AN IMPERIAL TOAST: THE RETURN OF MAMERTINO, JULIUS CAESAR’S FAVORITE WINE! THE PLANETA WINERY, SYMBOL OF SICILIAN WINE, RE-DISCOVERED AND RECOVERED IT, IN AN “ARCHEO-ENOLOGY” ADVENTURE IN CAPO MILAZZO (MESSINA)

Imagine being able to smell the aromas and taste the flavors of the wine that the Roman Emperor Julius Caesar drank, a century before Christ was born. Imagination may soon turn into reality. The Planeta winery, symbol of Sicilian wines, is continuing its enological journey of the island and after having already recovered Sambuca, Memphis, Noto, and Castiglione di Sicilia, is now attempting to recover the Mamertino nectar. According to historical sources, it was the flagship wine of Sicily during the Roman period, along with Taormina, (which is perhaps the same name).
The area that will host this adventure of “archeo - enology” is Cape Milazzo (Messina), a promontory, almost a peninsula, which separates Sicily from the north, beyond the Aeolian Island wines, the northernmost point of the island for vineyards.
Mamertino - the name probably stems from Mars - is the wine of the warriors and is so-called because of its particular characteristics. Strabo and Martial tell us of how the Mamertino rivaled the four best Italian wines and Julius Caesar (considered the top authority on vines, because he believed they were the way to keep men working the land as well as an excellent military defense, as the wine farmers bitterly opposed invaders to safeguard their vineyards) chose it to celebrate the feast for his third consulate, along with Falerno. The scene of this adventure is quite unique: the Barony of Cape Milazzo, a plateau of about 30 hectares suspended over the sea owned by the Lucifer Foundation, with nearly 9 hectares of vineyards (which Planeta has leased, ed), and the rest covered with antique olive groves which, however, have been in a state of abandonment for years.

The project of recovering and revitalizing Mamertino also seeks to protect the vineyards in the area. In collaboration with Professor Attilio Scienza, among the top experts in the world on vineyards, Planeta will trace back the history of this wine to attempt to reproduce the bottle of wine that Julius Caesar enjoyed so much. The first suggestions are that it is a red wine from vines grown by the sea, based on the great indigenous grapes in the north of Sicily.
“It will be, as always for Planeta, an enormous amount of work (the first harvest is expected in 5 years) along with passionate and exciting research,” says the Sicilian winery, “certainly neither easy nor quick. We believe and hope - just as today when we look back to other areas in Sicily where we have produced wines that are now a tangible reality - to be able to say one day: it was worth it.”