2020 Mortellito Viarìa Moscato Bianco
Dario Serrentino is at heart a farmer (he still tends his almond and olive trees with as much care as his grape vines) and all his vines are trained in the old-school alberello, or bush vine (aka gobelet), style. Keeping the vines low to the ground and out of the way of the hot, dry winds from North Africa is key, as well as keeping them close to the roots and their underground water source. Dario makes his wines naturally, as low-intervention as possible, with almost no added sulphur.
Moscato bianco, or muscat blanc à petits grains, is one of the most famous and widely grown grape varietals in the world. This particular mutation Dario and other locals call Moscato di Noto, as the varietal can now be considered native to the Val di Noto area of eastern Sicily (Italy as a whole produces by far the most moscato worldwide).
This 2020 sees 2 days of skin contact, making it an "orange wine", with typical orange wine notes of sour rind and melon rind on the nose, followed by tropical fruits like guava, and a fresh cucumber quality, and finished with oystershell minerality. Drink it with shellfish, especially oysters, fresh fish ceviche, or crab cakes. Also salads, smoked pancetta dishes, and nutty cheeses.

Producer: Mortellito (Dario Serrentino)
Name of Wine: Viarìa
Vintage: 2020
Region: Sicily, Italy
Appellation: Terre Siciliane IGP
Varietal(s): 100% moscato bianco
Agriculture: certified organic
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Vineyard/Winery Location: Pachino, Syracuse, Sicily, Italy
Vineyard Name: Il Mortellito
Vineyard Size: 2.5 hectares
Soil Type(s): limestone chalk
Altitude: 40m / 130ft
Exposure: south
Trellis: alberello (bush vine)
Planting Density: 7,000 vines/hectare
Age of Vines: 5 years
Harvest: hand harvested / beginning of September
Yeild: 6000 kg/hectare
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Yeasts: native yeasts
Maceration: 2 days on the skins
Alcoholic fermentation: 25 days without temperature control
Malolactic fermentation: yes
Élevage: 6 months in stainless steel
Fining/Filtration: no / no
Sulphur: 10 mg/L added during fermentation, 20 mg/L added at bottling
Alcohol: 12%
Production: 600 cases
Closure and bottle: natural cork, 750 ml, Burgundy bottle
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Service Temperature: 45-55 F
Drink: now to 2025
Decant: no
Pairing: shellfish / fish crudo / nutty cheeses / smoked pancetta