Sicily, the land of Bacchus

Sicily is a region that needs no introduction. The charming island, praised in many poems and novels, is the land of great and renowed Italian wines.

The island was one of the first inhabited areas of Italy and it comes as no surprise that viticulture here is a practice that dates back to ancient times.

From the Siculians, who introduced agriculture in the 3rd millennium B.C., to the Phoenicians, the Greeks and the Romans, this land has been the cradle of vine cultivation and wine production.

Located in the centre of important commercial routes in the Mediterranean sea, and blessed by a favorable climate and a rich volcanic soil, the wines produced in Sicily were exported everywhere by the ancient population, and played an important role in the development of Greek and Roman civilizations.

Today the grape varieties used in viticulture are a combination of native varieties (historically cultivated on the island) and international types. The later ones, thanks to the ideal climate and terroir in Sicily, have particular and special characteristics.

Regarding certifications, Sicily has 1 DOCG but 23 DOC wines (last update March 2012), a very impressive achievement.

Main vine variety and wines of Sicily

Used either “in purezza” (single grape variety wines), or blended they have been on the island  for centuries, while others are more recent imports.

Red Grapes

Frappato and Nero D’Avola are two autochtonous grapes used for Cerasuolo di Vittoria, the only wine in the island that has a DOCG recognition. It is produced mainly in the province of Ragusa, in a relatively vast wine area of more than 124.500 hectares (307.646 acres).

Nero d’Avola, referring to the town in Sicily where it was first identified,  is also used as a single grape variety to produce the famous Nero D’Avola wine, known for its typical characteristics: a full-bodied and velvety wine with a rich bouquet of blackcurrant, blackberry, blueberry, black pepper, and clove.

The indigenous varieties of Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Mantellato, cultivated on the fertile volcanic slopes of Etna make the blend of Etna Rosso wine.

International varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Nero are also widely cultivated. In particular, the climate and the soil in Sicily are especially suited for Syrah, a variety that is known to produce elegant wines with intense bouquet of red berries, black pepper and cinnamon.

White Grapes

Along with the international varieties like Pinot Bianco, Sauvignon and Chardonnay, many indigenous grapes are cultivated to make both dry and dessert wines.

Grillo, Inzolia, Grecanico varieties are in the blend of the excellent Bianco D’Alcamo wine, but they are also produced “in purezza”. The same grapes Grillo and Inzolia together with Damaschino make the blend of probably one of the most famous Italian dessert wine: Marsala.

Zibibbo grape, dried in the sun to increase the sugar concentration, is used for the well-known Passito di Pantelleria, Sicily’s southernmost island while the aromatic Moscato Bianco for the sweet Moscato di Noto. Another notable dessert wine is Malvasia delle Lipari, produced in the volcanic archipelago of the  Aeolian Island with a blend of Malvasia and Corinto Nero.

Cheers!

Do you know of other wines from Sicily? Which is your favorite? Let us know in the comments below. 

A special thank to Francesca Barbieri a.k.a. www.fraintesa.it for the beautiful original photos taken at Aeolian Islands.

Author’s Bio: This article was written by Alessandra from DiscoveringUmbria. You can also connect with her on Twitter at @discoverumbria.