If Nerello Mascalese is Sicily’s brooding wild child, Frappato is its sunny younger sister, always game for a laugh. Cherry colored and fragrant, this grape from the island’s southern flank makes light reds that are rarely important but often immensely pleasurable. Feudo di Santa Tresa’s bottling is a case in point. Made with organic grapes, its robe is limpid raspberry pink and perfumed with rose hips, orange peel, and lavender. The wine packs a pop of crystalline acidity, plus flavors of pomegranate, red grapefruit, and strawberry. There’s not much tannin here, in keeping with the grape’s tender disposition, but a bite of astringency rinses the palate clean. It’s a red-fruited refreshment with low alcohol and a modest price, making it a good choice for weeknight suppers, or any time.
2016 Feudo di Santa Tresa Frappato Terre Siciliane IGP
12.5% abv | About $15; Imported by Vias Imports
