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Not quite winter, not quite spring. The Aeolian islands sound pretty good right now!

Dreaming of Island Life
As a good Minnesotan, I love the winter. Bring on the cold and please bring lots of snow. However, when April arrives, I’m ready for winter to be over. A warm ocean breeze sounds pretty good right now! Join our Italian Food, Wine & Travel group this month as we explore the wines from Italian islands. Right now, the thought of a glass of wine while sitting at the beach, looking over turquoise water with my toes in the sand sounds pretty good. Take a look further down in this post for a bunch of posts from my fellow day-dreamers of Italian islands!

Lipari is the largest of the Aeolian island archipelago, formed by volcanic action thousands of years ago.

Eolian islands – Lipari
My daydream takes us to the island of Lipari, the largest of the Aeolian islands located between the mega-island of Sicily and the toe of the mainland Italian boot. The Aeolian islands are all of volcanic origin, although none are active today. While the islands are typically day trips or cruise ship stops, it seems they are perfect for a longer stay.

Tenuta de Castellaro’s wines are clearly Italian, and they are also immediately recognizable as something unique.

Tenuta de Castellaro
Tenuta de Castellaro (use Chrome or Google translate as the website is in Italian) does not have a long history, only having started in 2005. However, they have taken pains to establish themselves into the volcanic land of Lipari. They are cultivating native grapes, taking advantage of the volcanic terrain, and taking a low intervention approach in both the vineyard and cellar. It shows! We were recently introduced to these wines by our server (and the wine buyer) Megan at Young Joni in Minneapolis. While Megan explained, I realized this might be a wine worth showcasing at #ItalianFWT. The next day, I did a little research and found that not just the Ossidiana Nero, but the Pomice white wine available locally as well. Perfect!

If you’re a fan of Etna wines, you may recognize the I Vigneri embossed bottle.

I Vigneri Connection
I was intrigued by the I Vigneri embossed symbol on the bottle. I know that symbol is associated with Salvo Foti, a highly respected farmer and winemaker over on Mt. Etna. From the Minneapolis importer’s website:

“You’ll also notice, on the bottle, the I Vigneri logo, indicating a commitment to “use non-invasive methods and systems, to respect local traditions and our own ancient grape varieties as far as possible, and to avoid the damage that over-reaching ambition and egoism can cause.” Salvo Foti has been instrumental in interpreting the culture and expressing it through the wines that are produced.”

Tenuta di Castellaro Bianco Pomice IGT Siciliane 2016 12.5%abv ($37 at France 44 or online here)
From the winery:

“It has the sun and a strong brackish minerality between its deep roots. The heady aromas of the Malvasia delle Lipari blend masterfully with the fresh mineral caress of the Carricante to create a taste where the concept of balance becomes the archetype of a complex Sicilian elegance ready to conquer the world.

The grapes are selected and harvested by hand, the yeasts used are the indigenous ones and the clarification takes place naturally, decanting the wine several times before bottling.”

Eye: Clear, deep lemon yellow
Nose: Clean, medium+ intensity. Ripe lemon, lemon pie filling or lemon furniture polish. Saline impression with wet gravel.
Mouth: Dry, medium+ flavor intensity. High acidity, full body, medium alcohol. Lemon pie filling, saline air, wet gravel, touch of bitter almond in the finish. Rich body with nice roughness to the texture. Medium+ finish with lingering lemons and wet gravel.

Tenuta di Castellaro Nero Ossidiana IGT Siciliane 2013 13.5% abv ($40 at France 44 or online here)
From the winery:

“It comes from the pressing of whole and de-stemmed grapes and from a long maceration with the skins and whole bunches; it is vinified without temperature control, not clarified except by decantation and various decantations. With a deep ruby ​​red color, it is a complex and structured wine, which presents itself to the palate with juicy shades of red fruit, to which are added intriguing aromas of spices and musk. His iodate notes firmly claim the peculiar marine influence on a land already rich in microelements. Nero Ossidiana expresses all the typicality of a land that is both volcanic and marine, representing the union between the island and the sea.”

Eye: Clear, medium intensity ruby with a garnet edge. Very fine sediment and legs.
Nose: Clean, medium+ intensity. Ripe red and blue fruit: strawberries and blueberries. Earthy tones, walking in a pine forest with needles and duff underfoot.
Mouth: Dry, medium+ flavor intensity. Medium+ acidity, medium- tannins. Pine needles, rosemary, balsamic vinegar, earthy notes, then red fruit – strawberries and blue fruit – blueberries. Animal hints of bacon, salumi. Nice medium+ length finish with just a hint of bitter in the finish.

(click on any photo for a full-size slide show. Hit “escape” to return)

Our first course also came from a Giorgio Locatelli recipe.

First course was highlighted with some peppery heat as well as nuts with the broccoli.

The heart and soul of the main course is formed by all these great flavors – garlic, scallions, olives, sardines and tomatoes. I’m going to make this as its’ own pasta sauce!

The blend of flavors made every bite a pleasure.

Don’t hesitate to serve a red wine with fish, especially ocean fish and a red sauce!

Italian Island Getaways with our Italian Food Wine & Travel Bloggers
Take a look below to see which Italian island my fellow bloggers are wishing they could be stranded on! If you see this early enough, please join our twitter chat on Saturday morning April 6 at 10am CDT at #ItalianFWT

• Steven from Steven’s Wine and Food Blog features Sicilian Pasta con le Sarde Wine Pairing
• Linda from My Full Wine Glass offers From Sardegna to Sicilia by Sea – Two Pairings
• Pinny from Chinese Food and Wine Pairings explores Sicily’s Marsala Wine – A New Product (Wine) Life Cycle that Started in the 18th Century but Continues to Thrive Today!
• Camilla from Culinary Adventures with Camilla recollects Island Memories, Slow-Roasted Lamb, and Cannonau Di Sardegna.
• Lynn from Savor The Harvest is in the mood for Italian Island Wine Speak with Vinisola
• Cindy from Grape Experiences reveals Discovering Liquid Gold from Sardinia and Sicily at Chicago’s Coda di Volpe.
• Jennifer from Vino Travels tells the story of The Cultural Heritage of Mamuthone and Cannonau of Cantina Giuseppe Sedilesu.
• Susannah from Avvinare invites readers to Discover Aleatico from the island of Elba.
• Wendy from A Day In the Life on the Farm makes Oven Roasted Salmon with Tarragon Tartar Sauce paired with a Sicilian Grillo.
• Lauren from The Swirling Dervish shares Island Wines of Italy: Alghero Torbato from Sardegna.
• Gwen from Wine Predator features Island Wines of Italy: 3 from Sicily Paired with Pizza.
• Jeff from FoodWineClick! is Dreaming of Italian Islands While We Wait for Spring.
• Martin from ENOFYLZ Wine Blog tempts with Sardinian Vermentino di Gallura Paired With Shrimp and Asparagus Risotto.
• Nicole from Somm’s Table crafts A Passion for Sicily with Passopisciaro: An Interview with Sarah H. Bray, Part 1.
• Jane from Always Ravenous is Tasting and Pairing Sicilian Wine From Mount Etna.
• Cynthia and Pierre tell How a Wine Economists Conference Led Us to Wine from the Venice Lagoon.
• Jill  at L’Occasion shares ‘300 Days of Sunshine’: The Vineyards of Sicilia DOC Interview with Alberto Tasca.