SICILIA DOC WINES
The Sicilia DOC consortium is the first organisation in the history of Sicily created to promote and preserve the island’s autochthonous grape varieties, share the history of the island’s wine with consumers and protect the reputation of the Sicilia brand.
Sicilia DOC aims to ensure Sicily’s complex wine heritage continues, by promoting the region as a whole and focusing on improving the established quality standards, including the reduction of maximum yields in vineyards and conservation of the island’s historic areas.
Sicilia DOC includes both small and large wineries dedicated to the production of wonderful red and white Sicilian wines with close ties to their area of origin. A Sicilia DOC wine offers guaranteed quality, not to mention deep respect for the island’s ancient winemaking traditions. Only Sicily’s best wines are Sicilia DOC.
“Sicilia DOC wines are made with the utmost respect for nature in terms of sustainability and the wide variety of grapes makes it easier to pair these wines with all types of culinary traditions”
Antonio Rallo, Chairman of Sicilia DOC
LEARN ABOUT OUR GRAPES
Nero d’Avola
Quoted by Cupani (1696), the origin is still uncertain. It is linked to the ancient wines known with the name of “Calabresi di Augusta” and “Vini di Vittoria”. The name Calabrese presumably derives from two ancient Sicilian words “Calea” – “Aulisi”, grapes of Avola, linked to the place of original selection. The king of the Sicilian vine varieties is successfully cultivated in all the wine-growing areas of the Island, where it finds its highest qualitative expression. Vigorous plant, medium-large leaf, medium to large bunch, medium berries with blue-black pruinose peel. Medium maturity. The wines are distinguished according to the cultivation areas of the vine variety, are rich in personality, with a ruby red colour, high aromatic content with fruity, floral and spicy notes, excellent taste structure, tannic, full-bodied, balanced acidity and softness, harmonious in the complex. It is widespread throughout Sicily.
Nerello mascalese
It belongs to the historic group of “Nigrelli” vine varieties described by Sestini (1760) in his memoirs on the wines of Mascali County. Traditionally raised with the gobelet training system, it is the most widespread vine variety in the Etna area where it has been cultivated since a long time. Presumably it has links with the ancient wines of Etna celebrated by Homer and by the Latin historians. Medium vigorous plant, has a high change of varieties, medium-large leaf, medium bunch, medium-small berries with thick and consistent peel of blue-violet colour. Late maturity.
The wine is elegant and of great personality, with a tannic tendency, of ruby red colour with garnet reflections, the excellent structure and the good aromatic set make it suitable for maturing.
It is widespread in the provinces of Catania, Messina, Agrigento and Enna.
Frappato
Uncertain origins, it is described by Sestini (1760) in his memoirs on Vittoria’s wines, a place where it is still cultivated today. Present mainly in the province of Ragusa and Syracuse, Frappato is a on average vigorous plant with a large leaf and a medium to large bunch, berries with a pruinose, thick and leathery, blue-violet colour peel.
The grapes processed with a single-variety vinification give an excellent wine of ruby red colour not very strong and brilliant, high vinous, fruity and floral smells, medium bodied, balanced tannins, with a fresh and soft taste, very harmonious.
Nerello Cappuccio
Its name recalls the posture of the hair which, like a cape, remove the bunches from sight. It is a very old vine variety cultivated in association with other vine varieties mainly in the province of Catania and Messina. On average vigorous plant, medium-large leaf, medium bunch, spheroidal berry with pruinose peel of blue-black colour. Medium-late maturity. The wine has a fine ruby red colour, a vinous and fruity bouquet, a good taste structure, to be preferred as a ready-to-serve wine.
It is widespread in the provinces of Catania, Messina, Agrigento and Enna.
Perricone
Typical vine variety of western Sicily where it has been cultivated since ancient time. Vigorous plant, medium leaf, cylindrical or pyramidal bunch, medium berries with pruinose, thick and leathery peel of dark blue colour tending towards black. Medium maturity. Single variety vinification from a more or less intense ruby red wine, with a vinous smell, on average bodied, fairly tannic, harmonious overall, ready to serve.
Cultivated to a limited extent in the provinces of Palermo and Trapani; it is also present in the province of Agrigento and Messina.
Alicante or Grénache
Also called “Granaccio”, it was probably introduced into Sicily by the Frenchmen and the Britishmen in the 18th century. On average vigorous plant, medium leaf, medium, cylindrical-conical bunch, berries with a thick, pruinose peel of dark blue colour tending to violet. Late maturity.
It produces an excellent red-purple wine, with vinous and fruity smells, with a fine taste, not very full-bodied, balanced and harmonious, preferably ready-to-serve. It is widespread in the provinces of Catania and Messina.
Nocera
A grape very close to the Nerelli traditionally cultivated in the Messina area since ancient times. It is hypothesized that it is linked to the historical “Mamertinum” wines and to the “Zancle’s” wines celebrated by the ancient Latins. Very ancient families can be found in the vineyards of the province of Messina.
Medium vigorous plant, medium leaf and medium bunch, medium berries, with a thick peel of black-bluish colour. Medium maturity. The wine obtained from the pure grapes is of a deep ruby red colour with purple reflections, with good aromatic bouquet, full-bodied, rich in fixed acidity, alcohol and tannin.
