Earlier this week we had the opportunity to join a few other wine bloggers to an exclusive aperitivo and dinner event dedicated to discovering an icon from Sicily: Mandrarossa – Settesoli.
A unique, dedicated experience in Vancouver, guided by Andrea Di Fabio, General Manager and their partners Stile Brands and VinTerra, tasting different expressions from this magical island at Bar Corso.
This was a nice opportunity to delve into the winery’s production philosophy, to discover the peculiarities of its wines, and engage directly with Andrea while enjoying wonderful wines and delicious tapas.
The wines:
Settesoli Chardonnay
Bright, crisp, melon notes with buttery finish. Paired with Panette & Cannoli
I found the Settesoli Chardonnay to be rich and smooth with no sign of oak on the nose or the palate. It was a pleasantly medium body that made the perfect introductory wine. Anyone who follows me and my reviews know that I do find Chardonnay challenging. The Settesoli Chardonnay was ideal for my palate that prefers less oak but still looking for good flavour. The wine ticked all the boxes.
Settesoli Grillo
Dry, crisp, grapefruit with minal notes.
The Settesoli Grillo was right up my alley. Fresh, crisp and very refreshing. It is a wine that stands alone for an afternoon appetitif or a wine that makes a great pairing with spicy and rich food. So drinkable.
Settesoli Syrah
Warm, slight spice, blackberry aromas.
Opening with a hint of barn, old world aromas that are a delight. It was a bit lighter in colour but the flavour was definitely there. So smooth, rich with very light tannins. A delicious wine.
Settesoli Nerello Mascalese
Bright, sweet spices, floral lightly acidic, strawberry notes.
The wine also exhibited the wonderful aromas that are associated with old world wine. Delicately smooth, rich and full bodied with approachable tannins. Fruit forward with tantalizing spice notes.
In addition to the wines featured on the Sicilian Happy Hour Andrea also shared:
Settesoli Grillo Sicilia DOC
Fragrant and harmonious, with a deep yellow colour with greenish shades, it inebriates
with intense notes of citrus fruits, honey and orange blossom.
This wine was exceptionally delicious and brought to mind late summer evenings spent in conversation. Lovely citrus notes with floral scents that delighted. The stonefruit flavours were the right touch with the excellent acidity of the wine.
Of course there were small bites to pair with the wines…
Cibo di strada
Panella
Chickpea Fritter, House Stacciatella & Lemon
Sfincione
House sourdough, Heirloom tomato caramelized onions, anchovies & caciocavallo
Stigghiola
Grilled lamb skewers, leek, parsley & lemon
Arancini
Mushroom, fresh peas & Parmigiano
Cazzilli
Potato croquette, black mint & lemon
Cannoli
House Ricotta, candied lemon & pistachio
Cantine Settesoli is a Sicilian co-op winery with 2000 members. It produces the widest variety of grapes in Sicily – 35 cultivars – on 5700 hectares of vineyards, 7% of the entire area planted with vines on the island. More than 1000 hectares are cultivated organically. 70% of the 5000 families living in the Terre Sicane District (province of Agrigento) are involved at various levels in the company’s activity. Mandrarossa is Cantine Settesoli’s high-quality brand dedicated to the on-trade.
”INDULGE IN THE FLAVOUR’S OF ITALY, ONE TAPA AT A TIME”
Executive Chef, Luke Boswell, has skillfully fine-tuned a menu that highlights how wonderfully complex the simplest of Italian ingredients can be: Italian tapas at its best!
The ultimate test has already been passed though, with generations of Italians who live in the nearby Italian communities having already perched at our bar to test our knowledge of wine and taste our food, and we are proud to claim we are as good as Nonna makes it!
It was a lovely evening with excellent wines and delicious bites. Thank you for the invitation Studio Cru Communications, and for hosting us Stile Brands, VinTerra and Bar Corso.
The evening for myself and guest was complimentary. Wine notes courtesy of the hosts. My notes (in italics) Images: MyVanCity