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Pantelleria Island, Italy
The Italian island of Pantelleria has long been renowned for two captivating characteristics: sun-drenched white blossoms and the rich, sweet flavor of Passito wine made from Muscat grapes.
Gabrio Bini, a former Milanese architect, created the Zibibbo rosé wine with its gold label, aged for many years in earthenware jars, which made his Azienda Agricola Seragghia brand world-famous. The young couple Francesco and Nicoletta Ferreri of Tanca Nica also created the captivating Firri Firri rosé wine, a perfect blend of white and red grapes resulting in a superb beverage. Enjoying Firri Firri with ravioli stuffed with ricotta cheese and fresh sea urchin at their Osteria Il Principe e il Pirata restaurant is an unmissable experience for visitors to this renowned European wine island.
Madeira Island, Portugal
Nestled against sheer cliffs, the Fajã dos Padres organic fruit orchards in Madeira boast a pristine beauty accessible only by boat or cable car. For over three centuries, this area was a vineyard, but now it has been replaced with tropical fruits such as mangoes and prickly pears.
The owners of Fajã dos Padres revived the Malvasia fortified wine specialty from the 1980s, and the results are very positive: although slightly drier than usual, it is still a perfect aperitif. You can pair this wine with fish dishes, for example, grilled bodião, a local specialty.
Tinos Island, Greece
The island of Tinos, with its long history, rugged terrain, and ancient vines, attracted Jérôme Charles Binda and his wife, who were art dealers in Paris, to settle there. Tinos is a gem of Greek tourism, dotted with pristine white churches and bizarre rock formations in the village of Falatados, resembling the remnants of a battle between gods and giants in ancient Greek epics. Since 2011, Binda has been producing Domaine de Kalathas wine from long-forgotten local grape varieties in a small, solar-powered winery.
If you have the chance to visit Tinos Island, don't forget to go to Exoreria restaurant in Isternia to enjoy rich, creamy kariki cheeses paired with the captivating flavors of characteristic white wines.
Corsica Island, France
Corsica, a French island, boasts a Mediterranean atmosphere with a continental climate, featuring snow in winter and hot, humid summers, ideal for growing grapes for winemaking. The island has diverse soil types including limestone, clay, volcanic, sandstone, and granite. Mistral winds from the north and Sirocco winds from the south contribute to the island's picturesque landscape. But nothing is more striking than the undulating hills covered with vineyards, which make this island truly unique.
Wine has been produced in Corsica since Phoenician times, and in the last 50 years, this seemingly forgotten wine culture has been revived. Vermentinu (also known as Vermentino or Rolle) and Nielluccio are the main grape varieties on the island. Similar to the garrigue components found in southern France, the island's natural winemaking environment is covered with maquis, a blend of herbs that imparts aroma to the wine.
Muriel Giudicelli, originally from Corsica, spent her summers there as a child and officially moved here in 1996. She purchased a small vineyard plot north of Patrimonio. While there, don't miss the opportunity to enjoy a bottle of her Domaine Giudicelli wine, paired with wild boar lasagna or roast pork, sourced from black Nustrale pigs raised on chestnuts, on the terrace of the MaThyS restaurant in the nearby village of Saint-Florent.
