Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. It almost touches Calabria, which is just two miles away at the closest point on the toe of the Italian peninsula, but the only way to get there is by ferry across the Strait of Messina……or you can fly or take a train that boards a ferry. Yet it has been home to the Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, Germans, Arabs, Vikings, Austrians, British and Italians. In short, everyone wanted to be in Sicily! It became the “Kingdom of Sicily” in 1130 which made it into one of the wealthiest states in all of Europe. But good things do come to an end and by the end of the 13th century, the island passed on to Spaniard and Bourbon crowns while still preserving an independence until 1816. Sicily was merged with the Kingdom of Sardinia in 1860 which became the Kingdom of Italy in 1861. This did not bode well for Sicily. By the late 19th century, the Mafia became an essential part of the social structure. The Cosa Nostra was in charge forcing the government to compromise with them. Then along came Mussolini and World War II. After the war, Sicily became an autonomous region in 1946, with its own Statute, constitution and elected president. In 1984 an anti-Mafia policy was initiated followed by general upheaval in Italian political life in the 1990s. Now Sicily has become a destination for migrants coming from Africa, Middle Eastern countries and Bangladesh hopeful to make their way to Europe.
Why do I pass along all of this confusing historical information? Mainly because I personally like to understand how winemaking has developed in a country or region of the world and have learned through many years of wine research that I really need a refresher course on their history and geography. It gives me a much greater appreciation for their current status. If you know any Sicilians, they will assure you they have their own very distinct culture and consider themselves to be Sicilians, not Italians. Sicily is much more like a small country to itself with a very long history that deserves recognition.
Wine History
Sicily is also the largest region in Italy with 10,000 square miles, and one of the two largest islands – Sicily and Sardinia. Its central location in Mediterranean trade routes has made it a strategic and important location.
And though the Greeks brought advanced viticulture techniques here, Sicilians have been making wine since 4000 BC! Its dry, warm climate with regular sunshine and moderate rainfall really suits wine production. Even better, the chance of rot and mildew is also reduced here. Sicily is perfect for organic farming. The terrain, poor soil and lots of sunlight makes it perfect for the Mediterranean holy trinity – wine, olive oil and bread! Other than wine, the agricultural sector consists of olives, citrus and grains.
As in many other regions in this part of the world, Sicily focused on wine quantity not quality for most of the twentieth century. Winemaking was haphazard and Sicilian winemaking grew worse and worse. They became bulk wine producers distributing to mainland Europe, China and India. However, Marsala (Sicily’s most famous dessert wine) did put Sicilian wine on the map, and wine traditions did stay strong. Thank goodness in the 1970s and 80s the top producers revolted and aimed for quality – enough so that today Sicily turns out some of the most exciting wines in Italy.
Mt. Etna
A raging volcano still erupts in the most exciting wine region – Mount Etna – which is also the largest wine region. It’s been active for approximately the last 2.6 million years with eruptions as recently as February 11, 2025. Mount Etna is the tallest and most active volcano in Europe. However, that has not stopped dozens of wine makers from planting vineyards in the Mt. Etna black lava soil on slopes of up to 45 degrees. After all, what’s a little volcano eruption to a vineyard grower and winemaker? Experts say those eruptions are relatively mild and involve small bursts of lava. It also offers great hiking and views of the island, plus the possibility of skiing. You can even visit the “Grotta del Gelo” or “cave of frost” on Mt. Etna! But we prefer to stick to winemaking.
Nearly 300 winemakers grow grapes on those slopes in soils that are constantly evolving due to these eruptions which make for quite a dramatic diversity in grapes and the wines that they become. Some vineyards are higher than 3,300 feet above sea level producing grapes that are good for snappy whites like Riesling/Carricante. Lots of the grapes are planted there alberella-style (little tree or bush), and may be held in place by terraced walls of old, dry lava stone.
