Let`s talk Grillo!

I think that Grillo can be an excellent patio wine in the summer so lets check out the Olli!

2017 Feudo Maccari Olli Grillo, Sicily.

Fairly well known producer, I grabbed this Grillo as soon as it appeared on the shelf downtown. $20 Cdn, good nat cork, 13% alc, L090518.

Floral nose, savoury, nutty almost..appealing start eh. Nutty on the palate too, crisp citrus touch, white ripe stonefruit. Good mineral finish, nice overall balance, not bitter, "classy" from across the patio, apple quince. Thought it could have used more acidity maybe. Will stock up on another and see hope that one shows.

[Jenise]

Grillo's another name for a fairly common grape, isn't it? Chardonnay or dry muscat or viognier or something?

[David M. Bueker]

Grillo's another name for a fairly common grape, isn't it? Chardonnay or dry muscat or viognier or something?

No. It’s a Sicilian grape, with historical parentage of Catarrato Bianco and Muscat of Alexandria. There are a couple of other names for it, but nothing well known.

From the archive.

Seen a few Grillo around town of late so picked up the 2020 Roceno Grillo , Sibiliana. Very good producer I think. Sicily, increasingly the source of interesting mid-priced and elegant white wines of character.

[David M. Bueker]

Admittedly I don't go looking for it, but I can't recall the last time I saw a wine from Grillo.

I see Grillo locally, and it's often on list at Italian restaurants. Usually Montoni or Maccari, both are ok. But it's generally a little softer/rounder than what I am looking for in whites. Generally if Siciilian I'd prefer to get an Etna Carricante.
Jenise, it's pretty common to see Chardonnay/Grillo blends, which might be what you were remembering.

Bob, the last time I wrote a TN on a Grillo based wine was in 2007! I liked it and can recall having enjoyed some before that for freshness unusual in Sicily as well as an unusual little aftertaste reminding me of quinine. That doesn't sound very nice but I thought it worked. I agree with Dale about the superiority of Carricante in Etna but I don't know if it's capable of shining elsewhere.

I would be astonished to find Grillo round here, though it's just possible that adventurous caviste in Falaise where I found a Cave Spring Riesling might occasionally have one. There are some quite good Italian delicatessen around but their wine choice tends to be very unadventurous, Frescobaldi, Antinori..., and overpriced.