Riofavara "Mizzica" Sicilia Moscato, Sicily, Italy 2023

FROM KERMIT LYNCH:

THE WINE: A fully dry wine. Grapes are destemmed, followed by a light pressing. Fermentation lasts approximately 15 days at low temperatures in stainless steel tank, followed by stirring of lees for 7 days after fermentations. Temperature of wine is then reduced to 10° C to settle. Wine is aged in stainless steel for 6 months and then in bottle for 3 months.

With a nutty nose, a palate full of juicy green apple notes, and a spicy, mouthwatering, lemon-zest-tinged finish, Massimo Padova’s fully dry Mizzica—made from a local Moscato variant called Moscato di Noto—is the perfect pairing for all manner of frutti di mare. It’s like Muscadet with an Italian accent.

THE PRODUCER: One of the newest additions to our portfolio is Kermit’s first Sicilian producer: the Riofavara estate, which is on the southern tip of this legendary island. The Padova family has tended vines here for almost a century, but only in 1993 did they begin bottling their own wine. Just a few years later, Massimo Padova took over the estate along with his sister Marianta, their cousin Antonella, and Massimo’s wife, Margherita. This energetic young team has worked tirelessly over the last dozen years to build a new winery and hone production techniques, resulting in an impeccable expression of the land they prize so highly.