“Pure gold…” That’s how Nino Mangano, our guide at Sicily’s Gambino Winery, described the volcanic sand and light, spongy lava pebbles left after Mt Etna erupts.
According to Nino, “Our ‘Mamma” (a common name for the volcano in Sicily) is active several times a year. “Cleaning up from the roofs and gutters is a little bother,” he says, “but it’s pure gold in the vineyards and other cultivation.
“Since it’s rich in minerals and microelements, it adds complexity to our soil.”
Gambino Winery was one of three wineries we were able to visit on excursions during our Windstar cruise from Athens to Barcelona, “A Piece of Greece, A Slice of Sicily, and the Corinth Canal.”
The three ports offering winery visits included Argostoli, Greece; Messina, Sicily; and Cagliari, Sardinia. Each wine-focused excursion offered a glimpse into the rich wine culture of these regions.
Gambino Winery in Sicily
The Gambino Winery is on the east side of the Etna volcano, in the woods of the National Park, facing the Taormino Sea. Terraced vineyards over 2,600 feet above sea level surround the winery’s Tasting Room and production facility.
To be in this setting for our tasting of four wines — two reds, a white, and a rosé — served with cheeses and local specialties made it well worth the 90-minute drive to reach it.
It’s All About the Grapes
Nerello Mascalese, a rare red Sicilian grape, produces Gambino’s medium-bodied red wines, reminiscent of Pinot Noir. Nerello Cappuccio, another dark-skinned grape, is also used, but it is usually not found as a varietal on its own. The Rosé uses the same grape. Carricante, an ancient white wine grape, is used in Gambino’s Tifeo White, blended with the Catarratto white grape.
Although this wine-growing region accounts for only a tiny percentage (about 5 percent) of Sicily’s wine production, it is often included among its most prestigious wine-growing areas.
Before our group returned to the ship, I ordered a mixed case of Gambino wines to enjoy at home. Since the winery ships wine to a warehouse facility in the U.S., there was no extra shipping cost, and it was waiting for us upon our return from the cruise.
Robola Winery — Argostoli, Greece
Argostoli, the capital city of Kefalonia, was the third Grecian port on our Windstar cruise itinerary. After boarding our ship in Athens, we witnessed our ship’s transit of the Corinth Canal, visited the ancient archeological site of Delphi at Itea, and then toured Corfu. We ended with a tasting of its famous local drink, kumquat liqueur.
Our first opportunity to visit a winery was here in Kefalonia, the largest and most mountainous of the seven Ionian islands. Robola Winery is about 20 minutes from Argostoli, in the Omala Valley, a 300-acre area known as the Robola Zone.
Kefalonia’s vineyards are on the semi-mountainous slopes of Mount Aenos. The Venetians brought the island’s trademark varietal, the white-skinned Robola grape, in the 12th century.
The Kefalonia Robola Wine Cooperative was established in 1982. After the first grape harvest, bottling and marketing began the following year. Now comprising 300 members, it collects and processes almost 85 percent of the Robola wine grapes grown here.
Robola — Wine of the Stone
Vino di Sasso, means “wine of the stone.” The Italians named it for Robola since it is grown in barren, gravelly limestone soils. Other indigenous varieties grown in the Robola Zone include Vostilidi, Muscat, Mavrodaphne, and Zakinthino.
During our Robola Winery visit, we sampled four wines, each with its distinct flavor profile and history. These included the PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) Robola, a crisp and refreshing white wine with a unique minerality.
We also learned a bit about the origins of the Wine Cooperative and the production methods of this rare wine made from the Robola grape. Some used to claim it was nearly identical to the Ribolla Gialla, a varietal from northeastern Italy. However, modern DNA evidence has shown that it is a distinct variety.
My husband and I left with a bottle of the Robola, which we enjoyed with dinner on the ship that evening.
