Well, my whopping six bottle allocation of Arianna Occhipinti's gorgeous Frappatto just arrived. Arianna's beautiful Sicilian wines were once an insider favorite, but apparently the word has gotten out and in a big way. It wasn't that long ago you could buy as much as you wanted.
Frappatto is native to Sicily and produces perfumed, red-fruited wines that have gentle, but present tannins that make the wine very food friendly. It's one of my favorite Italian varieties and I just wish there was more of it in the market.
I once ducked into a wine shop with our local tour guide in Catania, Sicily. Among the many local producers I didn't know was one I did- Occhipinti. The tour guide asked if I liked her wines and I told her I loved them. "That's nice," she said. "Arianna is my sister." Nice to know that chance meetings like that are still possible.
100% Frappato. Serve cool.