Sweet dreams are made of this - wines from a windswept Italian island By Carola Frentzen

dpa German Press Agency
Published: Monday November 6, 2006

By Carola Frentzen, Pantelleria, Italy- Sweet dreams on the southern Italian island of Pantelleria are made from "Zibbibo" - a glorious grape whose name is derived from the Arab word for that very fruit. The grapes go to make a dessert wine called Passito, a complex creation with a wide and dense fragrance and a heady alcohol content of 14 per cent.

Despite the arduous growing conditions on this Mediterranean outcrop between Sicily and Africa, sommelier Giacomo Rallo feels "a boundless passion" for the rocky island where the wind blows constantly.

Rallo represents the fourth generation of the most ancient Sicilian family involved in winegrowing at Marsala. In 1983, he and his wife Gabriella set up their winery on Pantelleria. They now sell wines worth more than 14 million euros (17.5 million dollars) a year.

The company's base in Sicily is located at Marsala, the place where celebrated writer Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa (1896-1957) set part of his novel "Il Gattopardo" (The Leopard) which chronicles the changes in Sicilian life and society during the Risorgimento. The town is also home to the family's ancient cellars which date back to 1851.

This family company trades under the name of Donnafugata - a reference to Queen Marie Caroline who fled there from Naples in the 19th century after her husband was deposed as monarch.

The word, Donnafugata, means "fleeing woman" and she inspired the estate's trademark image - the head of a woman with a long mane of hair being tossed by the wind. Donnafugata wines are sold in 43 countries, including Germany and Switzerland.

After the resounding success of their red and white wines in Sicily, the Rallos and their two adult sons, Antonio and Jose, embarked on a new adventure in 1989.

The aim was to "nurture wine on the island of sunshine and wind" as Pantelleria is known, a tiny patch of land stranded in the ocean with a unique micro-climate. The Rollos wax lyrical about their desire to "erect a temple to Mother Nature" here and indeed they succeeded in breathing new life into centuries-old vineyards. Donnafugata vines are now cultivated on 42 hectares of the territory.

The name Pantelleria has since become synonymous with the sweet dreams which are made from the grapes grown on its soil. A classic example is "Passito di Pantelleria".

"This dessert wine is an excellent complement to mature cheese such Pecorino, sweet dishes in the Sicilian tradition and - amazingly enough - chocolade", explains Antonio Rallo. As he speaks, he gazes across to the vineyards where until just a weeks ago the Zibibbo grapes were hanging heavily.

The azure blue ocean sparkles in the background as far as the eye can see. The coast of Tunisia is around 70 kilometres away. The wind on Pantelleria gusts so strongly that the vines sometimes have to be weighed down with rocks to ensure that they grow properly.

Harvesting begins im mid August and the natural drying process lasts three to four weeks. In September, must is pressed from fully- ripe fresh grapes and dried grapes, destalked manually and are added to it during fermentation. After one week of skin contact, the raisins are soft-pressed. At the beginning of November, once alcohol- sugar equilibrium is achieved and aromas are concentrated, the wine is chilled to halt fermentation.

Donnafugata's Passito, like its allied dessert muscat, are naturally sweet wines. No sugar is added.

In the glass the Passito glows with a warm amber yellow colour. The bouquet offers intense notes of apricots and peaches along with the sweet sensations of dried figs, honey, herbs and minerals.

This nectar has been christened "Ben Rye" or "son of the wind". Together with the delicate Moscato "Kabir", derived from the Arab term "The Great", and the white wine "Lighea" which is also grown from Zibibbo grapes, the Passito accounts for 19 per cent of all Donnafugata wines and is becoming increasingly popular.

© 2006 dpa German Press Agency