Stemmari Grillo 2013

Stemmari Grillo 2013, DOC Sicilia, is a delightful white, light wine from Sicily. The Stemmari Grillo 2013 is a  “Wines of Sicilia DOC” wine that was produced with 100% Grillo. The alcohol was 13% by volume. The 2013 was a lovely yellow color. The wine offered fresh, bright notes of tropical fruit and floral hints. The wine pairs well with food especially rice dishes and seafood, cheese and crackers.

The front label uses shades of blue and bit of gold which while simple also adds elegance to the wine bottle. According to the back wine label, “The Stemmari winery implements a wide range of sustainable practices for grape growing in the surrounding ecosystem, guaranteed by the European Certification EMAS.

We enjoyed the Stemmari Grillo wine on our patio with a cold pasta dish and a green salad.

Grillo 2013 on a warm sunny day!

Stemmari suggests pairing the Grillo 2013 with seafood, pasta dishes with vegetables, white meat and baked fish and veal carpaccio with celery and strawberries. (According to an internet search veal carpaccio is created by freezing and thinly slicing veal. After slicing the veal pound it and serve it with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. There are numerous variations of carpaccio online.)

Grillo is a vitis vinifera grape originally found growing in Sicily. In earlier years this white grape variety was used for producing Marsala. According to the National Grape Registry the grillo grape variety was the result of  crossing Catarratto bianco comune and Muscat of Alexandria.

Stemmari

Stemmari Visitors will find that Stemmari tours are offered in Italian and English. According to the Stemmari website, wine tastings include typical regional products. Stemmari also has Sicilian courtyards for private events including anniversaries, conferences and business meetings.

Stemmari has 700 hectares (1730 acres) of vineyards. In the vineyards, an emphasis is placed on sustainability.  In 2002 they were awarded the EMAS 2 (Eco-Management and Audit Scheme) a certification for environmental sustainability and management. Today they are using insects and plants to help with sustainability.

The Stemmari winery produces several wines. Wines include Pinot Grigio, Grillo, Baci Vivaci, Chardonnay, Cantodoro, Hedonis, and Hekate. Stemmari wines are available in the United States. Which wines have you tried?

In addition to the Stemmari wines, Stemmari also has a 100-year-old olive grove. Extra virgin olive oils are produced with these olives. Olive varieties include Cerasuola and Nocellara del Belice.

After a bottle of Stemmari Grillo and a look at the Stemmari website, this is a winery we should add to our list of potential winery visits.

Cheers, Kathy