Lava flows down the mountain like fingers on which the vineyards grow. These “fingers” are called contrade and each one is almost like a little hamlet. There are more than 130 contrade – or vineyard parcels – on Mt. Etna, and often the name of the contrade appears on the wine’s label. In many cases the only way to travel between contrade is on foot or motorbike.
Mt. Etna is made up of several DOCs such as the Etna Bianco DOC which must be 60% Carricante and Etna Bianco Superiore DOC with 80% Carricante. The Etna Rosso DOC must be 80% Nerello Mascalese . Other reds cannot be labeled Etna DOC; they are Sicilia IGT.
The best wines of Mt. Etna are very dramatic just like the landscape. From those minerally racy whites with notes of lime and fennel, smells of the salty sea and tastes of wild herbs to the outrageous funkiness of wines by Frank Cornelissen, you are in for some taste sensations! A perfect example is Cornelissen’s “MunJabel Bianco” (a 50/50 blend of Carricante and Grecanico Dorato) . It’s a bold, cloudy amber colored wine that smells of orange-spiced tea and tastes of mango, spices, ash and minerals. I’ve previously served his ”Susucaru” Nerello Mascalese, an IGT purple wine with rock, pepper and violet aromas which he calls liquid stone.
Generally Sicily makes good reds of which Nero d’Avola is probably the best known red varietal. It makes intense dark red wines with lots of depth, juiciness and charm. Back on Mt. Etna, Nerello Mascalese is the grape to know, and it makes wine that some describe as being somewhere between a Pinot Noir and a Nebbiolo. Others say Mt. Etna reds could comparatively speaking be considered the Barolos of the South.
There are red and white wines made all over Sicily, but one of the top exciting white grapes is Grillo which means “cricket”. It was originally – and still is – used for making Marsala. Lucky for white wine lovers, it also makes a very distinctive racy fresh white wine.
Speaking again of Marsala, it’s a sweet fortified wine with lots of inexpensive examples that you can find in the supermarket to use for cooking. But more good news for us wine lovers …….it is extremely delicious when made by a first rate producer. Read more about it a little further on.
Grapes
Like the rest of the Italian wine regions, Sicily has hung on to their historical grapes. Several international grapes are prominent, but its those indigenous wines that keep the critics, sommeliers, importers and me excited. Sicily has over 65 native varieties. The grapes you may most likely already be familiar with are Nero d’Avola, Nerello Mascalese and Grillo.
Whites
Carricante (kare-reh-kan-tay)– is a high-quality white planted almost exclusively on the slopes of Mt. Etna where it’s a major grape in the Etna Bianco DOC. It makes minerally, citrusy, very high acid wines sometimes compared to Chablis and Riesling because it exudes petrol-like notes as it ages.
Catarratto Bianco (often called Lucido) – is the leading white grape produced in Sicily and is used in producing Marsala. Today it’s also a blending grape with subtle notes of citrus, melon and peach with a bit of salinity used in white table wine and some higher quality wines.
Chardonnay – was first planted here in the 1990s but is no longer quite as popular because many winemakers are more interested in using indigenous grapes.
Grecanico Dorato – is a minor but high-quality grape the same as Garganega which is used for Soave in the Veneto.
Grillo (gree-low) – is a very important grape that makes fresh, minerally, dry whites as well as being used in Marsala. It’s a cross between Catarratto Bianco and Zibibbo. On the palate expect fresh peach or passion fruit notes similar to a Sauvignon Blanc. This wine may surprise you with rich body and mouth-filling texture. Some winemakers put it in oak barrels to add more richness and subtle notes of vanilla somewhat similar to a Chardonnay.
Inzolia – is an old indigenous variety. It makes wines that are crisp, dry and moderately aromatic with notes of citrus, nuts and herbs.
Malvasia di Lipari – is an important grape that makes a stunning passito dessert wine on Lipari, part of the Aeolian Islands, a chain of seven tiny volcanic islands off Sicily’s northeastern coast. It was about to disappear until some producers started making the sweet wine version. The grapes are dried, eventually becoming a golden yellow sweet delicate wine with notes of honey, ripe apricot and tamarind.