It is widespread in the provinces of Messina, Catania and Syracuse.
Grillo
We have certain information about its cultivation in Sicily since the end of 1800. Recent studies have shown that Grillo is a vine variety produced by the cross between Catarratto and Zibibbo.
Vigorous plant, medium to large leaf, conical bunch, medium-large berries with thick, slightly pruinose green-yellow peel with orange-pink hues on exposed parts. Medium maturity. With its grapes excellent white wines ready or suitable for maturing are produced.
Its wine has a deep straw yellow colour, a good aromatic bouquet, with herbaceous, floral smells and with citrus notes, the flavour is sapid, with good acidity and balanced softness, excellent taste structure.
Il Grillo is mainly widespread in the territory of Trapani. It is also present in the provinces of Palermo and Agrigento.
Catarratto
Historical vine variety of the Etna area where it has been cultivated since ancient time. On average vigorous plant, medium to medium-large leaf, medium, conical or pyramidal, more or less elongated bunch, medium berries with green-yellow peel. Medium maturity. The grapes of Catarratto come into the composition of many Sicilian white wines.
The wine has a straw yellow colour tending to golden, an aromatic profile with slight fruity smells and floral notes, the taste is characterized by the important alcohol content and the good structure, neutral taste, on average acid and tendentially soft. Widely widespread throughout the island, its cultivation is particularly concentrated in the provinces of Trapani and Palermo.
Ansonica or Inzolia
It is one of the oldest variety of vine in Sicily. Quoted by Plinio with the name of Irziola. Widely spread throughout the island, it contributes to the production of many white wines. Locally, the grapes are also used for fresh consumption.
On average vigorous plant, medium-large leaf, medium-large, pyramidal or conical bunch, berries with thick and pruinose peel, characterised by a golden or amber yellow colour, crisp, sweet and semi-aromatic pulp. Medium maturity.
Inzolia by a single-variety vinification gives a fine straw-yellow wine with greenish reflections, characteristic aromas of the vine variety, the taste has a neutral taste, quite sapid, good alcohol content, balanced acidity and softness.
Grecanico dorato
We do not know the origins of this vine variety cultivated in Sicily for several centuries. Presumably it is the same grape that Cupani (1696) describes as a Sicilian grape called “Grecani”. Vigorous plant, medium leaf, medium mostly conical bunch, berries with a little pruinose golden yellow peel. Medium maturity.
Fine golden yellow wine, fairly alcoholic, with a neutral, fresh and harmonious smell and taste. Due to its good productive characteristics it is a vine variety widely cultivated in Sicily, and in particular in the western areas of the island. The historical area of diffusion lies in the provinces of Trapani and Agrigento.
Moscato d’Alessandria or Zibibbo
It belongs to the large group of ‘Moscati’ called by the ancients “Vitis Apianae” because they are sweet and preferred by bees. Cultivated in Sicily presumably from the Phoenician times, this vine variety was used mainly as fresh or dried up table grapes, hence the name of the Arabic derivation “Zibibbo”, used in Sicily to indicate the grapes to be preserved dried up.
On average vigorous plant, medium leaf, cylindrical-conical or cylindrical bunch, large, with obovoid shape, crunchy, greenish-yellow tending to golden berries, distinctly aromatic flavour. Medium maturity.
Traditionally vinified to produce sweet aromatic wines including the important straw wines. It is also used to produce dry aromatic wines.
It is widespread in the province of Trapani.
Carricante
Historical vine variety of the Etna area where it has been cultivated since ancient time. Described by Sestini (1760) in his memoirs about the wines of Mascali, owes its name to the abundant production that it is able to give.
On average vigorous plant, medium leaf, medium bunch of cylindrical or cylindrical-conical shape, berries with a consistent peel of greenish-yellow colour, golden in the face exposed to the sun. Late maturity.
The wine that is produced is particularly fine, of straw-yellow colour with greenish reflections, provided with a good aromatic set with herbaceous, fragrant and floral smells, good gustatory structure, warm, sapid characterized by a high fixed acidity which makes it particularly suitable for maturing in wood and preservation over time.
It is widespread in the province of Catania.
Damaschino
Quoted by Mendola (1885), probably it arrived in Sicily during the Arab domination, in particular in the territory of Trapani. It was mainly used for the post- phylloxera reconstitution of vineyards in the Marsala area. Very vigorous plant, big leaf, big bunch and berries with weakly pruinose peel, of yellow-green colour with pink-orange hues in the part exposed to the sun. Medium maturity. Generally its grapes are vinified together with other vine varieties. The wine is fine, ready-to-serve, straw-yellow, with a light and pleasant bouquet, a neutral taste, quite harmonious. It’s not suitable to maturing.
Its cultivation is limited to the provinces of Trapani and Agrigento.
OTHER SICILIA DOC GRAPES
Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Sauvignon
Carignano
Chardonnay
Fiano
Merlot
Moudeuse
Moscato Bianco
Muller Thurgau
Petit Verdot
Pinot Grigio
Pinot Nero
Sangiovese
Sauvignon
Syrah
Vermentino
Viognier