Beyond the Usual Bottles is our introductory series on the wine regions that do not get the airtime they deserve. Each class focuses on a single county or region, walks through the grapes and styles worth knowing, and covers what makes the place distinct.
No background required. Come curious.
Sicily has been making wine longer than most countries have existed, and for decades most of it left the island in bulk tankers headed north. That story has flipped. A generation of growers has redrawn the map, and Sicily is now one of the most talked-about corners of the Italian wine world.
We taste across the island and cover what makes each corner distinct. The volcanic slopes of Mount Etna. The sun-soaked interior. The coastal sites shaped by wind and salt. Along the way we walk through the native grapes worth knowing, the influence of the volcano on everything grown near it, and why Sicily now belongs in the same conversation as any of Italy's classic regions.