Grillo - an old grape with a new lease of life

Marsala means Port of God and takes its name from the Arabic words 'Marsa' and 'Allah', which gives away a little about the history of this ancient Sicilian town, where the Arabs once landed (after the Romans and the Carthaginians). Marsala is also an under appreciated wine, struggling for sales today, but the best are lovely drinks served lightly chilled with aged cheddar, Parmagiano and dried fruit - two are recommended below - but it is also having a make over as a dry white...

Grillo is pretty thin on the ground here in New Zealand but the wine pictured on the left is the thin edge of a very tasty wedge of Sicily's new wave of whites. But before delving into a glass of Grillo, it's worth meeting its forerunner - Marsala; that forgotten, amber coloured, fortified wine that once made the city of the same name famous in the westernmost corner of Sicily. Today, Marsala is having a make over. Not so much along the fortified lines but rather as a dry white, full bodied wine named Grillo. It is pronounced 'gree-oh'. This - Grillo - is the name of the grape. It is one of the three ingredients in Marsala, along with the Cataratto and Inzolia grapes. All three are indigenous to Italy but Grillo is the one that is having great global success right now as a single varietal, dry white wine. It is an old grape with a new lease of life. Chardonnay drinkers will readily relate to Grillo because of its moderate to low acidity and full body, thanks to its naturally high levels of glycerol, which enhance weight and mouth feel in wine.

There are about 6000 hectares of Grillo grapes growing in Sicily, which is about 5.5% of the island's total vineyard area (in New Zealand terms, there is more Grillo in Sicily than there are grapes planted in all of Hawke's Bay - or a similar amount to the total planted area of the Awatere Valley in Marlborough). The first dry wines made from Grillo are thought to be in 1984 and 1985 when Sicilian winemaker Marco De Bartoli began cold fermenting Grillo rather than using it to make fortified wines. This was an important step in the modernization of Sicily’s ancient grapes and the wines they make.  

Marsala has always been fortified since it was first made in 1770. It was created when the English merchant, John Woodhouse, visited Sicilia, liked the wines in the west and decided to stabilise them by fortifying them. This is the Sicilian version of the story of Port. The only way to transport wines in oak barrels to England was to fortify them. Otherwise, they would have arrived at the other end as oxidised and undrinkable after their long ship journey. This brings to mind the current controversy surrounding the transportation of unsulphured, 'natural' wines around the world today because transporting wines on long journeys without ensuring they are stabilised can be perilous. This is the very reason that fortified wines began life. The technology we have today - refrigeration (expensive and optional) and sulfur dioxide (readily available and relatively inexpensive) can both be used to transport wine to any corner of the globe so that it arrives there in a clean, fresh, ready to drink condition. Like most fortified wines in the world - Sherry, Port, Madeira, Australian liqueur Muscat - Marsala is struggling for sales today. It is high in alcohol and generally contains about 18% ABV, which is a stark contrast to the trend for lower alcohol wines right now, but it is one of history's uniquely interesting wines and the grapes it contains show potential for a new and modern era of interesting wines in their own right. Grillo is especially rich with potential and flavour as a dry white wine. It may even work well in the warmer areas of New Zealand, thanks to being a grape with relatively moderate to low acidity but the natural characteristics that lend it to being a full bodied white wine.  

For this column I tasted two Marsalas, both from Cantine Pellegrino, which was established in 1880 in the city of Marsala in western Sicilia. I visited this winery seven years ago as a guest of its owners who were hosting their annual, week-long food and wine matching festival, which was a great chance to try varietal Grillo and see its potential as a delicious aged wine (we tasted four and five year old version of it at the time) and also a vibrant fresh young, full bodied and food friendly white.

Bone dry, medium lemon in colour and super rich and luscious in body. The aromas are ripe fleshy lemons and flavours of peach, oatmeal, almonds and a hint of macadamia nut and brie... There is a lot of flavour going on in this wine but for all its taste intensity, it's the full body and rich mouthfeel, which stretches the wine out to a long rewarding finish. This really does over deliver for just $22 from A Touch of Italy or Moore Wilson's and Regional Wines in Wellington. 13% ABV
 
2012 Principe Di Camporeale DOC $

Bone dry in flavour with lemon zesty acidity driving this lighter bodied wine (it is half a degree lower in alcohol, but that's noticeable in the mouth feel of this Grillo). This Grillo is altogether more savoury and still pretty youthful right now with spicy nutmeg and cedar aromas married to its peachy core. The acidity is noticeable too, which adds freshness and zing to its finish. This is another interesting new string to Sicilia's wine bow; bravo. 12.5% ABV

Each whiff is like fresh caramel thanks to this wine’s lifted toffee, fudge and clove-like aromas and full body; it is rich in flavour and texture, and seems to almost melt in the mouth with its long, caramel-like finish, great texture and length. Medium amber colour. This wine drinks well now after a light chill in the fridge - 30 minutes is perfect - and served with crumbly aged or tasty cheddars and dried nuts. 18% ABV  

This Marsala is a drier style with darker colour and higher acidity, which has the nutty aromas of an oloroso sherry, and it is extremely versatile with food; it is a great match with nuts and cheeses (particularly aged and tasty cheddars too, as with the Oro Dolce, above). It has a hint of caramel-richness, so be sure to chill it lightly too, prior to pouring. 18% ABV