become something of a flagship varietal for many New World countries. It is widely admired for its versatility and for the fact that it can be successfully used for the production of many different styles and types of wine. In eastern and central Europe, it is most commonly associated with elegant sweet dessert wines, further west it is used for bright and strong dry white wines, and it is also famous for the superb sparkling wines it produces, full of elegant bubbles and a mineral-rich flavor which compliments its natural 'grapey' character. Muscat grapes are generally agreed to be one of the oldest varietals in the world, and this goes some way to explaining the seemingly vast differences the fruit shows in various parts of the world.
Region: Sicily
The island of Sicily is one of those wine regions which seems to be designed for the production of quality wines. Not only does it have extremely fertile soils, helped by volcanic activity of such peaks as Etna, but the climate is absolutely ideal for the ripening of beautiful grape varietals, with almost year-round sunshine and cooling sea breezes. Sicily has been using such factors for growing grapevines for thousands of years, and is a truly ancient wine region steeped in tradition. Wineries on the island make a wide variety of wines, which are much loved for their ability to express plenty of exciting fruit flavors and sunny, tempting aromas, but Sicily is most well known for the dessert and fortified wines based around the port town of Marsala.
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.