A few particularly vivid memories from an all-too-brief visit to the Mount Etna region of Sicily.
First, in the town of Giarre, on the fall line from Etna's crater to the sea, a cup of unctuous, silky-smooth hot chocolate.
Finocchiaro, housed in a stone building dating from 1914, is filled with all sorts of confections produced by parent company, Dolfin, known throughout the land for its penguin-shaped ice pops. Recent deal with Coca-Cola to produce Christmas packs. Inside, without fanfare, I'm served a melted chocolate drink so rich I savored it with a tiny spoon. Would tell you more but I didn't take notes, figuring I'd consult the website mentioned in Finocchiaro's brochure. Ah, but this is Sicily: www.FabbricaFinocchiaro.it, doesn't exist.
Next evening, on the Piazza del Duomo in the provincial capital of Catania, ducked into a cafe for a late-night pick-me-up. Your best local grappa, I asked the barman. He poured a generous glass of crystal-clear brandy from J. Milazzo, a winery on Sicily's southern coast and distilled from their nero d'avola grapes.
Now, most grappa sold in the US is so strong, so volatile that it scares the paint off the walls, right? Not this one. A subtle bouquet of berries, mild and sweet on the palate, it could single-handedly restore grappa to respectability. Sure, it did cost three times as much (about $6) as the paint thinner, but, wow! Worth every penny.
Tomorrow: wine touring on Mount Etna.
Posted by Ronald Holden at December 20, 2005 10:51 PM