Donnafugata Sherazade Nero d'Avola 2019

Sherazade is the definitive story teller. Persian king Shahryar married a new virgin each day and beheaded the previous day's wife, so that she would have no chance to be unfaithful to him. He had killed 1,001 women by the time he was introduced to Sherazade. Sherazade agreed to spend a night with the king but like Baldrick she had a cunning plan. She told the king a thrilling story all through the night, stopping in the middle explaining they were out of time. The king spared her life that day to hear the end of the story. The 2nd night she started a story more thrilling than the last & continued this pattern for 1001 nights until Sherazade had no more stories, but the King now loved her and did not behead her. (No, no it's a love story and a wonderful framing devise for Arabian Nights, not a horrifying tale of misogyny.)

Donnafugata Sherazade has only one story but it may be the best of all; a tale of fragrant notes of red plum and cherry, combined with light spicy scents, a palate of fleshy fruit, perfectly reflecting the bouquet revealing an extraordinary freshness. One truly for the ages!

The Rallo family has made wine in Marsala since 1851 and their ancient cellars tunnel beneath the city. They were one of the first families to begin making high quality table wine when sales of traditional Marsala started to decline, launching the Donnafugata label in 1983 and championing the potential of the region's native varieties.

Today, Donnafugata has three estates in Sicily: a modern winery and 270 hectares at Contessa Entellina in the hills east of Marsala; 18 hectares in Vittoria to the south eastern point of the Island; and 68 hectares on the island of Pantelleria. Donnafugata means 'fleeing woman' and is a reference to Queen Maria Carolina, who escaped the court of Naples in the early 19th Century with her husband, Ferdinand IV of Bourbon, when Napoleon's troops arrived. The couple took refuge in Sicily at the Santa Margherita Belice palace, also the favourite residence of celebrated writer Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa and depicted on the 'Mille e una Notte' label.