Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/776532
66 / the tasting panel / january/february 2017 complex. Usually, if you have high yield, you don't have complexity. We needed to identify sites with the right soil, and then we optimized the trellis systems. We adapted the Grillo to the style we wanted to make, more like a Northern white." That philosophy makes perfect sense; Stemmari's parent company, Mezzacorona, has been mak- ing crisp Pinot Grigio in the shadow of the Italian Alps for decades. The decision to build in Sicily encompassed more than a mere desire to make great wines. "When we came to the island, our philosophy was not to take from the island but to bring a new concept instead." In 2002, Stemmari became the first winery in Italy to be awarded the EU's strict Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS 2) certification. The EMAS 2 is Europe's highest level of certification recognizing environmental sustainabil- ity and management. "We have two estates, one in Sambuca di Sicilia with around 700 acres under vine and another in the southeast, in Acate, with 1,300 acres. The idea was to produce two different styles of wine. Sambuca has much heavier soil—it's a red soil, with lots of iron and clay, banded with deposits of calcareous soil. That's where we grow our other flagship varietal, Nero d'Avola. Our vineyards in Acate have more sandy soil; that's where we planted Grillo." The winery was built with a nod toward traditional Sicilian architecture, its sand-colored walls set against a backdrop of fluttering palm trees and cerulean blue skies; almost 60 percent of the facility is recessed underground. Above ground, solar panels capture the island's abundant sunlight, supply- ing the winery with 100 percent of its electricity with enough power left over to light 500 homes. Drip irrigation fed by one of the estate's seven reservoirs is triggered when the soil dips below a certain level of humidity. Vineyard rows are sown with nitrogen-fixing legumes following harvest, and interspersed between parcels of vines are olive and citrus groves. And within the microcosm of land it manages, Stemmari has pains- takingly cataloged over 40 species of Sicily's wild and rare orchids, which it actively protects. For Matricardi, Stemmari is the best of both worlds. "We're totally self- sufficient. Our goal is to improve, not just sustain the environment year after year. We're part of a small community where everyone knows each other. The economy here is very poor, and agriculture is still the strongest engine that drives the island. For us, being in Sicily also meant creating jobs so that we could share in the benefits of the winery. That's the kind of a legacy we want to leave the next generation. Today, Stemmari is the most-sold Sicilian brand in the United States, and we're extremely proud of that." The team at Stemmari has also taken great pains to improve upon the region's most famous black grape, Nero d'Avola. As with Grillo, Stemmari is experiment- ing with different clones coming from various sub-appellations of Sicily. "When you change clones, you find dif- ferent styles of Nero d'Avola. Over the next ten years, our goal is to understand the variability in these clones. In Sicily, we've only begun to research Nero d'Avola and Grillo and their responsive- ness to different soils." Matricardi had recently introduced Baci Vivaci, a slightly sparkling Grillo to Stemmari's line. "When I told my peers, I wanted to make Grillo with the Charmat method, people said, 'You're crazy.'" Matricardi smiled, "If you don't feel free to make mistakes, you don't learn." As for me, curiosity drove me to try his sparkling Grillo. Pale and lumi- nous, a thin trail of bubbles elevates flavors of bruised pear skin and yellow apple co-mingling with more earthy, minerally elements. It's a crisp and charming wine, with a demure flourish of lemon zest on the finish. And clearly, it's not a mistake. Stemmari Winemaker Lucio Matricardi. "When you change clones, you find dif- ferent styles of Nero d'Avola. Over the next ten years, our goal is to under- stand the vari- ability in these clones."