Sicily: Caruso & Minini – Zibibbo 2021

Caruso & Minini sits on the western-most coast of Sicily, close to Marsala, and its history can be traced back to Antonio Caruso’s purchase of the company in the late 1800’s, when the purpose was to grow grapes for factories located nearby. It wasn’t until the mid 1900’s that Nino Caruso decided to start creating his own wine from these grapes, and the winery as we know it today was launched in 2004, as Stefano Caruso joined up with Mario Minini of Lombardy. Today, they produce wines from indigenous local grapes, including Catarratto, Nero d’Avola, Frappato, Inzolia, and Nerello Mascalese. The winery is now run by Stefano and his daughter, Giovanna.

The Terre Siciliane IGT region covers Sicily and its satellite islands – the Aeolian Islands and Pantelleria included – and the range of styles found in IGT wines is a testament to the freedom of this category. There is, however, a strong focus on traditional grape varieties, including Grillo, Catarratto, Grecanico, Inzolia, Zibibbo, Nero d’Avola, Frappato and Perricone as well as some international varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Syrah and Merlot.