Frank Cornelissen 2012 Munjebel Extra Virgin Olive Oil for the Holidays

Based in Sicily's Mount Etna, Frank Cornelissen is known worldwide for his unique wines made in an uncompromisingly natural and artisanal method. Mount Etna is one of the most difficult places in the world to produce wine because of the harsh conditions. Cornelissen succeeds because of his dedication and unique approach.

Cornelissen produces not just wine but also extra virgin olive oil from the few olive trees grown in his estate. His wines are difficult to find but his oils are even rare because of the tiny quantities produced.

A mere 199 bottles in 375ml size were produced from the 2012 harvest for the Munjebel Olive Oil. You can easily imagine that it took no time for Cornelissen's US importer to sell out of these oils, especially because less than 40 bottles were made available to the West Coast! I'm very pleased to offer you our tiny allocation of these delicious, one-of-a-kind extra virgin olive oil from Mount Etna. This very special Mount Etna Extra Virgin Olive Oil is a wonderful treat for the holidays and would make special holiday gifts.

I found that drizzling Cornelissen's Munjebel Olive Oil on lentil salad is a joyous experience. Give it a try.


Sicily Mount Etna Extra Virgin Olive Oil "Munjebel", Az. Agr. Frank Cornelissen 2012 375ml

"For our olive oils, we apply the same high quality standards as for our wines. We farm without any treatments and use of chemicals whatsoever in order not to alter the nature of our environment and the fruit we harvest. For our Munjebel oil, select only the precious varietals  such as Benedetto, Carolea or Frantoiano, producing fruit of great elegance and sapidity. As every year has a different character as well as growing difficulties, we pick the best and most expressive of our olive groves (contradas). We pick the olives manually in various passages, de-selecting in the olive groves, in order to take home only ripe fruit that is undamaged. The same day, the olives are being brought to the press where they are gently crushed under big stone mills. After this crushing, the paste is put on our exclusive estate mats and then vertically pressed. After this cold extraction, the olive oil is then left to settle for a minimum of 2 months before being bottled, unfiltered. This 'liquid gold' carries the name Munjebel for its strong territorial identity: the volcano Etna!" Frank Cornelissen

Two Very Affordable Sicilian Wines From Rockstar Twenty-Something Winemaker Arianna Occhipinti

Sicily is one of the oldest winegrowing regions in the world having been colonized by the wine-loving ancient Greeks and Romans who spread winemaking wherever they went.

The same way as Bordeaux has Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, and Burgundy its Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, Sicily has its own native grapes, too. Two classic Sicilian grape varieties are Frappato, a red grape, and Grillo, a white grape. Both these grapes make delicious aromatic and complex wines with their own expressive character. They are fun and versatile to drink year-round, especially during summer.

• Grillo is best compared to Chardonnay (some producers even blend the two), as it is rich and full-bodied, and offers extra with its alluring floral scents.

• Frappato is akin to Pinot Noir, not a heavy wine but fruity and aromatic with bright cherry and strawberry flavors. It makes for really charming wines. Like Pinot Noir, Frappato is a delicate grape and can be finicky to grow.

Thanks to a new generation of Sicilian wine producers, today, who are producing top quality wines from these two grape varieties. One of the brightest young winemakers, whose wines are perhaps more sought-after than any Sicilian wines in the US right now is Arianna Occhipinti.

Now in her late-20s, Arianna has been making wine for the past ten years, initially under the tutelage of her uncle, Giusto Occhipinti, of COS estate, a leading light among fans of traditional Italian wines. She debuted with the 2004 vintage under her own label at the ripe age of 21!

Arianna farms all her vineyards biodynamically. She is well recognized as a proponent of natural winemaking, and also a champion of Sicily's indigenous grapes, including Grillo and Frappato.

Aside from her 10-hectare estate vineyard, Arianna also makes wines from grapes grown by her close friends under the label Tami'. The Tami' vineyards are planted with vines that are at least ten years old and also farmed organically and biodynamically. With the intent of making wines that are enjoyable upon release, Arianna applies a short maceration of one week and then six months aging in stainless steel before bottling.

Freshness, charming fruit, and purity of flavors are what these wines from Tami' deliver. They are great values and made as authentic as possible by the meticulous Arianna Occhipinti.


Sicilia Bianco IGT Grillo, Tami' 2011 $17.00 (click to buy!)


Sicilia Rosso IGT Frappato, Tami' 2011 $16.00 (click to buy!) 


Olio di Oliva Extravergine "Gheta", Arianna Occhipinti 2012 500ml $25.00 (click to buy!)

Wine of the Week: COS 2009 Cerasuolo di Vittoria--Best of Sicily

2009 was a tremendous vintage in southern Italy. The vintage produced some of the best wines in Sicily, including the 2009 Cerasuolo di Vittoria Classico from COS, the acclaimed estate co-owned by Giusto Occhipinti, Arianna Occhipinti's uncle and early mentor. COS has long been recognized as one of the greatest Sicilian wine estates. The Cerasuolo di Vittoria Classico is their most classic release.

In search of adventure during their youthful days, Giambattista Cilla (C), Giusto Occhipinti (O), and Pinuccia Strano (S), formed COS in 1980 to make wine for pleasure. At that time the three Sicilians were Italy's youngest winemakers.

In Cerasuolo di Vittoria in the Sicilian province of Ragusa in the island's southern coast, the three friends rented their parents' vineyards and began harvesting, pressing grapes, and making wine under their own label. Operating with this independence of spirit, without an oenologist, basing winemaking decisions on experience, intuition, and imagination, COS became a lifelong project of expressing the terroir, passion, and culture of this part of Sicily in its most authentic form.

COS applies biodynamics to viticulture to maintain balance and harmony in the vineyard and to express its character. In the cellar, in order to not impart any characteristic flavors, cement tanks are used in the vinification and the wines are aged in neutral oak casks (botti) and clay amphoras.

Today COS is making wines that are the purest expression of Cerasuolo di Vittoria, the only DOCG appellation in Sicily. In their wines we discover that this particular area of Sicily has one of the greatest terroirs, producing wines with indigenous grapes that are as delicious and complex as any you would find from world's greatest vineyard sites.

The 2009 Cerasuolo di Vittoria, made from a blend of Frappato and Nero d'Avola is stunning, one of the finest vintages for this classic wine from COS.

Cerasuolo di Vittoria Classico DOCG, Az. Agr. COS 2009 $31.00 (Click to buy!)