An Italian red meant for drinking with fish
Sicilian vintners typically aim for lighter, brighter styles of red wine, as with this delightfully lightweight pinot noir.
Stemmari Pinot Nero
Sicily, Italy
$11.49
13% alcohol
PLCB Item #100026075
Sale price through April 6; regularly $13.49
Many wine drinkers are fans of Italian wines, but few look beyond those from the handful of regions that dominate exports to the United States. Most of the red wines we see in local stores come from Tuscany, or Abruzzo, while virtually all white and sparkling wines are made in Italy’s “Tre Venezie,” or far northeast. Wine is made in every single one of Italy’s 20 administrative regions, though.
The island of Sicily is the southernmost of Italy’s regions — on a map it is the can being kicked by the high-heeled boot. It’s famous for its balmy weather, sandy beaches, and the volcano at its heart, Mount Etna, though its signature dessert — the cannoli — might be closer to the heart of most Philadelphians. Since wines generally get stronger in warmer and sunnier regions, people often assume that Sicilian reds would be dense and dark. But this would not be a good fit in a region whose gastronomic focus is seafood. Sicilian vintners typically aim for lighter, brighter styles of red wine to cater to the local cuisine’s main proteins like sardines, anchovies, swordfish, and tuna — as with this delightfully lightweight pinot noir.
While many of the island’s red wines rely on native Sicilian grapes, this example is made entirely with the French grape, known here as pinot nero. Grown near the cool coastline and harvested early to preserve freshness, this wine’s bright raspberry and hibiscus flavors and snappy acidity make it dangerously easy to drink, with hardly any of the tannic grip or heftiness on the palate that calls out for red meats or richer sauces in denser reds.
Also available at:
Benash Liquors & Wines in Cherry Hill, $9.99
Wine Legend in Cherry Hill, $11.54
Joe Canal’s Discount Liquors in Cape May, $11.99