, , , ,

w/o Organic Grillo Spumante

Posted by

From Sicily comes a new project from winemaker Dino Taschetta: w/o – meaning a wine made without compromise. This sparkling wine is made from the indigenous Grillo grape believed to be a cross between Cataratto and Zibibbo (Muscat of Alexandria). Grillo is a versatile grape capable of producing both still and sparkling wines. In this case, it’s been used to create a sparkling wine made using the Charmat method, the same process used for Prosecco.

The 2023 vintage sits at a relatively light 11% ABV and is bottled in a UK first, 100% recycled ‘wild’ glass, giving it a sustainable edge. It’s sealed with a nude cork, and the wine is organic, vegan and is low intervention.

Unusually, I found this wine showed best when served cold, straight from the fridge. It has a subtle green tint and small, plentiful bubbles that give it a lively, refreshing character. Though labelled ‘Extra Dry’, this actually means slightly sweet, a strange and confusing quirk of sparkling wine labelling.

Aromas of apple and citrus rise from the glass, while on the taste it brings flavours of jasmine, lime and sherbet, the sherbet note coming through clearly thanks to the effervescence and vibrant acidity. Unlike Prosecco, which leans more towards pear notes, it offers a floral lift, with a touch of apricot emerging when tasted on the sides of the tongue. It’s got a long, lingering finish, much more persistent than your average Prosecco and overall feels like a clear step up in both complexity and character. The flavours hold up brilliantly even when very cold, making it refreshing. Its greater intensity and body also mean it pairs well with food, try it with pizza, spaghetti al pomodoro or classic Sicilian arancini.

When allowed to warm slightly in the glass, after about 20 minutes, it reveals more sweetness and a delicate hint of almond, though I personally prefer it served very cool. Still, if you’re after sweetness, serving it a little warmer does the trick.

Available from Laithwaites for £11.49, it’s a vibrant, sustainable and different take on sparkling wine.

Follow

Did You Know?

In 2024, the UK was the second-largest export market for Champagne globally, after the United States. More

Local UK bottling of wine which represents about 40% of imported wine. More

Around 1% of people, typically severe asthmatics, have a sulphite sensitivity. More

A large 80% of Australian wine arrives in the UK in bulk. More

Only about 0.02% of Australia’s landmass is dedicated to vineyards. More

In 2024, New Zealand produced only 1% of the World’s wine. More

In 2024, the US imported 37% of World production of Pinot Grigio and the UK was is in second place at 27%. More

In 2024, the UK was South Africa’s largest export market, with 40% of total exports. More

In 2024, the United Kingdom imported 22.3 million bottles of Champagne, a decline of 12.7% compared to the previous year. More

Larger Champagne producers source grapes from as many as 80 different vineyards throughout Champagne. More

Champagne houses and growers collectively produce around 300 million bottles annually. More

In 2025, the Champagne region was home to about 2,124 Champagne houses and approximately 19,000 growers. More

Provence is one of the leaders in the conversion to organic viticulture, with 61% of vineyards certified. More

8% of the South Africa’s grape production is Fairtrade-certified. More

Up to 80% of wine aroma compounds come from grape skins. More

Glycerol is the third-largest component of most dry wines after water and alcohol which is why they so often feel ‘smooth’ or ‘silky’ in the mouth. More

Humans are more than 400 times more sensitive to bitter than sweet. More

Humans can detect the earthy molecule geosmin at about 100 parts per trillion and camels are so sensitive to it they can locate damp ground from roughly 50 miles away. More

During the phylloxera crisis of the nineteenth century, 90% of Europe’s vineyards were destroyed. More

In 2025, for La Vieille Ferme, also known as “The Chicken Wine”, sales surged by 49.4% to £110.8 million. More

In 2025, in the UK, Yellow Tail held the top position with sales, marking a 9.8% increase over the previous year. More

In 2024, the UK was the second-largest wine importer in volume and value. More

In 2024, the UK was the fifth-largest wine-consuming country globally. More

In 2025, global wine consumption continued its downward trend, estimated at 214.2 million hectolitres, the lowest since 1961. More

In 2025, online alcohol sales had a 20% increase in value over five years. More

In 2025, the number of UK vineyards rose to 1,104 and wineries to 238, with land under vine expanding to 4,841 hectares, a 510% increase since 2005. More

Moët Hennessy alone commands nearly 46.66% of the Champagne market, with the top three producers together holding about 61%, and the top five controlling over 72%. More

In 2024, the Champagne market was worth roughly €3.92 billion. More

In the marketing year 2023/24, white wine accounted for roughly 55% of Spain’s output, whereas red and rosé together made up about 45%. More

In the UK, 92% of wine is consumed within 48hrs of purchase. More

The majority of wines, 95%, use commercial rather than wild yeast. More

Between 0.5 and 10 litres of water, per litre of wine, are needed for cleaning during winemaking. More

Machine harvesting can achieve up to 100 tons of fruit per day vs 1 ton for a human. More

In Germany, 2025 was the smallest wine vintage since 2010. More

The majority of vineyards, 90% in 2019, are farmed with heavy chemical interventions. Only 6% are organic. More

90% of low and coastal areas in south Europe and California will no longer be able to produce good wine by the end of the century. More