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Perfect to accompany the hearty fare of winter, several top-flight Sicilian wines are sensibly priced and locally available.
REDS
2017 Azienda Agricola COS Cerasuolo di Vittoria ($29)
This blend of Nero d’Avola and Frappato has an intense bouquet and taste of black currants, plums, and chocolate, with a touch of tannin in its finish.
2017 Fattorie Romeo del Castello Allegracore Etna Rosso Vigo ($26)
A robust blend of Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio, this wine stems from a Mount Etna hillside vineyard. With a bouquet and taste of ripe plums and cherries, notes of oak and vanilla enhance its long-lasting finish.
2020 Azienda Agricola Arianna Occhipinti SP68 IGT ($35)
An unfiltered blend of organically grown, hand-harvested Nero d’Avola and Frappato, this wine offers multilayered flavors of cassis, raspberries, and dried and fresh herbs.
2018 Di Giovanna Siciliani Rosso ($13)
Made from a blend of hand-harvested, certified-organic grapes (Syrah, Nero d’Avola, and Merlot), this medium-bodied wine has a bouquet and taste of cassis, plums, and dried herbs, with hints of chocolate and spice in the finish.
2018 Caruso e Minini Perricone ($18)
This wine sings the praises of the little-known, ancient Perricone varietal, with a fragrant bouquet and fruity taste of ripe cherries and a hint of licorice in its smooth finish.
WHITES
2019 Planeta Chardonnay Menfi ($36)
While many Sicilian whites are too light to mate well with lusty fare, this wine — able to age for 10 or more years — shows a bouquet and taste of apples and peaches with notes of toast and vanilla in its crisp finish.
2018 Donnafugata Ben Rye Passito de Pantelleria ($35 for a half-bottle)
To accompany dessert, this white exhibits a golden-yellow hue with a heady bouquet and sweet taste of ripe apricots, candied orange peel, and honey.
Related: 6 Notable Hudson Valley Whites & Reds Made for Sipping
