Danzante Merlot
The Grape In French, the word Merlot means "Young Blackbird", probably alluding to the grape's beautiful dark-blue color. This grape is the first French variety to be planted on a large scale in Italy after the Phylloxera Disaster (Phylloxera is a parasitical disease that devastated the European vineyards in the 1860's through the end of the century). Originally introduced to the northern provinces, Merlot is now found in the central and southern regions as well.
Regional Notes
The grapes for Danzante Merlot are selected from the province of Agrigento in Sicily. Viticulture in Sicily dates back around 4000 years and, while ancient wines from this region earned prestige around the world, until recently, modern wine growing has focused on high production and dessert grapes. Fortunately, in the past few years, there has been a rebirth in Sicilian wines with gradual conversion towards quality. The warm Sicilian sun promotes perfect ripening of the grape, which is essential in creating great wines.
