Wine & Food

Sicilian cuisine constantly blends sweet and salty, fish and meat, Arab heritage and rustic simplicity. The island's wines are tuned to match exactly this mix.

Fried eggplant, tomato sauce and salted ricotta come together in Pasta alla Norma, named after Bellini's opera of the same name. A medium-bodied Nero d'Avola pairs beautifully: its dark fruit stands up to the tomato's sweetness, its tannin cuts through the richness of the fried eggplant, all without overwhelming the cheese.

On the west coast, around Trapani, fish couscous with saffron, almonds and garlic is a staple, a legacy of the island's Arab rule. A Grillo with a touch of oak aging has enough weight to stand up to the spice without drowning out the fish. For caponata, the sweet-and-sour eggplant dish with olives and capers, a simple, citrus-fresh Grillo does the job perfectly well. With Sarde a beccafico, rolled sardines stuffed with breadcrumbs, pine nuts and raisins, that same Grillo shines even brighter, as its citrus edge balances the sweetness of the raisins.

Braised swordfish with tomatoes, capers and olives, known here as Pesce spada alla ghiotta, calls for a white wine with real backbone. An Etna Bianco made from Carricante rises to the occasion with its taut acidity and salty minerality. A softer wine would simply fall flat against this dish.

To finish, something sweet. The same rule applies here as everywhere: the wine must be sweeter than the dessert, or it will taste thin and sour by comparison. Cassata, the cake made from ricotta, marzipan and candied fruit, pairs best with a Passito di Pantelleria. The two truly belong together: its notes of apricot, honey and candied orange peel come from the same sweet, Arab-influenced tradition of the island as the cassata itself. And so the circle closes, from Nero d'Avola all the way to dessert wine.