Skin Contact Wines

Mellow & Salty

Cantina Barbera is located in Menfi, on the west coast of Sicily.  The vineyards are about one mile from the Mediterranean Sea: an uncontaminated deep blue sea, facing South, where low cliffs and sandy dunes create a beautiful environment protected by the Belice River Natural Reservation Fund.

Fresh and pleasant like the briny wind blowing from the Mediterranean, this Inzolia comes from young vineyards and is a charming white wine that offers pure Sicilian pleasure at every sip. The wine has a fresh and charming bouquet of pear, broom and almond blossoms that melt into lush and intense scents of white peach and fine herbs. On the palate, it's juicy and tastes of white orchard fruit and is well balanced by a fresh acidity and an intense saline quality.

Pair this wonderful and textured white with rich fish dishes, Moroccan cuisine and other spiced meals. It is also great with fresh salads and grilled vegetables.

Textured & Citrusy

The vineyards of Fattoria di Sammontana are located along the hills that border the Arno River, 20km to the south west of Florence. Today, the family - now in its fourth generation - runs the farm according to organic and biodynamic practices, with the intent to fully preserve and sustain the traditions and winemaking history of the land.

In the language of potters, “Primo Fuoco” is the initial clay firing that leads to the creation of terracotta. Using the best Trebbiano grapes, this wine is fermented naturally and matured in large terracotta amphora, hand-made from local red clay (“terra rossa”).

The grapes stay on the skins for about three months, after pressing the wine is placed back into the amphora for further ageing. The Primo Fuoco Bianco has complex and enticing aromas of orange peel, caramel and a hint of minerality. On the palate the wine is quite textured and rich with a beautifully balanced acidity.

Beautiful when paired with aperitivo and fish dishes, especially when spicy!

Bright & Zippy

Amidst the rolling hills and the river Po, nestled within the forests, fields and meadows, Daniele Saccoletto's winery sits quietly watching over their ten hectares of land spread between the towns of San Giorgio and Rosignano for over forty years.

I Tigli is a wine made from the indigenous piedmontese varieties Bussanello and Timorasso. The grapes are exposed to a skin-contact maceration for about ten days, it is not quite an orange wine but in that direction, and Daniele does not filter, so it is a bit cloudy with the wine retaining both great acidity and texture.This zesty skin-contact white has aromas of citrus fruits such as lemon verbena, fresh red apples and ginger. It has an interesting mineral character to it; and on the palate is vibrant and crisp, with flavours of lime and pears. 

This wine is the perfect pairing for fresh seafood, crunchy greens, root veggies and big-personality cheeses.

Herbal & Saline

Cantina Barbera is located in Menfi, on the west coast of Sicily. The vineyards are about one mile from the Mediterranean Sea: an uncontaminated deep blue sea, facing South, where low cliffs and sandy dunes create a beautiful environment protected by the Belice River Natural Reservation Fund.

Son of a generous land, Coste al Vento delights the palate with a tasty and ripe fruit that melts into saline fragrances, and profits from a prolonged skin contact that enhances the wine’s unique personality. Its color is bright gold. Complex aromas of yellow ripe fruit merge into herbal scents of oregano, mint and sage, on a rich layer of nettle and fine green tea. A long lasting aftertaste enriches a vibrant fresh palate.

A particularly tasty combination for Coste al Vento is with big roasted fishes, grilled prawns or stuffed calamari, but also with a super-classic Spaghetti Carbonara. It is surprisingly good with glazed pork belly, or with semi-matured cheeses such as Tuma Persa and Caciocavallo Ragusano.