Planeta, Serra Ferdinandea Rosso, 2020

This lovely Sicilian red has mellow aromas of baked plums and sun-drenched earth. It gives off a pleasantly rustic sense of the Italian south. On the palate, it is silky-soft and medium-bodied, with juicy fruit and mellow balance. This is not a flashy wine, but it is very enjoyable. Serra Ferdinandea is named after a volcanic island that existed for just a few months between July and November 1831, and despite its short lifespan, became the subject of lively territorial dispute between the Sicilians, the French and the British. This wine is instead the result of Sicilian-French international collaboration, harnessing the grape-growing and winemaking expertise of the Planeta and Oddo families.