From the best of Sicily

WHY Wine

Old Chateau d'O is hardly the type to spend his nights in bars and clubs. He is also one of the world's worst dancers, stepping on feet rather than hitting the floor for masterly performance of the devilish tango. But when I discovered that an establishment calling itself Bar Su (for Sukhumvit, I guess) was organising a tasting of the wines of the Tasca d'Almerita domain, I decided to attend.

Why? Simply because Tasca d'Almerita is one of the very best wineries in Sicily, and Sicily is now producing some of the most exciting wines in the world. Another good reason, besides the very reasonable price for the wine and food, was that it does not matter if you, dear readers, missed that special evening. These wines are available in Thailand.

Among Sicilian wines, there is a red that seduced me some time ago, and I have often mentioned it in this column. It is Cygnus, one of the best-selling wines of Tasca d'Almerita. Made of nero d'avola, Sicily's own wonderful red grape, and cabernet sauvignon, it is a wine of great charm and relatively modestly priced - a winning combination!

Bar Su offered a 2004 Cygnus which won a competition in Italy, the Concorso Enologica 2007. It was as good as I remembered and impressed my companion for the evening. Cygnus, like the two other reds of the evening came from Tasca Regaleali vineyard. This is a region where the good people of Sicily had been making wine since at least the 11th century. The present vineyard has been active since 1830, when the brothers Lucio and Carmelo Mastrogiovanni bought it.

The evening started with a simple 2007 Sicilian Sauvignon Blanc, dry and fairly acidic, but easy going on the palate, and to which Robert Parker gave a very generous 88 points. It was followed by a delicate and rich 2006 Chardonnay, the famous Regaleali, with ample tropical fruits and a touch of oak. "Impressive" wrote Hugh Johnson, and rightly so.

The star of the evening was probably the superb 2004 Rosso del Conte, a DOC or denomination of controlled origin. In the 1960s Count Giuseppe Tasca d'Almerita decided to produce a red that would reflect the best of his own taste. This wine is the result and since it went into commercial production in the early '70s it has accumulated awards and praises. The 2004 won among others a Gold Medal from the Italian Wine & Food Institute in New York.

It is a true and proud Sicilian, made of 85 percent nero d'avola. And by the way Avola is a town south of Syracuse. The remaining 15 percent is made from another much lesser known Sicilian grape, the perricone. It does not give great wine by itself. It is too bitter and too tannic, but added to greater varietals it contributes firmness and body to wines like the Rosso del Conte.

The Rosso del Conte is made from nero d'avola from vines that are at least 40 years old. It went smoothly with a lamb chop in marsala sauce and some angus beef with pesto.

To close the oenological part of the evening came another great red - the 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon DOC. The vines, exposed to the Sirroco wind, grow at 600 metres above sea level. Like the Rosso del Conte it spends months in French oak, then some time in bottles before being released. Generous on the palate, this concentrated wine brings black pepper, vanilla and a touch of tobacco. Although both the rosso and the cabernet sauvignon are rich in alcohol (14.5 percent), they are not heavy.

I should add that the numerous snacks carefully chosen to accompany the wines were prepared by a native of Sicily, chef Gaetano Palumbo. I have always enjoyed his cuisine, which never hides his deep roots in popular cooking.

By 10 o'clock the night people started to appear. They come to dance; it was time for Chateau d'O to go to bed!

Email: chateaudo377@gmail.com