Down to Earth with Mezzacorona and Stemmari Wines

Monday night at the Greenhouse Loft, wine enthusiasts traveled to sunny Sicily and the Dolomites region of Italy via their wine glass. They indulged in Mezzacorona and Stemmari wines showcasing the unique terroir of the region. If their wine glasses were their passport, winemaker Lucio Matricardi was their guide.

Lucio Matricardi from John Matriani Oozing with passion and knowledge, Matricardi wanted guests to try something new. Sicily is being heralded by Food and Wine and The New York Times as one of the up and coming wine regions. Matricardi felt restaurants prided themselves on local produce, as they should, but did not care as much for the lineage of their wines. “Who is the mother? Who is the father? Where did these grapes come from?” he asked as he addressed the guests. Matricardi also explained the wineries commitment to sustainability and shared some of the practices that have made them 100% energy independent. They use “sex confusion”, release opposite pheromones to discourage insects, on the vines so they don’t have to use extra treatments. They implemented inventive irrigation systems to maximize water usage. Their photoelectric and solar panels produce over 2 million kilowatt hours per year. The winery was also built around local flora, including 200 species of orchids, orange and almond trees. Creating an eco- friendly winery was priority so Stemmari could be guardian of the land and produce top quality wines without negatively impacting the area.

All the care was evident in the wines. Two tables were set up for sampling, one from the south and one from the north, featuring something for everyone’s tastes, from single varieties to blends. The regions were separated because the different soils create a different end product. All guests started with a glass of Baci Vivaci, meaning “lively bubbles.” It was en route to a Prosecco, but not quite. I enjoyed the reds. From the South, I enjoyed Cantodoro, a blend of Nero d’Avola, Sicilly’s most famous native varietal, and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. It was lush and complex. From the North, I really enjoyed NOS Teroldego Riserva. Teroldego is “the royal wine of Trentino”. It is aged three years in oak and one year in the bottle before it comes to market resulting in a balanced, full-bodied dark berry experience accented with oak. It was like having velvet in your mouth.

Mezzacorona from their website It was nice to see age old tradition mixed with cutting edge green tactics resulted in such nice fare.