14 May Please The Palate Wine of the Week: Tenuta di Castellaro Lipari 2021 Corinto Nero, IGT Terre Siciliane Rosso

Italy is home to more than 350 officially recognized indigenous grape varieties, with more than another 1500 still to be recognized. It is a vast world that I have spent time studying and learning about. While in Sicily this past week for Sicily en Premeur, I was able to taste many of the Sicilian grapes I was familiar with – Nero d’Avola, Frappato, Nerello Mascalese, Carricante, and many more. But when I was poured a glass of Corinto, it was a first. As since I love discovering new grape varieties, it is no surprise that the Tenuta di Castellaro Lipari 2021 Corinto Nero, IGT Terre Siciliane Rosso is the Please The Palate wine of the Week.

About Lipari

Lipari, a one hour boat ride (via Hydro Foil) from Milazzo, the port village northeast of Etna, is the largest and most populous of the Aeolian Islands. The Aeolian Islands are a volcanic archipelago in the Tyrrhenian Sea off the northern coast of Sicily.

Lipari is home to approximately 12,000 inhabitants (the number more than doubles during the summer). It is known for its natural beauty which includes breathtaking views from the cliffs overlooking the sea and white sandy beaches below. Like all Italian villages, Lipari is also home to historical sites, such as the Cathedral of San Bartolomeo, the Castle of Lipari, and the Old Church of Quattropani, as well as restaurants, shops, and resort hotels. There are also vineyards on the island, small plots owned by the locals who make wine for themselves. However, there is only one commercial winery on the island, Tenuta di Castellaro.

About Tenuta di Castellaro

The first, and currently only, commercial winery on the island, Tenuta di Castellaro was founded by Massimo Lentsch, an entrepreneur from Bergamo who fell in love with the island. He purchased the property in 2005 and the first vintage was in 2008.

Tenuta di Castellaro has 21 hectares of vineyards planted to Malvasia (for Malvasia di Lipari, the only DOC on the island) and Corinto Nero, as well as Carricante, Nero d’Avola, Alicante (Grenache), Moscato Bianco, and a small amount of Pinot Noir. The vines are 100% alberello (bush trained) and harvested by hand. The vineyard is certified organic.

The vineyard thrives thanks to the unicorn conditions – volcanic soils, proximity to the sea, and wind. Ash from the nearby Stombolli volcano refreshes the volcanic soils. Cactus is planted around the perimeter of the vineyard which protects the vines from wind.

About Corinto Nero

Corinto Nero is a seedless red wine grape. It is believed to have traveled to Sicily from Greece, specifically Corinth, which the name suggests.

While the grape is widely grown in Greece and Turkey, it is specifically found on the island of Lipari. Apparently it is also found in Emilia-Romagna, where it is known as Tarmarina.

Taste-wise Corinto produces a wine that can be similar in style to a Pinot Noir from Alsace.

Tasting Notes

The Corinto was handpicked and fermented with native yeasts. The wine was then put in barrel for a year before being transfered to stainless steel before bottling and aged another year. The resulting wine has dark red fruit, sweet spice, and licorice notes. On the palate, the wine is savory with soft tannins and balanced acidity that makes the wine linger on the palate.

Food Pairing

I enjoyed this wine at the Castellaro Bistro at Tenuta di Castellaro in Lipari. For this wine, the chef Giacomo Caravello prepared breaded paddle fish with aromatic herbs and garlic and then baked and served with potatoes and capers.

Where To Purchase

The Tenuta di Castellaro Lipari 2021 Corinto Nero, IGT Terre Siciliane Rosso is available is the United States and retails for $20. To find a retailer who sells this wine, visit www.wine-searcher.com