Experience Tuscany

Napoleon during his exile on Elba Island used to love this wine very much. Aleatico is bound to the wine-making tradition of Elba, which has always been among the most important activities of the island.
Aleatico is a sweet wine made with very ripe, dry grapes. It is a meditation wine. The grapes used to make it are left to dry in the open air after being carefully selected. The result is an intense ruby-red wine with a very intense, unmistakably fruity aroma.
Aleatico is the ideal dessert wine to accompany your chat after a nice Tuscan meal. If you want to try it with the after meal pecorino cheese, do so with a hint of bitter honey (chestnut-flower honey is quite so), or with a dry pastry.
The origins of Aleatico of Elba Island have deep roots. The first traces date back to the time of Greek invasions and Roman times. Greeks invaders are thought to be those who introduced the usage of this kind of grapes on the island for wine making purposes.
This wine has a sweet but intense taste, so intriguing that even Napoleon was fascinated by it. The story goes telling of Napoleon meditating in solitude with a bottle of Aleatico of Elba during his exile on the island, and that once free away from the island and back in France he would recount the virtues of this sweet wine.
The Aleatico grape supposedly is a mutation of a muscat grape, the Muscat Blanc with small grapes. It boasts a rich selection of fruity flavors, from lichee fruit to roses and ripe blackberries. The young Aleatico is excellent, but a must-try is the aged version, which can be from ten to 20 years old. The aged version is best paired with blue or gorgonzola cheese, walnuts and sweet fruits.

For fresh posts directly in your email you can subscribe to Experience Tuscany in a second by clicking here.

Users that read this article also found the following interesting:

Elba Island – Internet Access

Elba Island – a Mediterranean wave lullaby

Elba Island Tuscany

Elba Island Ferries 2010: Schedule and Prices