De Rigueur Sicilia en Primeur 2025

By Michael Godel

Estate visits around Noto, two days of tastings in Modica and 188 tasting notes.

From May 6th through 10th, 2025, the 21st Sicilia en Primeur signalled the annual return of Assovini Sicilia’s proper, correct and yes, also decorous event. Journalists from all over the world arrived by invitation only for a week during which de rigueur was encouraged and for best results, most definitely required. A strict precision needed in adhering to the dictates of weather, cultural fashion, tasting and taking in the final night gala at a luxurious palazzo. The 21st edition’s title “The Culture of Wine in Sicily: A Thousand-year Story that Looks to the Future,” was defined by Mariangela Cambria, President of Assovini Sicilia as “the culture of wine today also translates into a culture of travel.” This is why the abiding delegation of 100 journalists were focused on this essential part of this journey, with their charge to bring the message back home. They came from Italy and many parts of Europe (France, Poland, Sweden, Germany, Norway), also from non-EU countries (Canada, USA, Japan, China, South Korea, Israel, Brazil, and the United Kingdom). Together they engaged in a collective etiquette to celebrate Sicilian wine, food and culture, inclusive of gorging on piping hot finger foods between en primuer tastings at lunch under a hot Modica sun because in Sicily, eating Arancini with your hands is de rigueur.

Modica

As always the Sicilian Ante-Antreprima sees groups of international journalists making pilgrimages to wineries geographically positioned within a particular quadrant on the largest Mediterranean island. In 2025 Godello joined Zedcomm’s Lucia Boarini and JustSicily’s Marcos del Rio, along with journalists Fernanda Roggero (Sole 24 Ore), Christer Byklum (Mywinesandmore), Giuseppe Lauria (Weinwisser), David Ransom (The Connected Table) and Matthias Stelzig (Weinwelt) for an Enotour around the area of Noto. The group took in the ancient urban ruins of the Neapolis Archaeological Park, the seaside village of Marzamemi, Noto city (Including a caffè and dolce at Corrado Assenza’s Caffè Sicilia) and a stay at the beautifully charming and calming Villa Giulia Hotel. Visits were paid at Zisola, La Giasira, Ramaddini, Feudo Maccari and Planeta. When all was said, tasted, travelled, assessed, satiated and done, the group then joined the rest of the journalists fresh off of their own tours for the two-day Sicilia en Primeur at the Castello dei Conti di Modica.

Godello in Noto

Assovini Sicilia was founded in 1998 by Giacomo Rallo, Diego Planeta and Lucio Tasca and today has 101 member companies producing approximately 900 labels. After a day of technical tasting everyone convened at the Teatro Garibaldi in Modica for more de rigueur talks, including a discussion about “the culture of wine understood as informed and conscious drinking,” led by Dr. Sara Farnetti, Ph.D in Pathophysiology of Metabolism and Nutrition. Master of Wine Andrea Lonardi spoke on the “S factor: The uniqueness of the Sicilian wine continent.” Words from Dario Stefàno, President of the Wine and Oil Tourism Centre (Lumsa University) and Antonello Maruotti, Professor of Statistics (Lumsa University) concerned “The south innovating through events, e-commerce and new hospitality models for wine tourism.” Then finally it was Alessio Planeta, President of the SOStain Sicilia Foundation, speaking about “the sustainable future of Sicilian wine.”

Neapolis Archaeological Park

The event concluded on the 10th of May, again at the Castello dei Conti, with tastings of wines from the 57 Assovini Sicilia producers. As always Godello wishes to thank the professional and gracious organization of Zedcomm’s Cecilia Zanasi, Delia Demma, Martina Romeo, Lucia Boarini and Michele Marmino; JustSicily’s Giusi Macchiarella, Giuliana Palazzolo, Giuliana Licata di Baucina, Silvia Mantegna, Marcos del Rio and Federica Matranga; Assovini Sicilia’s Liliana Rosano. These are Godello’s 188 tasting notes from Noto visits at Zisola, La Giasira, Ramaddini, Feudo Maccari and Planeta, along with the wines tasted at Castello dei Conti.

Filippo Mazzei at Zisola

Zisola

Filippo Mazzei and family have spent 20 years managing the biodiversity of Zisola, where lemon, pink grapefruit, clementine and almond trees line the vineyard. These are white soils though in Sicily they do not reflect the sun and raise temperatures, as they do in Tuscany. “This kind of soil can keep humidity for a long time,” explains Mazzei. “Even in July and August we don’t have A/C at Zisola.” The first plantings were 20 hectares of nero d’Avola plus one each of syrah and petit verdot. Later on grillo and catarratto, all within six to seven kms of the sea and three to Noto. There are now 25 total hectares of vines and the fermentation cellar was built in 2004.

A visit to Zisola will surely include a walk through one of Sicily’s great vineyard blocks followed by a tasting of highest calibre wines. A word of encouragement will say that three dishes might also show up on the table. Parmigiana di Pesce Spada, Penne con Finnochietto and Gelo di Limone. Should you be so lucky, karma would not be a b@%&h. Karma would be calm, neutral, reasonable and generous.

