April 10th-Frappato

Frappato is a red grape indigenous to the Ragusa region of Sicily. It is a common blending partner of Nero d’Avola, which I discussed here on February 1st, 2021. Frappato adds bright fruity, herbal and floral notes to blends with the more deeply colored and tannic wines common with Nero d’Avola. Frappato has been shown to be a genetic descendant of Sangiovese, the famous grape of Tuscany and used in Chianti. Frappato is believed to have its first historical mention in the 18th century. The name is likely to be from ‘fruttato’, which is Italian for fruity. Frappato is still mostly grown in Ragusa, near the town of Vittoria, but there are also plantings near Trapani in western Sicily. In Vittoria, there is Vittoria Frappato DOC, where wines produced are 100% Frappato. There is also Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG, where it is a portion of the final blend. 

This week, I drank a 2021 Valle Dell’Acate Il Frappato Vittoria Frappato DOC. The winery started in 1981 with the goal to focus on the cultivation of Sicilian native grape varieties. Through much research, the winery paired each of the 7 soil types found in their vineyards with a grape that would thrive in the conditions. The grapes for this wine are grown on black soil that contains white pebbles. The soil structure allows the roots to penetrate deeply, which allows the vine to obtain oxygen and nutrients. This pale ruby wine has aromas of fresh strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, fennel, caraway, and violets. This dry, medium bodied and medium alcohol wine has a bright acidity and minimal tannins. The front palate, the aforementioned red and black fruit dominate but acquiesce to the herbal and floral notes on the mid palate and medium length finish. This wine is lighter and easy drinking, perfect for a warm day. It would not benefit from further aging. It would pair well with aged meats and cheeses or heavier fish, like tuna or salmon. I paired it with a corned beef sandwich on rye chaffle (a low carb waffle made with egg and cheese) and it was fantastic!

-TheLooseTannin