SICILY

or Grecanico. The only sheep’s cheese
with spun curd, it is fresh, soft and with
a delicate, slightly acidulous flavour. It is
produced only with unpasteurized sheep’s
milk of Belìce. A rarity to enhance your
selection of local cheeses.
Equally precious is the thorny artichoke of
Menfi, produced in an area covering about
600 hectares, almost entirely within the
Municipality of Menfi. The Sicilian purple
thorny artichoke grows from November
to April. It is small but fragrant and tasty,
excellent both for eating raw and for
conservation.
And then there is the winter melon, so much
loved by the Arabs that centuries ago they
insisted on growing it on the island. Today
it is appreciated as it is or used for stews,
ice creams, granite and desserts. Five main
varieties are cultivated: Cartucciaro, with
yellow peel, Madras, Amarillo and Helios.
They are harvested in the summer and then
conserved for consumption. They keep until
spring.
The town of Ribera, in the heart of the Terre
Sicane, is famous for the cultivation of small,
fragrant strawberries and for the Orange of
Ribera DOP, the only citrus fruit in the world
with EU recognition. It has a crisp, juicy pulp
and is often used in gastronomy, both for
its pleasing flavour and low acidity, and for
the fact that its peel needs no treatment
after harvesting except simple washing with
drinking-water.
The Lago Arancio is a reservoir of Sicily.
It is located in the municipalities of Sambuca
di Sicilia, Santa Margherita di Belice
and Sciacca, Province of Agrigento,
in the Sicani mountains.
Menfi DOC
Wines of the Menfi zone obtained DOC
recognition in 1995. The regulations
envisage various typologies. Menfi
white can be based on Chardonnay,
glistening white Catarratto, Grecanico
or Inzolia, alone or with 25% from
other vines. Single-vine wines that
can bear the DOC label together
with the name of the grape are
Chardonnay, Grecanico and Inzolia.
There is also late-harvest Menfi and
Menfi from the subzone of Feudo dei
Fiori (Chardonnay and Inzolia, at least
80%, alone or combined). Menfi red
must be obtained from grapes of Nero
d'Avola, Sangiovese, Merlot, Cabernet
Sauvignon or Sirah, alone or with other
grapes. Menfi reds with named vines
are Nero d'Avola, Sangiovese, Cabernet
Sauvignon, Sirah and Merlot. Lastly,
there is Menfi rosso from the subzone
of Bonera, using Cabernet Sauvignon,
Nero d'Avola, Merlot, Sangiovese and
Syrah grapes, alone or with other vines.
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