Cantine Barbera 'Fuorizona' Frappato

Most red wines from Sicily feel like a wool sweater in July. This one is more like a linen shirt. It’s made from Frappato, one of Sicily's rare, special grapes that was once a mainstay in Marsala but has since evolved into something far more interesting: a delicate, stunningly pretty dry red.

Fuorizona ("out of zone") is a graceful, lip-smacking plot twist from Menfi, on Sicily's west coast. This is the exact opposite end of Mount Etna. A vineyard so close to the sea you can taste the salt spray. This is probably a Sicily you haven't tasted before.

It smells like a handful of wild cherries and crushed violets and red roses. The mouth is all juicy pomegranate and blood orange, with a distinct, spicy crackle of pink pepper. It's light, and beautiful and chillable too.

This would pair beautifully with so many things. Grilled sardines, spicy tuna rolls, the warm autumn sun on your face.