Unfiltered Wine Club, May 2024

"This month we’re kicking things off with an obscure Sicilian white wine. Biscaris “Insolia” hails from the town of Acate, inside Sicily’s only DOCG, Cerasuolo di Vittoria and is 100% Inzolia. Originally from Greece, the Inzolia grape was brought along during an influx of migrants to Northeastern Sicily between the VIII and the VII century CE. Known in some circles as Ansonica, Inzolia is   commonly used in Marsala wine and typically has a low acid/high sugar content, making it perfect for blends and fortified wines. This one, however, is perfectly balanced with bright acidity, and is an excellent wine for this time of year. All I wanted when I tried it was a Spring Pea pasta with fresh herbs in a white wine sauce. The wine itself is pretty light in body and dry, and tastes lemony with hints of yellow flowers, wild muscadines, and beeswax, and it has savory umami    undertones. The Biscaris vines are planted over volcanic soil, which lends a   certain tension and structure to the wine, and its silky texture and saline finish are extra thirst-quenching and food-friendly."