Warm up with a bottle of Sicilian sunshine

Today’s recommendations are all organically farmed, including three certified organic wines at very approachable prices. The selection stars three key Sicilian grapes: two whites showing different sides of Grillo; Nerello Mascalese in a classy blend and a friendly-priced single varietal; and a well-made Nero d’Avola boasting no added sulphur (hard to do well).

Perched off the tip of the toe of Italy’s boot, Sicily is an island big enough to have notable differences in both cultural and climatic influences. Our wine of the week comes from terraced vineyards perched high at 600m but just a kilometre from the sea, in the far northeast of the island. Calabria in mainland Italy is just a few kilometres across the Strait of Messina, and two winds — the warm Scirocco and cool Maestral — bring lots of humidity in off the surrounding seas. This wine is a blend but led by Nerello Mascalese, local star of Etna Rosso wines from higher into the volcanic foothills of Mount Etna, south west of Messina. Nerello Mascalese can produce wines that are often compared with those of Barolo and Burgundy for their deceptive elegance that can balance lifted perfume with earthy power and tension.

The other four wines hail from the opposite side of the island, spanning a coastline that faces south towards Malta and southwest towards Tunisia. That north African influence is evident in the local love of tagines filled with dried fruit and spices. At the most westerly tip just below Trapani (familiar to anyone who has flown to Sicily with Ryanair) sits the handsome old port town of Marsala. The drought-resistant Grillo grape was once a star of Marsala’s fortified wine — and contributed to one of Julius Caesar’s favourite tipples, Mamertino of Messina — but today is turning up in expressive white wines. These can vary in style from big and sunny with tropical fruits and spice to more restrained, floral and herbal, but tend to be fairly full-bodied with lemony fruit and freshness.

Finally, an organic Nero d’Avola from a winery I recently featured for its aromatic and textural white wine made from Catarratto Lucido. Often compared with Australian Shiraz, Nero d’Avola tends to produce big reds that are soft in tannins, generous in fruit and sometimes with a peppery spice.

Wines of the week

Azienda Agricola Palari Rosso del Soprano 2017, Sicilia IGT, Italy, 13.5pc, €39.95 Powerful yet elegant with fragrant wild herbs, bright red currant, leather and prune notes, this beautifully expressive blend benefits from cellar ageing (over a year of which is in used oak). Featuring two-thirds Nerello Mascalese with Nerello Cappuccio, Nocera and small quantities of local varietals like Acitana, Galatena, Jacché, Cor’e palumba, all grown with organic practices on steep 600m terraces just a kilometre from the sea in Sicily’s far north east. Red Island Wines, Whelehans Wines, Blackrock Cellar, Redmonds of Ranelagh, Deveney’s

Vento di Mare Nerello Mascalese, Terre Siciliane IGP, Italy, 13.5pc, €13.99 A medium-bodied, organic red with lots going on for its price point. Juicy black fruits, souk spices, fermented cherry and earthy minerality, with dense tannins and raspberry tang lending structure to a fruit-forward palate. Try with rich, spiced dishes like lamb tagine. No 21 Off-Licences, Centra Schull, Cappagh Stores, Clybaun Stores, Ardkeen Stores, McHugh’s Off-Licence, Shiels Supermarket

Cortese Nostru Nero d’Avola NAS 2021, Sicily, Italy, 13.5pc, €16.95 An unoaked, organic Nero d’Avola from Sicily’s sunny south west, with lush black fruit (damson, blackberry, dried plums) but welcome acidity keeping things fresh, lees ageing building texture and no added sulphur to boot. Rustic peppery spices make it a match for meat ragu and stews. O’Briens Wine; obrienswine.ie

Baglio Ingardia Grillo 2022, Sicilia DOC, Italy, 12.5pc, €22 From a third-generation biodynamic estate near Trapani where they also produce organic olive oil and craft beer (and a lifted Nero d’Avola with juicy red cherry character), this springtime pairing for fish and salads is light and herbal with meadow flowers and clean acidity. MacCurtain Wine, The Wine Pair, Lennox Street Grocer, Martin’s, Red Nose Wine, Sheridan’s; sheridanscheesemongers.com

Vento di Mare Grillo, Sicilia DOC, Italy, 12.5pc, €13.99 Organic Grillo with ripe, juicy-fruited aromas of apricot and pineapple and hints of lemon blossom. Soft, generous and full-bodied on the palate, it’s an attractive pairing for chicken and apricot tagine, grilled tuna or sushi. No 21 Off-Licences, Centra Schull, Cappagh Stores, Clybaun Stores, Ardkeen Stores, McHugh’s Off-Licence, Thomas’s Foxrock, Shiels Supermarket