Today we met Deni, Joe, and Mac at the Cantine Nicosia Winery in Trecastagni. The great news is that if we move to the house we like in Trecastagni, this beautiful winery is in our backyard! Okay, maybe not the backyard, but it *is* 2.1 miles away.

The winery is the fruit of many years of hard work and a place where tradition meets ultra-modern technology. Covering a nearly 27,000 square foot space, the winery is a modern interpretation of Etna’s age-old and glorious “palmenti,” the buildings where Sicilian wine was once made.

Here, amid the spacious winemaking area and testing laboratory, large stainless steel tanks and barrels, the ultra-modern bottling line and the bottle aging area, is where the heart of the company beats.

This is where Nicosia wines are born, evolve and mature, and where, in the hospitable wine shop, visitors are welcome to sample the final result of the company’s efforts for themselves.*

We settled in for our first bottle of wine, Cerasuolo di Uittoria Classico. Our tasting came from the Fondo Filara line, a selection of DOC wines and varietal wines that represent the highest expression of Cantine Nicosia’s production philosophy: the utmost respect for the raw materials and great Sicilian winemaking tradition, the development of native grape varieties and the lands most suitable for their cultivation, and selectivity and experimentation at the vineyard and in the cellar.

The exclusive Fondo Filara limited production wines stand the test of time, astonish and stir the emotions with their elegance, complexity and strong personality.

After our lunch and tasting, we went to the winery’s store and I purchased my first five liter wine container!

Then, this lovely young lady filled it with my favorite rosso of the day: Nero D’Avola Riserva. Nero d’Avola is Sicily’s most widely grown red variety. The characteristics of this grape that is native to southeast Sicily, such as its deep color, rich aromas and excellent structure, produce a classic Italian red that is known and respected around the world. These wines are excellent enjoyed young, but are also ideal for bottle aging. The best part? It’s only three Euros a liter!

Overall, it was a lovely Sunday spent with great friends!Edit*taken from the Cantine Nicosia website: http://www.cantinenicosia.it