The Vine Island

Sicilian vineyards are divided into three great sectors: the west side with the renowned Marsala wines in the surroundings of Trapani, the north-east side with the wine from Etna slopes, the south-east side with the productions from the surroundings of Ragusa.

Every sector offers the ideal habitat for the vines which it supports, giving high quality wines. Given that the variety of soils fits perfectly with the warm and windy weather in Sicily, it is easy to understand why the island is the most fertile in Italy and has the higher potentiality of development.

Sicily is proud of its 22 DOC (Denomination for Controlled Origin) varietals of wine and of the DOCG (Denomination for Controlled and Guaranteed Origin) Cerasuolo di Vittoria. The most diffused white varieties of cultivars on the island are the traditional ones, listed as follows: the Cataratto Bianco variety is the main component of many white varietals as the Alcamo and the Marsala, for example; Ansonica or Inzolfa, blended with Cataratto, Grecanico and Grillo, gives the Marsala; a minor cultivar is the Perticone, or Pignatello.

The Malvasia delle Lipari is typical from the Aeolian islands and it is a component of the wines Passiti (made from grapes partially fermented in the sun) as the Zibibbo (Muscat of Alexandria), produced by some distinguished wineries on the island of Pantelleria, and the fine Moscato Bianco, from Syracuse and Noto.

The king of the red grape variety is  Nero d’Avola, pure or mixed with other varieties, as the Frappato, a Sicilian cultivar, or the imported Cabernet Sauvignon.
But Sicily is renowned for a large numbers of red varieties, as the Nerello Mascalese (with the versions Nerello Cappuccino and Nocera), which is from the province of Messina and the area surrounding the Etna, the main component of DOC Etna wines.

Last but not least the Frappato di Vittoria is the main production in the south east side of Sicily. The origins are not clear: someone says that it comes from Spain, others that it is local. It is the main component of the DOC wine “del Cerasuolo”. As for the cultivars which have been recently imported, as Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, they have given outstanding wines thanks to the sun, which has revealed their hidden qualities.

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