Zisola Azisa Grillo Sicilia DOC 2024
Mazzei Zisola Bianco Contrada Zisola 2023, Terre Siciliane IGT
Mazzei Zisola Bianco Contrada Zisola 2022, Terre Siciliane IGT
Zisola Sicilia Noto Rosso DOC 2022
Mazzei Zisola Sicilia DOC Noto Rosso 2016
Zisola Effe Emme Petit Verdot Sicilia DOC 2021
Zisola Effe Emme Petit Verdot Sicilia DOC 2014
Zisola Doppiozeta Sicilia Noto Rosso DOC 2021
Zisola Doppiozeta Sicilia Noto Rosso DOC 2017
Mazzei Zisola Achilles 2021, Terre Siciliane IGP

Unbelievable Risotto con Pesce at La Giasira

La Giasira

La Giasira is Piedmontese Giovanni Boroli and his wife Veneta Isabella dating back to to 2004. The estate is 130 hectares with 13.5 under vines, of grillo, moscato, catarratto, nero d’Avola and nerello mascalese. They produce 60,000-70,000 bottles annually from vines grwoing in 10-30 cm of soil atop pure limestone bedrock. Tilling happens maybe once a year on this site at 250m above the Telaro Valley (within the Noto Valley), 20 km to both Noto and Modica, equidistant between the Ionian Sea and Sicilian Channel.

La Giasira Bianco 2024, Terre Siciliane IGT
La Giasira Grillo Sicilia DOC 2023
La Giasira Keration 2023, Terre Siciliane IGT
La Giasira Keration 2022, Terre Siciliane IGT
La Giasira Rosato 2024, Terre Siciliane IGT
La Giasira Morhum 2023, Terre Siciliane IGT
La Giasira Nero d’Avola Sicilia DOC 2021
La Giasira Nero d’Avola Sicilia DOC 2018
La Giasira SIC! Spumante Metodo Classico Brut Rosato, Terre Siciliane IGT
La Giasira Passito di Noto Sicilia DOC 2022

Rammaddini

Ramaddini Perla Marina Vino Spumante Brut, Terre Siciliane Bianco IGT
Ramaddini Grillo Nassa Sicilia DOC 2024
Ramaddini QuattroVenti 2024, Terre Siciliane Bianco IGT
Ramaddini Nero d’Avola Sicilia DOC Noto Nere 2022
Ramaddini Syrah Sicilia DOC Noto Nere 2022
Ramaddini Patrono Nero d’Avola Riserva Sicilia DOC 2021
Ramaddini Al Hamen Passito di Noto Sicilia DOC

Feudo Maccari

Feudo Maccari

The Sicilian exploration of Tuscany’s Moretti family of Tenuta Sette Ponti. As with several other Noto area estates, Maccari was set up 25 years ago on 200 hectares with 65 planted to vines, most trained to Alberello (medio). Much like the others the location is heavily influenced by limestone soils set halfway between the Ionian and Mediterranean seas. There are predominantly nero d’Avola and grillo, but also seven hectares of syrah. The company also farms 11 hectares on L’Etna (called Etnae), namely in the Contrada Santo Spirito.

Feudo Maccari Anima Lucente Etna Bianco DOC Contrada Santo Spirito 2024
Feudo Maccari Anima Vulcano Etna Rosso DOC Contrada Santo Spirito 2022
Feudo Maccari Animardente Etna Rosso DOC Contrada Santo Spirito 2022
Feudo Maccari Animantica Etna Rosso DOC Contrada Santo Spirito 2022
Feudo Maccari Grillo Sicilia DOC Olli 2024
Feudo Maccari Family and Friends 2023, Terre Siciliane Bianco IGP
Feudo Maccari Vigna Firraru Family and Friends 2023, Terre Siciliane Bianco IGP
Feudo Maccari Rosé di Neré Sicilia DOC 2024
Feudo Maccari Sicilia DOC Neré 2022
Feudo Maccari Sicilia DOC Saia 2022
Feudo Maccari Nero d’Avola Sicilia DOC Sultana 2022
Feudo Maccari Nero d’Avola Sicilia DOC Guarnaschelli 2022
Feudo Maccari Syrah Sicilia DOC Mahâris 2022

With Santi and Alessio Planeta in Noto

Planeta

Diego Planeta. Pioneer, visionary and a man who considered the entire island an agricultural playground where anything was possible. The Planeta family has Spanish origins and roots dating back five hundred years. Diego Planeta was the former president of the Settesoli Cooperative and founder of Planeta winery. His passing in 2020 left an irreplaceable hole but 15 cousins, including Alessio, Francesca and Santi Planeta are the beneficiaries of their uncle’s plans and legacy. Five family members run the day-to day operation and more than 200 vinicultural, viticultural, administrative and marketing artisans share in the collective vision. Today they work, farm sustainably and reap the benefits of five distinct estates but more than that they bring the fruits of these locations to the world. No other producer in Sicilia does this, not with the scope and breadth they do.

Noto is the birthplace of nero d’Avola, graced with calcareous soils like Jerez and Champagne, not really comparable to anywhere else. Noto is close to Vittoria in how the wines come to be but it’s a mobile texture, silken and with velvety tannins. The soft hills of Buonivini are blessed by soft breezes arising from the meeting of two seas, ideal for nero d’Avola and moscato, but also almonds, carobs and olives, symbolic plants of the Mediterranean location. The three vineyards are agliastro, buonvini and zuppardo on 45 hectares, acquired piece by piece, today producing the DOC wines Santa Cecilia, Moscato di Noto and Passito di Noto.

Planeta Noto DOC Allemanda 2024
Planeta Noto DOC Allemanda 2020
Planeta Noto DOC Allemanda 2014
Planeta Nero d’Avola Noto DOC Controdanza 2021
Planeta Santa Cecilia Noto DOC 2022
Planeta Santa Cecilia Noto DOC 2021
Planeta Santa Cecilia Noto DOC 2011
Planeta Frappato Vittoria DOC 2024
Planeta Frappato Vittoria DOC 2023
Planeta Cerasuolo di Vittoria Classico DOCG Dorilli 2022
Planeta Passito di Noto DOC 2024
Planeta Nocera Sicilia DOC 2023