It’s summer and what could be more traditional than burgers done on the grill. Although we didn’t get a ton of super hot days this year we did have our share of warm evenings and cooking outdoors meant keeping the house cool. Cooking outdoors also meant some yummy, casual meals enjoyed al fresco.
For this pairing we grilled chicken smash burgers served on brioche style buns. Load them up! I love having some choices to add to my burger; sweet onions, cheese (cheddar or fresh mozzarella for a change of pace) garden fresh tomatoes, salad mix (because one kind of lettuce is kind of boring) the usual condiments which in our house include, but are not limited to, Dijon mustard, ketchup, mayonnaise, hamburger relish, regular mustard, Hy’s seasoning salt and a variety of pickles.
The Grillo was the perfect foil for all those wild and wacky, tasty add-ons, throw in the tasty organic, juicy chicken patties and there you have it, the perfect summer dinner.
And for those looking for a good vegan wine this one definitely fits the bill.
Nicosia grillo DOC Sicilia
Bio Vegan
Produced with carefully selected Grillo grapes, an organic and vegan wine that reveals the authentic expression of this precious Sicilian grape variety. With a brilliant straw-yellow colour, has a fragrant bouquet of floral and citrusy notes, featuring hints of aromatic herbs. On the palate it reveals great freshness and savoriness, with a full and lingering taste.
Grape varieties: Grillo
Vineyards: medium-textured soil tends mainly to clay; training system: guyot
Raccolta: by hand into crates; August – early September
Maceration: after destemming, the grapes are pressed softly;
Fermentation: the juice is left to ferment at a controlled temperature of 15-18°C for approximately 15-20 days
Ageing: only in stainless steel vats, with a short stay in the bottle for about 2 months
Alcohol content: 12,5% vol.
Colour: brilliant straw-yellow colour
Nose: complex with floral and citrusy notes, and hints of aromatic herbs
Palate: a fresh, sapid and lingering taste
Food Pairings: excellent with grilled vegetables, salads and vegetarian dishes
Serving temperature: 10-12°C
Examples of great pairings: Seafood Salad, Smoked Salmon, Oysters, Pasta with Cream or Mushroom Sauce, Baked White Fish in Butter Sauce, Soft-ripened cheese, Chicken Sandwich, Prawns, Scallops (pairings courtesy of BC Liquor Stores)
Deliciously fruity wine. Crisp and fresh in the glass. I enjoyed the hints of fresh grass and slight bit of straw that sits subtly in the background allowing the apple and slight tropical notes to comes to the fore. Good body without quite hitting medium which gives it that special finish. Initially there are both scents and flavours of ever so mild citrus but it compliments overall. Nice colour.
This Sicilian wine is fast becoming a favourite. Good value.
NICOSIA – BIO VEGAN
Dedicated to all wine lovers with a healthy and natural lifestyle, with a great care about environment and biodiversity, these wines derive from a great research effort in the vineyard and in winery. Produced using exclusively vegetal substances, these wines have a very low level of sulfites and are certified as Organic Wines, and obtained the BIO VEGAN certification by ICEA.
Sicily from five generations
Back in 1898 Francesco Nicosia, the great-grandfather of the current owner, decided to open his first wine shop in Trecastagni, on the eastern slope of Mount Etna. This was the golden age of Etna wines, which – even then – were renowned and esteemed across Europe for their minerality and “volcanic” personality.
Towards the end of the twentieth century, however, the family came to an entrepreneurial watershed, thanks to the tenacity, courage and innovative spirit of Carmelo Nicosia, the current owner. Investing heavily in expanding and restructuring the vineyards, and building a modern winery, he helped transform the family business into one of the leading players in the renaissance of Sicilian wine in Italy and around the world.
Our Filosophy
Nicosia is a dynamic, modern and efficient company that looks towards the future, but without forgetting tradition. It is headed by Carmelo Nicosia, assisted by his sons Francesco and Graziano and a close-knit team of young people such as enologist Maria Carella, who fully interpret the company spirit.
Promoting the best winegrowing areas in Sicily while fully respecting the environment, focusing on the finest native varieties and the international cultivars that can best adapt to Sicily, promoting the best raw material by selecting the best grapes and lavishing enormous care on work in the cellar. A long and exciting path towards quality, in order to produce wines that represent the finest in Sicilian enology.
Winery
The Trecastagni winery is the place where tradition meets ultra-modern technology. Covering a nearly 27000-square-foot space, over a total area of more than 20.000 square feet, among the spacious winemaking area and testing laboratory, large stainless steel tanks and barrels, the ultra-modern bottling line and the bottle aging area and the suggestive underground barrel cellar, the winery is where the heart of the company beats.
Here, in the hospitable wine shop, visitors are welcome to sample the final result of the company’s efforts for themselves. In this veritable “refuge”, far from the frenetic pace of everyday life, standing before a majestic view of the volcano, guests at Tenute Nicosia can take part in tastings and events in which wine is always the star.
Wine notes courtesy of the winery. My notes (in bold italics). I received complimentary wine to facilitate this feature. #sponsoredpost
