September 2025 Wine Club
Here Comes Harvest Season
Across Vermont, grapes are beginning to be clipped from the vines. This is it guys, the dawn of fall is upon us! September in Vermont is pure magic, but I don’t have to tell you that. The goldenrod turns the hillsides into a rolling sunset, evenings get cooler, and the volume of life starts to turn down as we slip back into a familiar rhythm after the wild pace of summer. It feels like balance returning, and that’s exactly what this month’s wines bring to the table.
In Sicily, the team at Caruso & Minini is actually hand-harvesting right now—carefully selecting clusters of Frappato, Nerello Mascalese, and Inzolia to become the very wines in this month’s club. These wines come from the “Eclectics” line, together, they’re like fall’s first playlist: comforting, dynamic, and just what you want to press repeat on.
1) Caruso & Minini “Frappello,” Terre Siciliane, Italy
Wine: Red // Grapes: Frappato & Nerello Mascalese // Club: Vin de Soif & Cork Dork
About the Producer: Caruso & Minini is a family-run winery in Sicily’s Marsala hinterland, where tradition and modernity meet in the best way. The Caruso family has farmed these hills for generations, and when they partnered with the Minini family, they brought together deep local knowledge and a fresh, international outlook. Their “Eclectics” line, which all three of this month’s wines come from, is playful and approachable—bottles that highlight Sicily’s native grapes in a way that feels both rooted in place and refreshingly contemporary. Organic farming, careful hand harvesting, and minimal intervention in the cellar keep the focus on balance, freshness, and pure Sicilian character.
About the Wine: Hand-harvested in September, Frappello brings together two classic Sicilian grapes: Frappato for brightness, Nerello Mascalese for depth. After a long maceration and fermentation, it’s aged partly in steel and partly in small barriques, giving it both freshness and polish. In the glass, it’s ruby red with notes of wild berries, subtle spice, and a touch of minerality. Rounded tannins and a long finish make it versatile at the table, so it plays as nicely with grilled fish as it does with adult lunchables (aka charcuterie.)
“For four generations we have cared for the vineyard, our wines tell a story that reflects the symbiotic relationship between nature and the winemaker.”
2) Caruso & Minini “Frappo” Rosé, Terre Siciliane, Italy
Wine: Rosé // Grapes: Frappato // Club: Vin de Soif & Cork Dork
About the Wine: This rosé is a refreshing celebration of harvest itself, Frappato grapes picked by hand in early September, given just 8 hours of cool maceration to pull out that delicate blush of color. Fermented and aged in steel, it’s crisp and lively, with red fruit aromatics and a floral afterthought. Strawberries, cherries, and a subtle acid line keep it bright and light. It’s the perfect “shoulder-season” rosé—easy and joyful but with enough structure to carry into fall.
“We believe in the strength of human relationships, perfect witnesses to the marriage of food and wine.”
3) Caruso & Minini “Zolì” Inzolia, Terre Siciliane, Italy
Wine: White // Grapes: Inzolia // Club: Cork Dork ONLY
About the Wine: Inzolia is a typical Sicilian vine, and Caruso & Minini treat it with the care it deserves. The grapes are also hand-harvested, then given a brief cryomaceration at cool temperatures before fermentation. Four months on the lees in steel tanks add texture while keeping the wine clean and crisp. Zolì pours a pale straw yellow, with aromas of white-fleshed fruit, Mediterranean herbs, and a faint saline edge. Bright, aromatic, and easy to drink, it’s a reminder that white wines can be just as grounding as reds when the season shifts.
