Charlemagne Wine Club - 2005 Tastings

Monday 17th January 2005
The Island Wines of Italy introduced by John Ducker
The warmth of the sunny Mediterranean may seem more appealing in these dark days of a British winter, and a little of it will certainly infuse our tasting.
Sicily boasts arguably the greatest volume wine production of any of the other mainland provinces, where the 'top-end' quality is now amply assured under the aegis of oenologists like Riccardo Cotarella and forward-looking producers like Planeta and Fatascia.
Sardinia likewise with its roots firmly based in ancient tradition offers rare gems from indigenous grape varieties under the technologial expertise of companies like Argiolas and the renowned Santadi co-operative. We might even go further afield - almost within sight of North Africa - where the island of Pantelleria offers dessert Muscat wines 'to die for'. At the bottom of our list - so to speak - we shouldn't overlook"Terre Arse"... arguably the closest approach to genuine Marsala we'll find on our shores. Need we say more? The adventure awaits!