Sicily has been the talk of not only Italian wines, but the worldwide wine market as a whole mostly due to its unique volcanic wine production. Looking outside Sicily’s volcanic wines though one will discover a breadth of unique grapes found throughout the island including the Zibibbo grape I’m featuring today.
What is the Zibibbo grape?
Synonymous with the name Muscat of Alexandria, the Zibibbo grape’s
origins believe to hail from Egypt and were brought over to Sicily by the
Arabs. It’s an ancient grape that has
been cultivated for over 5,000 years. The
name Zibibbo comes from the Arabic word, Z’bib, which translates to dried
grape. This is a grape that shows
beautifully not only when produced from dried grapes that result in a sweeter style wine, but
also as a dry style white wine like the one I'm sharing today.
Zibibbo is considered an aromatic grape due to its high levels of organic compounds called terpenes. Other grapes that you may be able to relate to that carry intense, floral aromas that also contain high levels of terpenes are Riesling and Gewurztraminer. Before I knew the breakdown of the blend today that I’m sharing, some of the floral notes of this wine reminded me of a Gewurztraminer, one of my favorite white grapes due to my love of NY Finger Lakes wines. You’ll pick up notes of stone fruits, orange blossoms and jasmine in the aromas of Zibibbo. It’s a resilient grape that does well in the hot temperatures of Sicily’s climate. It also is a drought resistant grape.
The Wine
This week I sampled the 2018 Firriato La Muciara
Terre Siciliane IGT which is a blend
of 60% Zibibbo, 20% Grillo and 20% Catarratto.
This wine was softly pressed and went through fermentation for 12
days. It spent 6 months on the lees with
an additional 18 months in the bottle. A
brilliant straw-colored wine with golden highlights. Intense florals of stone fruit with some
tropical notes. Medium-bodied with the tropical fruits carrying through to the
palate creating a roundness on the wine with a touch of salinity.
Food Pairing with Zibibbo
When I consider pairing wines with food I always think of
where the wine originates from. What is the typical cuisine of the region? With many of Sicily’s indigenous white grapes
you can’t seem to go wrong with a seafood pairing and creating a dish with the
abundance of vegetables grown throughout the island. It had been awhile since I had made some fish
cakes and these are always a big hit in my home so I figured I couldn’t go
wrong. This pairing worked out
great! I was concerned about the body
and flavors of the wine with some of the flavors of the fish cakes, mostly the
mustard added to the fish cakes but it was so minuscule in the grand scheme
that all the flavors blended nicely together.
The fish cakes, which I made with cod, were an easy preparation. I poached the fish in some water and milk on the stove with some added bay leaves, lemon and salt until cooked through. In the meantime, I blended together a cup of bread crumbs, 2 eggs, garlic, a tablespoon of mayonnaise, a teaspoon of mustard with some added kosher salt and pepper. Once the fish was finished and cooled, I blended all the ingredients with my hands forming the cakes. I cooked them in some extra virgin olive oil for about 4-5 minutes each side. Easy peasey! So try some Zibibbo or any of Sicily’s indigenous white grapes, cook up some fish cakes and let me know what you think.
This month our Italian Food, Wine & Travel group, hosted by Camilla the Culinary Cam, featured indigenous grapes of Italy. Join the rest of our wine and food bloggers as they feature their particular selections.
- An Umbrian Grape with Greek Origins: Cantina Roccafiore Grechetto di Todi Fiordalis + Pesce alla Ghiotta by Culinary Cam
- BI.VI.SI.: Revitalizing Sicily’s native, ancient vines for forgotten flavors like Frappato by Wine Predator...Gwendolyn Alley
- Brachetto: A Piemontese Grape Meant for Food! by Keep the Peas
- Castello di Grumello Medera & Casconcelli by The Quirky Cork
- Ciliegiolo, Great Wines for Spring by Avvinare
- Durella - Native vine of the Lessini Mountains that Sparkles by Crushed Grape Chronicles
- Pasta, Wine, and a Cookbook Review by A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Pizza Wine! Fresh, Fruity, and Made from Native Italian Grapes by My Full Wine Glass
- Sicilian Wine Grapes: Grillo and Frappato by Cooking Chat
- Unlock the Beauty of Mexican Wines: The Fusion of Italian Indigenous Grapes by Our Good Life
Also, in support of Vino Travels, if you plan to purchase some Sicilian wines I may receive commissions if any wines are purchased directly from Wine.com.
In Valtellina, way up in Northern Italy, they like to say that if laid end to end, their dry stone walls would reach Sicily and back! I first encountered Zibibbo in Valtellina, such a long way from its home! A winemaker there was growing it on the front of his winery and said the berries were delicious and people would pick and eat them as they walked by to church. (Which was why he planted them there.) I love learning more about the wines of this grape!
ReplyDeleteI'm sure this was a lovely pairing. I, too, was very pleased with the wines I enjoyed from the Finger Lakes region so I'm sure I will love this wine as well. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a lovely wine, I really like both Zibbibo and Grillo so it sounds right up my alley! But also really interesting to learn about the neptune grass (and what a great name for a sea grass).
ReplyDeleteI am fairly certain that I have never tried a Zibibbo wine. Now I can't wait to get my hands on one. Thanks for joining in this month.
ReplyDeleteI loved reading these details about the neptune grass that acts as a natural fertilizer and the marine breezes adding to the flavor profile. Will be adding this wine and fish cakes to my future pairings. Thanks!
ReplyDelete