2007 Feudo Arancio Grillo

One of my many weaknesses is that I will always jump at the opportunity to try a wine made on a Mediterranean island. There's just way too much history and cool geography to pass up. Such was the case with my purchase of the 2007 Feudo Arancio Grillo from Sicily. The name means something like "orange fiefdom", and Grillo is the grape, normally used in the production of the sweet fortified wine Marsala. $10, 13% abv.

Big and fruity, some pineapple and banana on the nose and really rich, round mouthfeel. It's bold, powerful, and broad shouldered. If this wine were a woman and you were dancing with her, she would be leading. (And I say that as a short guy who doesn't dance well and tends to date taller gals.)

I paired this with some takeout cheese enchiladas and it held up quite well against the spicy food. If you were looking for something more traditional, I'd suggest a mess of squid and shellfish with lots of olives and peppers.

* * *

Want to support Benito's Wine Reviews? Do some of your holiday shopping through my Amazon Store. I've added a lot of items in the past couple of days, and all ordering, shipping, and payment is handled securely through Amazon--I never see any of that information, but I do get a little commission on the sales. I promise I won't resort to public broadcasting-style pledge drives, nor will I post a photo of my dog staring at an empty food bowl.

Thanks to those of you who have already ordered things, and next year when Amazon begins selling wine you'll also have the opportunity to order some of the wines that I write about.