Since 2013 our mission has been to help our followers find great wines of great value that are ready to drink tonight.
We discovered a true family winery about 4.5 miles outside Ortigia Island in Sicily. Not the massive family empire of the Wagners or the Jacksons, but rather a true family of four at Fausta Mansio. Olaf (the winemaker), his wife, and two young sons are carrying on Olaf’s father’s impressive legacy of reviving the Moscato di Siracusa DOC, one of the world’s most ancient wines.
Sicilian economic hardship in the 1970s forced almost all farmers to eradicate their vineyards and replace them with seemingly more profitable citrus orchards. DOC status is lost if there is no cultivation for 40 years. Fortunately, Olaf’s father planted the Moscsto grape on their farm in 1995 and the DOC was revived and saved. Today they also grow Grillo, Nero d’Avola, and Cabernet Sauvignon.
When you taste their outstanding, organically-grown wines you visit their home patio, where Olaf’s wife prepares scrumptious appetizers using fresh, simple ingredients that pair impeccably with each wine. The gels they serve on their cheeses are even made from their grapes. This is everything you hope for when visiting a family winery. It was a really special day.
We were so impressed with the dry Moscato and Grillo wines that we are shipping home six bottles of each. In fact, the Fausta Mansio Micol Moscato Bianco Secco is our July wine of the month.
When many people think of Moscato they think of a sweet wine. However, our wine of the month is not; “secco” means dry. The wine was vinified using spontaneous fermentation with native yeast, no clarification, aged in steel tanks, and refined in bottle. The slightly cloudy, medium straw color evokes curiosity and excitement; we are so used to drinking wine that is crystal clear. On the nose you’ll find orange blossom, jasmine, rose, and strawberry. The palate also reveals white peach, white melon, apple, and tea. It’s only 12% ABV and just a joy to drink. At the risk of being overly dramatic, we felt we were enjoying culture and history in a glass.
For making an invaluable contribution to the wine world—and a standout organic representation of Moscato di Siracusa at only €12–the Fausta Mansio Micol Moscato Bianco Secco is our July wine of the month.
Lean more about Fausta Mansio here: https://www.faustamansio.com.
To purchase their wine DM Olaf here: @Fausta_Mansio_Vini_Bio.
