Location:
Where is Sicily?
You may already know that Italy, famous for its wine and pasta, has the shape of a boot. If you look at a map of Italy and extend your gaze southward, you’ll see the island of Sicily. It is located just off the “toe” of the Italian “boot.” The island is separated from the mainland by the Strait of Messina, which is only three kilometres wide at its narrowest point.
Wine history:
Wine has been produced on the huge island of Sicily for at least four thousand years. Much like the rest of Italy, Sicilian wine history is long and complex. The ancient Greeks (750 BC), Etruscans (550 BC) and Phoenicians (500 BC) all cultivated grapes in Sicily before the Greeks founded a colony which became known as Agrigento in 580 BC.
The Greek settlers made a big contribution to wine production in Sicily, with their technology and viticultural practices having a major impact on wine production across the island. By 200BC Sicilian wines were described by Roman writers as excellent, so much so that they were exported across the Mediterranean. Following the decline of Rome and fall of the Roman Empire, Sicilian wine production declined into relative obscurity until 800AD when Christian monks began cultivating grapes again following their arrival from France.
Main grape varieties:
Recently, we learned that there’s a wine region in Sicily. It’s called Caltanissetta and it’s famous for its Frappato, a varietal that was discovered in the 1970s. Of course, this is all quite new to us, since we don’t know much about wine from Italy. I wonder if you know anything about it?
Appellations (DOC and DOCG):
The DOCs in Sicily are:
- Cerasuolo di Vittoria, a rich blend of 50% Nero d’Avola and 50% Frappato.
- COS Pithos Bianco, a white wine fermented with extended skin contact, designed to be aged for several years.
- Planeta La Segreta Rosso, a blend of Nero d’Avola and Cabernet Sauvignon.
There are only two DOCGs in Sicily—the sweet fortified wines Marsala and Moscato di Pantelleria.
Famous wines:
Why Sicily? Sicily is known for its sweet wines, its red wines and Marsala. We could go further into the different kinds of wine there are, but we don’t have time to write a complete article on it. However, you should take note of the following:
- Nero d’Avola: This is your basic table wine that you can find in any city grocery store. It’s a sweet wine made from ripe red fruit (usually mulberries) that gives it an earthy taste. You can taste it in just about all Italian wines with similar profile you purchase at your local grocery store.
- Grillo: A strong and brawny wine that has a woodsy flavor of cherry and almond mixed with cloves and spice from wild herbs growing around Etna mountains (which are located near Etna). You’ll drink this alone or with meat dishes; Don’t add anything else to it because it’s too intense by itself.
- Cerasuolo di Vittoria: A white wine that tastes very much like pear, honey and almonds and is made from grapes grown in the area surrounding Mount Etna volcano. It tastes great paired with seafood, pasta dishes or even desserts like creme brulee!
Sicily is a fascinating place to visit for wine lovers, with a viticultural history dating back thousands of years.
As the largest island in the Mediterranean, Sicily is a fascinating place to visit for wine lovers. Not only does it boast a proud viticultural history dating back thousands of years, but it also offers some of the best wines you can find anywhere in Italy.