Zibibbo – is also known as Muscat of Alexandria. It’s used mainly to make the famous dessert wine Moscato Passito di Pantelleria on the volcanic island of Pantelleria which is just off Sicily’s southern coast. You can read more about that coming up.
Reds
Frappato – is a traditional red grape used in blending Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG. On its own, it is delicate with perfumed aromas of candied sour cherry, raspberry and flowers and makes light-bodied , aromatic, juicy wine. Often blended with Nero d’Avola in Sicily’s only DOCG: Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG but now gaining fans among sommeliers who like captivating floral perfume.
Nerello Mascalese (nair-rello mas-kah-lay-zay) – is an important grape and the leading red planted on Mt. Etna. It makes light-colored, high acid, high tannin lively wines. There are delicate red cherry fruit flavors somewhat similar to Pinot Noir while it tastes similar to Barolo. It mostly grows at 1000 feet and above on the foothills of Mt. Etna and is a major grape in the Etna Rosso DOC.
Nerello Cappuccio – is grown on Mt. Etna but is less distinctive and complex than Nerello Mascalese.
Nero D’Avola – is the most important high quality red grape in terms of production. If you find Sicilian wine in your supermarket, it is probably a Nero d’Avola. It is grown all over Sicily and is the main grape in Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG, an appellation in the south, where it is partnered with Frappato. The rich black brambly fruit flavors, full-bodied, soft spicy wine makes some call this the Cabernet of Sicily. It has got smooth tannins and is very approachable. If you have never had Sicilian red wine, please drink Nero d’Avola!
Perricone – is an ancient grape with rich red flavors and considerable tannin and structure. It’s often blended with Nero D’Avola.
Syrah – is the most widely planted international grape in Sicily and the second most widely planted red variety after Nero D’Avola.
Key Wine Regions
Sicily has 23 Denominazioni di Origine (DOCs) and one DOCG and can be divided into four geographical regions. However, the core grapes overlap across the entire area, including the region-wide Indicazione Geografica Tipica (IGT). If you really want to dig into the details and learn about ALL of the DOCs and regions, I suggest checking out the italianwinecentral.com website. They list all of them and give lots of details of their grapes, production, and even list the contrade! I’ve used that website frequently through my years of researching Italian wine. They also have a great map that shows the location of every DOC.
Here is today’s basic geography lesson ……….and another way to visualize those regions previously mentioned. Just follow the three valleys (and administrative regions) that divide Sicily which came to be during Arab rule:
- Val di Mazara or “west” near Marsala
- Val di Noto or “southeast” and
- Val Demone or “northeast”
Sicily is also divided into three capes, or headlands, that form the points of a triangle which is symbolized on the Sicilian flag. The name Sicily comes from the Greek word Trinacria, referring to that triangular shape. The fourth geographical region would be the Heartland which is a rugged interior.
Just in case you need a little more geographical detail, there are nine provinces: Palermo (the regional capital); Trapani and Agrigento in the west; Caltanissetta and Enna in the center; and Ragus, Siracusa, Catania and Messina in the east.
Taormina, on the north coast, is known for its beaches, coastline and entertainment. Many consider it the jewel of Sicily and one of the most beautiful, picturesque places in the world. Considering becoming an expat so you can enjoy all of that great Sicilian wine? I hear many expats live in cities like Palermo, Catania and Taormina.
Sicilia DOC is a broad, island-wide appellation so named in 2011 with the promotion of the Sicilia IGT to a DOC. There are over 450 wineries and over 7,800 growers participating in this appellation which agreed to promote Sicily’s native grapes like Grillo, Nero d’Avola, Frappato, Catarrattto, Perricone and others. International varieties like Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon are also allowed. Since this denomination can be used all over the island, the DOC is really more of a marketing tool to promote Sicily. There are 58,000 acres of vines in the Sicilia DOC, and in 2020 produced over 90 million bottles of wine.
