THE AUGUST SHUFFLE
Caruso & Minini: Catalù Catarratto & “Nebacco” Nero d’Avola
This month we're traveling to western Sicily, where the hills behind Marsala rise gently away from the sea and vineyards have been part of the landscape for centuries. Sicily's modern wine renaissance is often associated with the dramatic volcanic slopes of Mount Etna, but the island's western edge tells an equally compelling story—one shaped by Mediterranean winds, sun-baked hillsides, and native grapes that are finally receiving the attention they deserve.
Few estates capture that story as warmly as Caruso & Minini. The Caruso family's roots in Sicilian wine stretch back to the late nineteenth century, when Antonio Caruso began growing grapes destined for the Marsala trade. Later generations moved from farming grapes to making and bottling their own wines, and in 2004 Stefano Caruso joined forces with Mario Minini to create the estate as it is known today. Stefano's daughters, Giovanna and Rosanna, have since brought another generation into the business, helping guide the winery's approach to sustainability, design, and the evolving identity of Sicilian wine.
The winery itself is housed in a restored stone baglio in Marsala, while the family's vineyards lie farther inland among the rolling hills of Trapani. This distinction matters. The vineyards are close enough to the Mediterranean to feel its cooling winds, but their inland position and elevation provide greater differences between daytime and nighttime temperatures than one might expect from western Sicily. Warm, dry days encourage full ripening, while the wind helps preserve freshness and keeps the fruit healthy. The resulting wines are generous without feeling heavy—a balance that suits both Catarratto and Nero d'Avola particularly well.
Caruso & Minini Catalù Catarratto
The Catalù Catarratto showcases one of Sicily's oldest and most important white grapes. For generations, Catarratto was valued largely for its productivity and its role in Marsala, often disappearing into anonymous blends. In the right vineyards and with careful handling, however, it can produce whites of real character: gently aromatic, substantial in texture, and marked by the savory, slightly saline quality that seems to follow so many wines grown near the Mediterranean.
At Caruso & Minini, the grapes are harvested by hand during the first part of September. After destemming, they undergo a short cold maceration in stainless steel at approximately 4°C, allowing the skins to contribute aroma and texture without extracting harshness. The fruit is then softly pressed, and the clarified juice ferments at a cool temperature for roughly twenty days. Aging on the lees in tank gives the wine a little additional breadth before it rests in bottle.
The result is not a thin or sharply acidic white, but a wine that balances freshness with a surprisingly generous mouthfeel. Aromas of citrus blossom, ripe pear, yellow apple, and Mediterranean herbs lead into flavors of lemon, apricot, and salted almond. A subtle floral quality gives the wine lift, while the finish is long, mineral, and lightly savory. Few bottles are happier alongside seafood: think pasta with clams, grilled sardines, fried calamari, or swordfish dressed simply with lemon and olive oil. Its combination of freshness and texture also makes it excellent with fresh ricotta, young pecorino, or a plate of roasted vegetables.
Caruso & Minini “Nebacco” Nero d’Avola
The “Nebacco” offers a very different expression of western Sicily. Despite the name—which might suggest a meeting of Nebbiolo and another variety—the wine is made entirely from Nero d'Avola, Sicily's most celebrated native red grape. The name is playful, but the wine itself is a straightforward and polished interpretation of the variety: ripe and warmly fruited, yet still balanced by freshness, herbs, and gentle tannin.
The Nero d'Avola is harvested by hand toward the end of September, then destemmed and fermented in stainless steel at approximately 25°C. Maceration lasts between fifteen and twenty days, providing color and structure, and malolactic fermentation also takes place in tank. From there, the wine is divided: 30% matures for four months in small 225-liter barriques, while the remaining 70% stays in stainless steel for eight months. That modest proportion of oak is important. It adds roundness and spice without obscuring Nero d'Avola's naturally generous fruit.
Nebacco opens with ripe cherry, plum, and red berries, followed by orange peel, dried herbs, and a warm thread of spice. The palate is soft and enveloping, with velvety tannins and enough acidity to keep the wine lively. Compared with more heavily oaked expressions of Nero d'Avola, this feels open and approachable, with the fruit and savory herbal notes remaining firmly in the foreground. Its warmth makes it a natural partner for tomato-based pasta, grilled sausages, eggplant involtini, or slow-cooked pork. It would also be difficult to improve upon a glass alongside aged pecorino, salami, and a loaf of good bread.
