Passito : Golden Goddess: The Daughter of the Wind

2009 Passito Pantelleria looks promising

2010-02-02T23:45:00.001+01:00

Passito this year is looking very good.

The conditions were very good and the harvest abundant.

Fewer growers are producing this year.

Pantelleria suffers from being so small, without any economic or geographic strengths to reach a great market. Historically, Mafia-dominated banking and investment behavior has severely damaged the spirits of the local people. year by year, the production engages fewer families, as the sins and thefts and abuses of the past, by outsiders, has taken its toll.

However, we are hoping for an excpetional year.

We heard recently that "Trader Joes" in America sells a liter of "Passito Pantelleria" for $9. This is a lie, impossible. Trader Joe is a good company but they are either lying or the victims of fraud. Pay attention. Whatever Trader Joe is selling, it is not Passito from Pantelleria.

Best regards

Young 2008 Passito de Pantelleria on the table

2008-07-09T17:26:00.002+02:00

I drive down a long dusty dirt road, with more than 120 s-curves between me and him, I arrive at my friend's house and he takes from his barell two liters of his passito. For me there is no question that his passito is the best. My opportunity to know him and have his passito on my table is a great treasure of my life on this island.

The winds have been very severe. A lot of damage was done to young grape plants all over the island. Thousands and thousands of euros and time lost. there seems to be no one collective official totals but it is and was a big hit by the wind. The island has many ridges and valleys, so some were not affected at all.

The 2008 availability of Passito for Pantelleria may be a little less but should I think remain around 85,000 liters. The price is up a few euro. If you can fin it, go ahead and pay.

It remains possible to contact us for orders of 1,000 bottles or more of Passito Pantelleria DOC, 2008.

Best regards.

Passito Pantelleria Summer report

2008-06-14T14:29:00.003+02:00

Recent Passito News

June 2008. My good friend has this year made one of his best Passito wines, and he makes the best Passito on Pantelleria. It is served only to friends and found only on Pantelleria.

Late season winds have destroyed thousands of new and young grape plants this may and june. These high, destructive winds are not "normal" for this time of year. Many small growers who had spent the last several years making new grape beds by hand have seen their work wiped out. Recovery will be slow and take several more years.

While production remains down, there is plenty of Passito on Pantelleria and prices at the wholesale level have risen slightly, which the growers richly deserve.

The Passito and Zibibo Wines made from the grapes of last year are now appearing in the market. The retail price is also up slightly, especially for Zibibo, which is more rare in these days. They are outstanding and we are sure to see and taste some great island wine in the months ahead.

Turtle Heart, Ojibway Artist
39.329-834-2157

Daughter of the Wind

2007-11-21T09:54:00.000+01:00

Yearly Harvest of Zibibo Grape falls to an all time low.

2007-10-22T11:26:00.000+02:00

If the figures are correct, the harvest of the grape for Passito was this year 2,500 tons of grapes. Down from 45,000 tons some years before. Production has clearly fallen to record low levels.

Here is a link to the original story (Passito endangered) that I read online about this problem.

I have talked to a few people here on the island and they say this may be accurate information. The current harvest of Passito translate to at least 90,000 bottles. The economy of Pantelleria depends strongly on Passito, but mostly I think on Italian Tourists.

The Mayor of Pantelleria is quoted as saying the grape growers need better machinery. This is nonsense as no machinery is used to harvest or grow the grapes. Once harvested they go to small but rather modern wine making business on the island. We have at least six good operations that can make a good quantity of outstanding Passito. Grapes are needed to do this. the idea of bringing in some sort of machinary is nonsense.

The growers need to get a better price for their wine. Right now a bottle of Passito sells for around 18 dollars us around the island if you know the locals. In Toko it sells for 350 us dollars. It is very hard for the growers and bottlers to imagine they can get a real world price for this rare and exceptional wine. People from outside of Italy will have to, and could in fact, rescue Passito from this problem simply by developing and supporting a fair market trade for what is one of the world's most unique wines. The Sicilians of Pantelleria have not a clue as to the value of this treasure which sits on every table.

We are looking for licensed importers that can understand the value of paying a good price for a few hundred or 1,000 bottles of a rare wine in the real world.These stories going around about the extinction of Passito are empty and poorly researched...but in a stumbling way have hit upon a problem that a clever wine developer who understands his art could change in a season.

HERE is a link to a more thoughtful article on the situation in the MSM...

Capers, Caperi

2007-10-08T22:54:00.000+02:00

We have access to the freshest and finest capers in the world.

Pantelleria is famous for its outstanding capers. 1 kil up to 1,000 kilos. Contact us.

Passito DOC Pantelleria: Accepting Orders

2007-09-12T22:21:00.001+02:00

September 2007
1,000 Bottles, 350 ml. FOB Genova Italy.
@ $23.50 US Dollars (17 Euro) Each Bottle. Terms : Prepaid.

This is our current price if you are liscensed and wish to receive this exceptional wine. There are rarely more than 3,000 bottles of this wine available for international consumption. This is an exceptional price. It should retail in your market at $75 to 125 dollars.

If you have the imagination and patience to bring what is most exceptional to your clients, then you should contact us. First come, first served.

0039-329-834-2157 (Mobile, Italy)

E Mail us...

Passito: The Golden Wine of Pantelleria

2007-01-05T10:19:00.000+01:00

The wine of Pantelleria.

These wines are very rare. These wines are hand-made. These wines are from the ancient history of the world.

Pantelleria is a tiny island in the Mediterranean Sea. The air is clean and sweet. There are no heavy industries. The grapes are raised on very small farms and harvested entirely by hand. The wines are made in small lots and sold in small lots.

This blog is a communication tool to help the english-speaking world learn about these exceptional Italian wines.

I am an American Indian who moved here two years ago after a chance visit arranged at the last minute by a friend of mine. I have fallen in love with the simple and pure life here, the sweet people and the exceptional wines and food that are our day to day treasures. I hope to find people with some soul, some imagination, people who may help us bring these fine and pure and magical products to the tables of the United States.

Here in this blog I hope to show you this magical island and tell you about its wines and its people.