Monday is upon us and I have a case of the Monday Blues. Luckily, I have memories of the weekend to help me get by. The weather was absolutely gorgeous, so I soaked up as much of it as I could – especially in the garden with some 2015 Cusumano Shamaris Grillo.

Cusumano Winery is spearheaded by two brothers who run the operations closely with their father, Francesco Cusumano, and craft the wines with winemaker Mario Ronco. The wines are all estate grown and the family owns and operates more than 1,000 acres of vineyards located in different areas around Sicily.

Grillo (gree-lo even though I want to do the “y” sound) was once used exclusively in Marsala production. Plantings declined in the 1960s, when producers opted for more vigorous varieties, and Grillo was on its way out. Luckily, in 1990, legendary Marsala producer Marco de Bartoli decided to vinify Grillo on its own as a dry white wine (thanks, Marco!).

This wine is 100% Grillo and the grapes were harvested manually within the first half of September. The wine had a really pretty color – kind of like a medium gold. The nose was strong and floral with honey suckle, herbs, and minerals. On the palate, I noticed lemon, grapefruit, apple, minerality. It was bold and had nice acidity. So far, one of my favorite Grillos. I paired it with lounging in the yard and watching at my friend Izzy the Iguana munch on a plant. You can find it online for under $20.

Izzy the iguana