Discovering Liquid Gold from Sardinia and Sicily at Chicago’s Coda di Volpe

When I visited Coda di Volpe for the first time, I was part of a media group who had been given a mission to taste an array of pizza with several Sicilian wines. My impressions were positive – the restaurant was cozy and relaxing, the exceptional menu focused on flavorful Southern Italian dishes and the service was friendly and responsive to our every need. I looked forward to a return visit.

Located in Chicago’s Lakeview area, this neighborhood gem has been delighting wine and food lovers since 2016. Their menu is rife with regional starters, pizzas, pastas, seafood, cheeses and salumi and a wine list that laser-beams on highly intriguing choices from Southern Italy. Now, there’s even more to experience at Coda di Volpe and I did just that. Sommelier Nancy Shapardanis has introduced two fascinating wines to bookend a meal: Atzori Vernaccia di Oristano from Sardinia and Marco de Bartoli Marsala from Sicily.

Nancy’s passion about Southern Italy is inspiring and I was ready to hop on the first flight to Cagliari or Palermo after spending a couple of hours chatting, tasting and learning. She made it clear that everyone at Coda di Volpe are “committed to Southern Italy wines and small wineries that employ biodynamic and organic techniques.” The extensive wine list is arranged by region and includes a map of each so that guests understand from where their wine is produced. Nancy continually trains the staff with regards to the specifics of the wines so that they are able to “enhance the guest experience.” In essence, she admitted, “enjoying a glass of wine that you may not find anywhere else is cheaper than a plane ticket.” I have to agree. That rainy day at Coda di Volpe, my palate was truly enticed and the dollars in my wallet remained intact!

Vernaccia di Oristano, a grape exclusive to Sardinia (and often mistaken for Vernaccia di San Gimignano), is used in a complex fortified wine commonly referred to as “Sardinian Sherry”. Cultivated in Oristano, located on the central west coast of the island, styles can be dry and unfortified or fortified with a range of sweetness. Nancy explained that the wine develops flor from native yeasts, is aged in chestnut barrels until the flor dies, is blended with the same vintage grapes then aged for ten years in a partially filled chestnut barrel for oxidation. No neutral grape spirits are added.

Our first pour of two selections that I learned “can’t be found anywhere else in Chicago” was Atzori Vernaccia di Oristano 2006, a wine that glowed gold with a touch of amber in the glass. Released every ten years, the intense aromas and flavors of walnuts, almonds, grass and salt were lifted with subtle acidity. Next, the distinctive Atzori Vernaccia di Oristano 1996 boasted rich, complex notes of leather, butterscotch, raw almonds and walnuts, all rounded out with a spike of acidity. Complementing the wines was a luscious board of salumi, olives, cheeses, and nuts yet Nancy offered other suggestions from the menu for pairing. The Wood-Grilled Octopus, Prince Edward mussels, Mortadella e Pistacchio Pizza (pistachio pesto, mozzarella di bufala, fresh basis, caciocavallo), Swordfish Piccata or Crispy-Skin Branzino seem just as sumptuous.

Coda di Volpe is now offering two high-quality, artisan versions of Marsala-style wine by Marco di Bartoli, the Sicilian producer responsible for “putting Marsala back on the map.” Marsala is a wine that can be dry or sweet and is produced around the city of Marsala in Sicily. The wine is fortified like Madeira, Port and Sherry and in many examples includes Catarratto, Grillo and Inzolia, indigenous varieties. Nancy shared that “there is no flor in Marsala. There’s a traditional pressing of the grapes, occasionally sweet and cooked grape must is aged in a unique style of solera system termed “in perpetuum” that raises the alcohol level and preserves the taste.”

Lest you think that the Marsala I tasted harkened memories of my mother’s cooking wine, think again – I tasted two amazing pours that had nothing to do with Marsala soaked pasta sauce simmering on the stove. The five-year-aged Marco di Bartoli “La Miccia”, of 100% Grillo grown organically and harvested by hand, was a glorious amber-gold color with concentrated aromas of orange fruit, vanilla, lemon and almonds leading to delectable flavors of herbs and dried fruits. Fermented in stainless steel tanks, the wine was aged in French oak and topped off on a regular basis (to prevent oxidation) for five years. A glass of the Marco di Bartoli “Vecchio Samperi”, aged for 22 years, was superb. I discovered intense notes of orange blossom, butter, leather, tangerine, ripe citrus, dried fruit, walnuts, almonds and caramel on both nose and palate. Produced using the solera system, this non-vintage Marsala was aged in chestnut casks.

Not too sweet, both wines were another luscious pairing with a selection of cheeses, salumi and nuts. However, Nancy suggested that an Endive, Apple and Walnut Salad, Butternut Squash Gnocchi or Pheasant Agnolotti with maitake mushrooms, sage brown butter, walnuts and grana padano chosen from the menu would be mouthwatering, too. She surprised me, though, with a brilliantly creative pairing: a scoop of butter pecan gelato exuding a rich, not-too-sweet, nutty, creamy profile that was in Sicilian harmony with each sip of the Marco di Bartoli “Vecchio Samperi”. Accolades all around for this!

Cocktails anyone? The Marsala Cobbler, otherwise known as “Stella Cadente”, is Nancy’s riff on the popular Sherry Cobbler and is perfect as a nightcap, with dessert or on its own. This “boozy apple pie” claims all the nuttiness as sherry but with spiced pear liqueur and lemon over crushed ice, its unique qualities pair with anyone who desires a refreshing cocktail with the “warmth and brightness of a fallen (or shooting) star”. What a magnificent way to end our chat.

Nancy Shapardanis is devoted to supporting the islands of Italy. Guests can start their meal with the Vernaccia di Oristano, choose a mainland wine for their entrée and finish with Marsala.  Not everyone wants to take their Southern Italian adventure in a glass, but for those who do, Coda di Volpe has a ticket waiting for you.

Cheers! ~ Cindy