Curatolo Arini, Nero d'Avola

Curatolo Arini, founded in 1875 by Vito Curatolo Arini, is run by the family’s fifth generation, making it the oldest family-owned Marsala producer still in existence. Alberto Antonini is Curatolo Arini’s consultant winemaker. His influence is evident in the wines, combining the richness that Sicily can easily provide with the freshness only someone with Alberto’s experience can retain. Thanks to the favourable climate in Sicily, consistency in quality can also be assured from vintage to vintage.

The single-vineyard Zibibbo (aka Muscat of Alexandria) is grown in vineyards in the western part of Sicily, just inland from Marsala. It is a dry, aromatic style which pairs perfectly with food. The Nero d‘Avola grapes hail from vineyards in central Sicily, in the province of Caltanissetta. The vineyards here are planted 500 metres above sea level, where the combination of warm days and cool nights helps produce premium, fruit-driven red wines.

Both the Inzolia and Cataratto are sourced from vineyards planted around 500 meters above sea level in the Chirchiaro area, near Salemi, and are made similarly. After destemming and crushing, the grapes are macerated for a few hours before being softly pressed and fermented in stainless steel tanks. The wines spend two months on their lees before bottling, resulting in fresh and vibrant expressions with beautiful aromatics and a clear sense of place.

The Marsalas are made traditionally and offer a great alternative to Sherry. Ernesto Basile, a famous Palermo architect in the latter part of the 19th century, designed the stunning Art Deco label. The Marsala Fine offers an expressive dry style with delicious dried citrus notes and toasted almonds. The Marsala Superiore uses base wines made from the Sicilian grapes Grillo, Inzolia and Catarratto, fortified with white grape spirit and aged for five years in cask. The Riserva is only made in the best vintages and undergoes a similar ageing process, resulting in a rich, aromatic and heady wine. The Marsala Vergine Riserva, similarly, is produced in only the best vintages, sees a longer ageing process that lasts almost 25 years. As a result of this, it has beautiful length and complexity.