There is something special about visiting our growers in Sicily—something different in the air that makes this region unlike any other. Perhaps it has to do with the rustic, arid landscape, which gives traveling the island the feel of an adventure across the Wild Wild West. Or perhaps it is Sicily’s many contrasts, which are both fascinating and disorienting, that make it such a stimulating place visually, intellectually, and emotionally: picture snowcapped Etna, majestically rising above all, with the inviting Mediterranean glimmering just below. Imagine a land of unparalleled cultural richness, yet plagued by poverty and unemployment. Envision sublime natural beauty coexisting with copious trash and pollution. Sicily is an island, of course, but it feels like its own continent, or even its own planet at times.
     It may seem like an exaggeration to say that all this can be found in a glass of wine, and yet it is perhaps not such a far-fetched notion after all. Without spending weeks, months, or years traveling Sicily, studying its every nuance, is there any better way than pulling some corks to understand its soil, its people, its traditions, its soul?
     See the Table of Contents below to read about four of our Sicilian producers in this month’s newsletter.