Ferruccio Deiana Vini Vineyards — Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy
Cagliari, Sardinia, was the final port on our 9-day cruise. It was another I looked forward to visiting. I read Dan Buettner’s book, The Blue Zones: Secrets for Living Longer: Lessons from the Healthiest Places on Earth, several years ago. One of those places is Sardinia.
It is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea after Sicily, and one of the twenty regions of Italy. Sardinia, the first Blue Zones region identified, is home to the world’s greatest concentration of male centenarians.
A wine made with Cannonau grapes was mentioned in the book. When I noticed one of the excursions would visit the Ferruccio Deiana Vini Vineyards, where I could taste it, I knew I wanted to take advantage of the opportunity.
Ferruccio Deiana Vini Vineyards
Cannonau, Sardinia’s Signature Wine
Cannonau, Sardinia’s signature wine, has been called the “longevity wine.” It is well-known for its multiple health benefits. For starters, it has two to three times the level of artery-scrubbing flavonoids as other wines. Flavonoids have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer properties.
Along with moderate wine consumption, Sardinians’ maintain a healthy lifestyle. That includes eating a lean, plant-based diet, walking five miles or more each day, and focusing on family values, including celebrating their elders.
The wines we tasted at Ferruccio Deiana winery included:
Karel: Monica di Sardegna DOC, a typical red table wine made from the native grape Monica.
Bella Rosa: Isola dei Nuraghi IGT, a rosé wine from the native grape Bovale.
Donnikalia: Vermentino di Sardegna DOC, a dry white wine made from the native grape Vermentino.
Sileno: Cannonau di Sardegna DOC (the “star of the show”), made from the native red grape Cannonau.
Wines Paired with Local Foods
Our wine-tasting experience was enhanced by pairing with local foods. They included cheese, thin slices of sausage, and pane carasau, a thin, cracker-like flatbread made in Sardinia since ancient times.
In addition to Cannonau and other grapes mentioned in the wines we tasted, several other typical Sardinian grape varieties are grown at Ferruccio Deiana on its 250 acres of vineyards. They include Carignano, Barbera Sarda, Malvasia, Nasco, and Moscato. The winemakers can produce rosé, red, and fortified wines from Cannonau grapes.
Cannonau Grape – Also Known as Grenache
Cannonau is the Sardinian name for the red wine grape known elsewhere as Grenache or Garnacha.
Other wines from the Grenache wine grape include Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Côtes du Rhône from France and Garnacha from Spain. Archeologists reportedly found proof in 2002 that the Cannonau grape originated in Sardinia, making it the oldest in the Mediterranean.
The winery, usually closed on Sundays, welcomed our group for a special tour and tasting. Sunday wine sales were also prohibited. Since I couldn’t purchase a bottle of the Sileno Reserve made from Cannonau grapes there, I’ve found wine stores throughout the U.S. that carry Sardinian wines on Winesearcher.)
These Ancient Grapes are Producing World-Class Wines
While the grape varieties grown in the wineries I visited were unfamiliar, I have gained a new appreciation for wines made from these ancient, indigenous grapes.
I can think of no better way to visit three very different Mediterranean wineries within a few days’ time than from our Windstar cruise ship. Although Windstar and other cruise lines offer wine tastings on board, there’s nothing like tasting “the fruit of the vine” with the vineyards where the grapes were grown within sight.
I raise my glass to each of them. ”Yamas!” And “Salute!” (That’s how they say “cheers” in Greece and Italy.)
Learn More about Italian and Greek Wine
Are you interested in learning more about wine classification systems in Italy (including Sicily and Sardinia)? Check out this link: Understanding European & Italian Wine Classification Systems. Learn about Greek wine classifications here: Your Guide to Greek PDOs and PGIs.
You may also enjoy reading:
Exploring Wineries in the Rueda Wine Region, the Land of Castles
Plan a Windstar Mediterranean Cruise: Food, Wine, and Historic Sights
Debbra covers her travels to islands and coastal destinations throughout the world on her website: Tropical Travel Girl
