http://winecase.wordpress.com/2007/11/14/how-on-earth-did-i-forget-about-italy/ Musings about the wine world in all its colours, flavours and phenolics, from industry questions to tasting notes Sat, 12 Dec 2009 08:23:21 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 http://winecase.wordpress.com/2007/11/14/how-on-earth-did-i-forget-about-italy/#comment-306 Vendredi du vin 19: En état de nature à San Francisco « À chacun sa bouteille Sun, 02 Nov 2008 06:59:22 +0000 http://winecase.wordpress.com/2007/11/14/how-on-earth-did-i-forget-about-italy/#comment-306 [...] une jeune vigneronne de Sicile dont les vins entièrement naturels m’avaient été signalés par un lecteur de mon blogue anglais, il y a quelque temps, et m’intriguaient passablement depuis. Guilhaume m’en avait [...] [...] une jeune vigneronne de Sicile dont les vins entièrement naturels m’avaient été signalés par un lecteur de mon blogue anglais, il y a quelque temps, et m’intriguaient passablement depuis. Guilhaume m’en avait [...]

]]> http://winecase.wordpress.com/2007/11/14/how-on-earth-did-i-forget-about-italy/#comment-34 Arild Haaland Fri, 16 Nov 2007 15:36:34 +0000 http://winecase.wordpress.com/2007/11/14/how-on-earth-did-i-forget-about-italy/#comment-34 I agree with you that the Benanti wines are great, but if you find other Sicilian wines too sweet and overripe you have missed out on a few real gems. There are some really interesting wines coming out of the Etna region these days that make the Benantis (also from Etna) seem like well produced but dull wines. Two producers called Frank Cornelissen and Arinne Ochippinti both make really uncompromising wine on the Etna out of indigenous grapes. Cornelissen, originally from Belgium, is the most extreme of the two, with biodynamics, mixing of red and white varieties and the vinification going on in amphoras dug into the ground facing the volcano (so they can achieve energy from the volcano). His wine is like nothing I have ever tasted. You either hate or love it. Occhipinti, a local girl in the late twenties, is a bit less uncompromising than Cornelissen, but still far from the ordinary. She makes amazing,delicate, burgundy like red wine from the frappato grape that has a purer fruit than almost anything I have ever tasted. Neither she nor Cornelissen uses any sulphur in their wines, and their wines have a sort of purity in common that I love. I don't know if you can get these where you live, but they are available here in Norway so it might be possible. I agree with you that the Benanti wines are great, but if you find other Sicilian wines too sweet and overripe you have missed out on a few real gems. There are some really interesting wines coming out of the Etna region these days that make the Benantis (also from Etna) seem like well produced but dull wines. Two producers called Frank Cornelissen and Arinne Ochippinti both make really uncompromising wine on the Etna out of indigenous grapes. Cornelissen, originally from Belgium, is the most extreme of the two, with biodynamics, mixing of red and white varieties and the vinification going on in amphoras dug into the ground facing the volcano (so they can achieve energy from the volcano). His wine is like nothing I have ever tasted. You either hate or love it. Occhipinti, a local girl in the late twenties, is a bit less uncompromising than Cornelissen, but still far from the ordinary. She makes amazing,delicate, burgundy like red wine from the frappato grape that has a purer fruit than almost anything I have ever tasted. Neither she nor Cornelissen uses any sulphur in their wines, and their wines have a sort of purity in common that I love. I don’t know if you can get these where you live, but they are available here in Norway so it might be possible.

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