For our October meeting, we were delighted to welcome Caroline Sharley of the Giggling Grape to present a selection of wines "From the Edges of Italy".

Caroline started the Giggling Grape, because she loves wine: drinking it, learning about it, and talking to people about it; enough to do the exacting two-year WSET Diploma.

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Says Caroline, "After 20 years, as a Chartered Psychologist, frankly, I wanted something lighter to do. Hence a wine business that is about knowledge, laughter and connection and that leaves people feeling a bit better about life".

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Caroline's shared her selection with us prior to the event, and you can read about it below:

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Silenzi Bianco, Vermentino/Nuragus, Pala, Sardinia, 2025    £15.25
A fresh, delicate Sardinian white with gentle floral aromas and bright, fresh fruit flavours. Light and easydrinking, with a softly rounded texture and a clean, refreshing finish. ABV: 12.5%.

Pala is based around Serdiana, inland from Cagliari in southern Sardinia, among gently rolling, limestonerich hills. The vineyards for Silenzi Bianco sit at 150–180 metres above sea level.

Delicious with: grilled fish, garlic prawns, seafood linguine and fresh summer salads.

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Mandrarossa, Fiano, Menfi, Sicily, 2024 (organic)             £15.25
A fresh, fragrant and mineral wine with jasmine, basil and grapefruit, and herbs such as oregano and mint,
and excellent length. ABV: 12.5%

From Menfi in the South West of Sicily, where a diverse range of soils prompted the producer to grow the
specific grapes best suited to the soil type. The grapes are grown near to the sea where breezes are a
frreshening, coolling influence.

Pairs well with; fish and seafood, and lighter veggie and chicken dishes.

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Pinot Grigio Riserva, Mezzacorona, Trentino, 2024            £18.25
Elegant with ripe pear and white peach, delicate floral notes and a whiff of vanilla. Rounded and softly
creamy on the palate, with subtle oak adding depth, balanced by refreshing acidity. ABV: 13%.

The grapes are grown on well-drained alluvial soils beautifully suited to Pinot Grigio. Around 60% is
fermented in small oak barrels, adding gentle vanilla notes and richness, while the remaining 40% is
fermented in stainless steel to preserve fresh fruit flavour.

Pairs well with: mushroom risotto or creamy mushroom pasta, roast chicken and fish in a light cream sauce

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Fantini, `Calalenta` Pecorino, Terre di Chieti, Abruzzo, 2025    £18.90
Intense flavours of lemon, white peach and pear; dry with refreshing crisp acidity and some herbal notes.

The name of this local grape variety comes from the Italian for sheep, ‘pecora’, because a bunch of Pecorino
grapes resembles a sheep's head! ABV: 13%

From the 'shapely calf' of central Italy, the vineyards are near the East Coast where sea breezes give the
wine freshness.

Food pairing: goes well with most light dishes (seafood, chicken), especially herby foods e.g. pesto, and of
course, matured pecorino cheese!

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Regaleali Le Rose, Nerello Mascalese, Tasca d’Almerita, Sicily, 2024 £17.75
Using Sicily's indigeneous, typically red wine grape, this is a complex rosé; dry, deep pink with juicy ripe
fruit (watermelon, strawberries) and blossom, caramel on the finish. ABV: 13.5%.

Grown on the Regaleali estate in central Sicily’s hills, where the family has cultivated Nerello Mascalese
since the 1970s. Fermented and aged in stainless steel, preserving its fresh fruit and delicate floral
character.

Really food friendly: Great with flavourful fish dishes, tomato based pasta, charcuterie and roasted vegetables

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Mandrarossa, Nero d'Avola, Menfi, Sicily, 2025                £15.25
Ruby with purple hints; intense black cherries, plums and red berries, some aniseed/ pepper. Well balanced
fruit, acidity and soft tannins, with a good long finish. Trade mag Decanter = 95 points. ABV: 13.5%

Like many Italian red wines, this wine is unoaked, being aged for just for three to five months in stainless
steel tanks before bottling. Careful extraction during fermentation helped get depth and complexity from
grapes that had experienced an extremely dry growing season - even for Sicily!

Exceptionally food friendly, try with; charcuterie, mezze, pizza, sausages, pizza and tomato pasta, roasted
veggies.

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Lagrein Riserva, Mezzacorona, Trentino, 2022                £17.90
A rich, deeply coloured red with ripe blackberry and plum flavours, floral hints and a touch of spice.
Rounded and velvety, with soft tannins, gentle oak and a fresh, lingering finish. ABV: 13%.

Grown along the Adige Valley in Trentino, surrounded by the Dolomites, Lagrein is a native grape
cultivated here since the 15th century. Ageing in lightly toasted, older French oak barrels softens the wine
and adds subtle complexity.

Try eating with; charcuterie, most chicken/ pork dishes, mushroom e.g. risotto, and tomato based pasta.

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Muri, Negroamaro, Vigneti del Salento, Puglia, 2025            £15.25
Ruby red with purple hues. Intense flavourrs of blackberries and blackcurrants. Full bodied and velvety
soft, with good balance and savoury notes on the finish. ABV: 14%

80% of the grapes come from old bush vines and the rest from trained vines that are at least 20 years old,
giving great flavour intensity. The wine is aged in used American and French oak for 5-6 months before
bottling to soften the tannins and add texture

Pairs well with; most red meats, and hearty veggie dishes

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Mandrarossa ‘Serapias’ Passito di Pantelleria, Zibibbo, Sicily, 2022 (50 cl bottle) £42.00
Rich and luscious, with aromas of orange peel, jasmine and roses, followed by dried apricot and raisin
flavours. Rounded and sweet, with a lovely freshness balancing the richness and a long, lingering finish.
ABV: 14%

Grown on Pantelleria’s volcanic, sandy soils, with vines trained as traditional low bushes. Some grapes are
dried for 20–22 days, concentrating their sugars and flavours, before being added to the fermenting juice of
freshly picked grapes.

Delicious with; almond and ricotta desserts especially, and strong cheeses
   
Thanks also to David Flanders, assisted by Sue Rossell, for providing the half-time buffet