Palermo, Sicily, Italy. Saturday, 10 May 2026.
We booked this excellent food and wine pairing at Bottega Monteleone through Get My Guide. I can do no better than quote Mary’s review:
"We booked for their wine tasting with food and loved it, would definitely recommend to others. A great opportunity to try some unfamiliar wines and local food.
We could not have asked for better - our waiter was friendly and very knowledgeable, telling us all about each wine and the food before we tasted them and in perfect English.
The selection of wines was interesting, representing some of the range produced locally (one each of sparkling, white, rose, red and sweet) and we liked them all. The food pairings worked well and they were very good at adapting to cater for my lactose intolerance.
As other people have noted, wine portions were generous, allowing to taste the wine without and with the food and still have plenty to savour. The five food tastings were equivalent to a light meal.
We were sat a table with a lovely couple and were not rushed in any way making for a very enjoyable evening. A place to go back to - so many more wines to try!"
1. Sparkling: Coppola - Spumante Extra Brut Grillo "71". 12%.
The Grillo grape is typically Sicilian. According to Wikipedia: "Grillo, also known as Riddu and Rossese bianco, is a white Italian wine grape variety that withstands high temperatures and is widely used in Sicilian winemaking and, in particular, for making Marsala. Its origins are uncertain, but it may have been introduced into the island of Sicily from Apulia".
We had a Grillo as a still wine on our first evening in Palermo and were impressed by the exotic, floral notes so much so that we had the same the following evening with our meal. I was pleased to see it here again in the sparkling version, delicious and not too dry.
Matched with a pasta salad: fusilli with a tomato sauce.
2. White: Cantina Patria - Etna Bianco DOC Sensi. 13%
The Etna Bianco is, obviously, grown on Etna’s volcanic slopes at 750 meters above sea level. 80% Carricante and 20% Catarratto. Light and refreshing, we got the expected spiel about minerality!
Matched with crostini: one with tapenade, the other with a soft ricotta topped with an anchovy fillet and lemon zest - the latter really lifting the flavours.
3. Rosé: Terre di Gratia - Dama Rosa. 12%
The rosato grape variety: 100% Perricone (also known as Pignatello).
Paired with pecorino cheese (sorry, forgot to photo) of three different agings: a soft pecorino, one with a few months aging and the third a tangy version aged for 12 months. Fascinating to taste the evolution.
4. Red: Quattrocieli - Jocu Nero d’Avola. 12.5%.
Another Sicilian varietal, Nero D'Avola is named after the town of Avola in the south-east of the island. Delicious, not too heavy and with scarcely a trace of tannins.
Paired with assorted salumeria: a parma style ham, a soft salami and a mortadella.
5. Sweet: Tenuta delle Palme - Zibibbo Terre Siciliana. 16%
This vino liquoroso was delicious - I do like Italian desert wines. The Zibibbo grape, also known as Muscat of Alexandria, is an ancient grape variety. They believe that this grape it is one of the oldest genetically unmodified vines still in existence. The grape originated in North Africa, and the name is probably derived from its association with Ancient Egyptians who used the grape for wine making.
It is used in one of my favourite dessert wines, Pantelleria from the island of the same name just off the coast of Sicily.
The biscuits look a bit like cantucci but are softer and are apparently made using stale bread so nothing goes to waste!
It was an excellent introduction to Sicilian varietals.
Looking at their blackboard menu, as Mary said, so many more to try.
