Alessandro Viola – Sinfonia di Grillo 2019

Alessandro Viola’s 2019 Sinfonia di Grillo is made of 100% Grillo, from vines planted on clayey soil at 220 metres altitude. After a manual harvest at the beginning of September, the grapes were destemmed, crushed and loaded into stainless steel tanks, where they macerated with their skins for six days. Fermentation took place with indigenous yeasts, without additions or temperature control. After pressing, the wine was aged for seven months on its lees in chestnut barrels. It was then bottled unfiltered and unfined, with 10-20mg/l of sulphites added at bottling.

Alessandro Viola’s 2019 Sinfonia di Grillo has a cloudy, nearly amber color, with an intense nose, filled with aromas of bruised apple, peach, cinnamon and basil. On the palate, it’s medium-bodied, savory and structured, with notes of yellow-fleshed fruit, spices, herbs and some iron-like minerality. Pairs perfectly with any dish that has umami flavors.

About Alessandro Viola

Near the Sicilian town of Alcamo, Alessandro Viola runs a small winery called Uva Tantem. His vineyards are located on the northwestern slopes of Mount Bonifitato, at around 250 metres above sea level, and are planted with indigenous varieties like Grillo, Nero d’Avola, Nerello Mascalese and Catarratto. Viola comes from a long line of winemakers and holds degrees in viticulture and oenology, having done internships in Piedmont and Georgia. His philosophy is simple: make wine using nothing else than grapes. “In wine there is a perfect chemical balance, only nature can go that far, who are we to do better than nature?”