Italian white wines are often underestimated. Wine snobs love to, well snub, Pinot Grigio as the safe choice of the uninformed masses and Soave’s gentleness often passes off as boring. But Italy’s panorama of whites is not a flat landscape and in fact, Grillo is not just a peak, it’s a volcano.
The Sicilian variety was once used only for Marsala production and it was almost allowed to disappear, however since it was rescued in the nineties, it has experienced a resurgence and a change of career, and it’s now vinified as a still white wine.
Cusumaro Shamaris is an elegant exemplar, steely and sharp as a stiletto yet aromatic and generous on the palate.
It wraps you with the fresh fruity perfume of nectarines, limoncello and orange blossom, to then surprise you with a high acidity and mineral notes.
Medium bodied and mouth filling, it grows complex thanks to a brief skin contact and four months on the lees. Fresh and intense, it speaks loudly but with a melodious voice.
It will pair very nicely with dishes with feta cheese and creamy risottos or shellfish.
Cusumaro Shamaris is available at O’Briens Wine at €14.95 (on offer from €18.95 as part of their special September Wine Sale).
Gabriela’s passion for writing is only matched by her love for food and wine. Journalist, confectioner and sommelier, she fell in love with Ireland years ago and moved from Venezuela to Dublin in 2014.
Since then, she has written about and worked in the local food scene, and she’s determined to discover and share the different traditions, flavours and places that have led Irish food and drink to fascinate her.
Gabriela Guédez Gabriela Guédez
