Sicilian Wine for Beginners
Sicily, the largest Mediterranean island, was once a central meeting point for ancient civilizations and has now become one of Europe’s most vibrant wine regions.
Officially part of Italy, the island’s diverse landscape offers a wealth of wine-growing areas that resemble a country in their own right.
Discover the fascinating history, distinctive grape varieties and wine regions of this sunny island.
The History of Sicilian Wine
Over the millennia, different cultures such as Greeks, Phoenicians, Arabs and Italians have left their mark on Sicily. Winemaking began on the island as early as 4000 BC, although the Greeks later introduced advanced techniques. Sicily’s dry, warm climate with plenty of sunshine and moderate rainfall provides ideal conditions for growing wine. The low humidity also reduces the risk of fungal diseases, especially in regions that benefit from cooling coastal winds. These conditions make Sicily a pioneer in organic viticulture. In addition to wine, olives, citrus fruits and grains are also grown successfully.
Historically, however, the island was known for bulk wines, as many farmers relied on high yields. These wines were exported to enhance thinner European wines, or sent to Asia as concentrated must to sweeten food. Regions such as Marsala nevertheless helped Sicilian wine to gain international fame. Since the 1980s, an increased interest in quality led to improvements in cultivation and production, so that Sicily now produces some of Italy’s most exciting wines.
Sicily has 24 D.O., Denominazioni di Origine: 23 DOC, Denominazioni di Origine Controllata (DOC) and one DOCG, Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita. Sicilia DOC is a broad, island-wide appellation. It launched in 2011 by a large consortium of wine producers who promoted the Sicilia IGT to a DOC.
DOC e DOCG
- Alcamo
- Cerasuolo di Vittoria (DOCG)
- Contea di Sclafani
- Contessa Entellina
- Delia Nivolelli
- Eloro
- Etna
- Faro
- Malvasia delle Lipari
- Marsala
- Menfi
- Monreale
- Noto
- Siracusa
- Pantelleria
- Santa Margherita di Belice
- Sambuca di Sicilia
- Sciacca
- Riesi
- Mamertino
- Erice
- Salaparuta
- Vittoria
- Sicilia (whole island)
IGT/IGP
- Avola
- Camarro
- Fontanarossa di Cerda
- Salemi
- Salina
- Terre Siciliane
- Valle del Belice
Source & Map: www.politicheagricole.it
Sicily’s most important grape varieties
Like many other Italian wine regions, Sicily preserves its traditional grape varieties, although international grapes are also grown.
However, the island’s most distinctive wines come from native varieties.
The three main red grape varieties are Nero d’Avola, Frappato and Nerello Mascalese:
Nero d’Avola is the best known and most widely grown red grape variety in Sicily. This grape produces wines with intense color, rich flavor and moderate structure.
Its aromas range from dark fruit to spicy notes. The style varies from straightforward to complex, with the more sophisticated varieties requiring ageing time. Nero d’Avola is the main ingredient in Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG, a major appellation in the south, where it is often paired with Frappato.
Frappato is often blended but can also be bottled as a single variety. Known for its floral scent, it produces light, approachable wines with gentle tannins that are very popular with sommeliers.
Nerello Mascalese thrives in the volcanic soils of Etna and is often blended with the spicy Nerello Cappuccio grape.
This elegant red wine has gained a loyal following and is in no way inferior to Nero d’Avola in quality.
Catarratto dominates the white varieties. Although this grape is often used for the mass market, it can also produce tasty, dry wines.
Grillo and Inzolia play an important role in Marsala production, with Grillo also popular as a single-varietal, fresh white wine with notes of white peach.
On Etna, Carricante is the central white grape variety and forms the basis for Etna Bianco, a lively white wine with tangy acidity.
Among the international varieties, Chardonnay, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon are particularly successful.
The new style of Zibibbo from the west of the island (Marsala, Trapani) is a Sicilian equivalent to the Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand with a somewhat softer mediterranean touch
The most important wine regions in Sicily
Sicily has 23 Denominazioni di Origine (DOC) and one DOCG, with the most important grape varieties represented in all regions. The wine-growing areas can be divided into four geographical zones, supplemented by the broader categories Terre Siciliane IGT and Sicilia DOC.
Sicilia DOC is an island-wide appellation created in 2011 to promote Sicily’s wines internationally. It includes both native grape varieties such as Grillo, Nero d’Avola and Frappato, as well as international varieties such as Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon.
As a marketing tool, it strengthens the presence of Sicilian wines abroad. At the same time, the wines are subject to strict quality guidelines to ensure the high standard of the DOC.