La pasión siciliana de Valentina Rizzi

Valentina Rizzi is the woman behind the surprising cocktails and pairings offered at chef Viviana Varese's restaurants on the island of Sicily. At Varese's restaurant in the W Villadorata Country, as well as at VIVA IL BISTROT, both in the baroque town of Noto, Rizzi has captured the essence of Sicily in her drinks and pairings, reflecting the chef's deep love for this volcanic and passionate Mediterranean island.

Valentina has been close to the world of wine since she was young, as her grandfather enjoys making a few bottles from a small vineyard he owns in the hills of Parma. But it was during her time in the French Languedoc region that she truly discovered everything the world of beverages had to offer. “It was a unique experience. Getting involved in wine production was something indescribable” the sommelier recalls, while confessing that “the real surprise was discovering the non-alcoholic beverage produced from the juice of the same grapes through a similar but dealcoholized process. A product with fresh, fruity, and floral flavors that I could have continued drinking indefinitely.”

This discovery spurred the young sommelier to explore a new path beyond her knowledge of classical oenology and viticulture. She pursued this new interest with the help of her mentor, Viviana Varese, who entrusted her with the cocktail program at her Michelin-starred restaurant. “Viviana was the one who gave me the real push to start studying alternative methods using the same raw materials” acknowledges Valentina Rizzi.

With the Italian chef's move to Sicily, Rizzi embarks on a new learning journey through the liquid exploration of a territory that offers her countless possibilities. “Sicily is a very special island, rich in raw materials with intense, direct, and decisive aromas and flavors. With these, you can create unique combinations. For example, the lemons that grow in the citrus grove behind the restaurant can be used in different ways. We can use their fresh juice as the base for a reinterpretation of a Gin Fizz, and the peel, vacuum-sealed with sugar, releases a completely natural essential oil, which can be used both in cooking and as a final touch to a cocktail” explains this passionate lover of the liquid world. For Rizzi, Sicily has been a new starting point since “all the drinks created at Villadorata aim to explore Sicily” with all that this implies in terms of understanding the environment. A task that Valentina undertakes with pleasure. “Sicily, with its beauty, is a constant source of inspiration” she confesses.

In particular, Varese's beverage director is delighted to have deepened her knowledge of wild thyme, which "on the island is commonly called 'satarieddu' and has such an intense aroma that it's hard to forget." With a pleasant, slightly spicy flavor, "variable and versatile," according to Rizzi, it can be used in both cooking and cocktails. It's an ingredient that inevitably evokes the Mediterranean essence of the island, which isn't a single entity, but rather several regions. Hence its richness, because, as Valentina explains, "the beauty of this land lies in the fact that it's a region with many other small regions within it, and each one offers 'new' raw materials. The product grown in Marsala isn't the same as the one grown in Noto. That's why, for me, reflecting Sicily in my creations means doing so in every aspect."

To reflect an essence and a pantry that is unique not only for its extensive variety but also for an environment that lends special characteristics to its products. Let's not forget that Sicily beats under the watchful gaze of a volcano, Mount Etna. The volcanic soils, as we at Worldcanic have known since the first edition, impart unique qualities to the crops that grow there. Valentina Rizzi confirms this: “The fruit that comes from the volcanic soils of Mount Etna has very different aromas and flavors than that grown, for example, near the sea. One example is the Mela dell'Etna; its tree produces small, very sweet and fragrant green or red fruits. It's an apple with refreshing properties, quenching thirst and also having diuretic properties. Apple cultivation is favored by the favorable climate of the volcano's slopes due to the high altitude of the orchards, between 1100 and 1300 meters. The higher you climb towards the volcano, the more the fruit's characteristics improve: its color, flavor, aroma, and pulp consistency. The juices obtained in this way have unique aromas that transform the drink, giving it unique flavors and fragrances that only the raw materials from this area can provide.”

It is with all of this, the Mediterranean essence, the volcanic uniqueness, and the Sicilian character, that Valentina Rizzi manages to create unique drinks, like her favorite: the 'Wild Thyme'. “A drink made with our own gin. Citrusy, fresh, balsamic, and with a salty touch at the end, mixed with a homemade wild thyme syrup and fresh lemon juice, finished with a splash of soda, fresh lemon zest, and fresh thyme.” A cocktail that perfectly encapsulates Rizzi's relationship with Sicily, just as 'La Bocca del Vulcano' illustrates the island's explosive history. “Made with natural bitters, Etna cherry liqueur, Gin Viva, and Donfendere '100 e Lode' chocolate chips. A drink with a strong yet delicate finish, with fruity and dark chocolate notes, representing the power of the volcano and the delicacy of its landscape surrounded by orchards, vineyards, and flowers” Valentina tells us.

The magic of Sicilian wine

But all their work in mixology doesn't overlook the incredible possibilities that the island's wine world offers for pairing with the gastronomic creations of Viviana Varese and her team in Sicily, chefs Matteo Carnaghi and Ida Brenna. Here, once again, the sublime Mount Etna takes center stage, a giant of lava and fire under which, it is said, Hephaestus forged Zeus's own lightning bolts, endowing them with their unique character. Just like the unique character of Sicilian volcanic wines.

The Etna wine region, with its 23,000 hectares of designated DOC area, lies on the slopes of the volcano. Here, sometimes thick layers of basaltic lava are interspersed with lava flows resulting from the explosive phase of eruptions. The soil structure in these deposits has a different inorganic skeleton than that of soils formed by the weathering of the lava. This results in Etna's soil being extremely variable, both in age and composition. And it is thanks to this diverse composition that the wines produced in the different vineyards exhibit characteristics specific to each area. This, according to the sommelier, is the main attraction of Sicilian wines.

“Wines born in the Sicilian region embody the unique characteristics of each area. The beauty of this land, from an oenological perspective, lies precisely in its diversity. In Marsala, we find Grillo with a variegated bouquet that, along with the expressive tension between acidity and typical sweetness, makes Grillo one of the most interesting white wines on the current Sicilian wine scene. Vinified with purity, it produces wines of great depth, flavorful, fragrant, fresh, and potentially long-lived. If we move to Mount Etna, we find Grillo that, thanks to the hilly climate with its greater temperature variations compared to the coastal area, contributes a richer and more intense aromatic profile to these grapes; one that plays with floral and citrus notes almost reminiscent of the fruits that grow on Etna” Valentina explains.

Rizzi aims to capture this entire variety in the wine list, always striving to go a step further. This year, the sommelier is focusing "on wines with a story to tell, wines from small producers, wines with character. From natural wines to orange wines, to those fermented in amphorae. My motto is to showcase all the beauty this region has to offer, never overshadowing the raw ingredients used in the kitchen, but rather enhancing their preparation and care," summarizes the liquid partner of Viviana Varese, with whom the chef's island gastronomic experience is enriched.