Etna DOC – is home to Mt. Etna, the volcano, but is also famous for pistachios, ruby-red strawberries and wine. Mt. Etna’s wines have earned significant attention over the last few years. The climate here is almost alpine with intense sunlight, yet it gets twice the rainfall of other regions. The main grapes are Nerello Mascalese for red and Carricante for white. Nerello is more burly and tannic at the warmer lower altitudes, but as you climb up to 3,600 feet, the acidity increases and wines turn more light and unwordly. Blends here must contain at least 80% Nerello Cappuccio. The Carricante is treated differently by producers from barrel-aging to lees stirring to those made in stainless steel. It can also be blended with Catarratto, but often bottled as a single varietal. Etna’s grapes are as unusual as the stone terraces on the contrade or crus that they grow on.
Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG – Sicily’s only DOCG is on the southeast corner of Sicily where the elevation is lower and the temperatures are higher. That makes it prime red wine country. This is a red wine blend that earned DOCG status in 2005. Nero d’Avola must make up between 50 – 70% of the base, with the remaining being Frappato. The Nero d’Avola provides the color, structure and depth while Frappato offers aromatics and freshness. These wines are brimming with strawberries and cherries (or cerasuolo) with hints of licorice and leather. There are two quality categories – regular or rosso and classico. Regular must be aged about eight months and classico for at least 18 months.
Marsala DOC is in the western region or Val di Mazara. The grape takes its name from the ancient port city of Marsala in the far western part of the island. That Marsala we primarily know became a big hit in cold rainy places like Britain where wines such as Port, cream Sherry and Madeira had already become so successful. After two centuries it became relegated more to cooking than collecting. What good foodie doesn’t have a bottle of Marsala on hand for cooking? Marsala comes in three colors: golden (oro), amber and the very rare ruby. There are three levels of sweetness for each: secco (the most dry and a little sweet), semisecco (noticeably sweet), and dolce (very sweet). Then there is the matter of how long it has been aged in oak or cherry – anywhere from one year (known as fine) to the most stunning and richest at ten years (vergine/solera stravecchio). Marsala production is quite complicated, but keep in mind that one of the best versions is called “in perpetuum”) whereby younger wines are progressively blended with older wines using many barrels. A widely recognized maker of Marsala is Marco de Bartoli which is guaranteed to be “in perpetuum” above that bottle of Marsala you keep for cooking! This is serious sipping wine that rivals fine vintage Ports.
Pantelleria is a volcanic island off the southwestern coast of Sicily so close to the coast of North Africa that on a clear day you can see Tunisia. It is just 9 miles long and gradually shrinking. The Arabs brought grape vines here when they ruled. The grapes were Zibibbo (Arabic for “raisins”) , the local name for Muscat of Alexandria. Due to the ferocious winds, grape vines are trained low to the ground, bonsai-like, in shallow basins dug into the volcanic soil. There is no source of fresh drinking water on Pantelleria, and irrigation is not possible. Zibibbo grapes make an effusive aromatic wine known as Moscato de Pantelleria. Its more famous sister, and my personal favorite, are made passito style – laid out on straw mats to dry in the sun for 3 to 4 weeks, until they have shriveled up into super sweet raisins. Two of the best Passito di Pantelleria are Marco de Bartoli’s Bukkarum (“father of the vine” in Arabic) and Donnafugata’s Ben Ryé (“son of the wild” in Arabic).
Malvasia delle Lipari DOC is located in northeastern Sicily on the little island of Lipari where they grow the grape Malvasia di Lipari that gets turned into the amazing passito dessert wine.
Other DOCs include Alcamo, Menfi, Noto, Salaparuta and Siracusa DOCs.
Classification Systems
Italy has an official wine classification system. Here is some basic information about the system. If you want more detail, consider Karen MacNeil’s “The Wine Bible”. She is now up to her 3rd edition and is definitely my favorite “go to” resource other than the internet.
Let’s start at the bottom of the pyramid.
- First there is VDT or Vino Da Tavola – table wine.
- Next up is IGT. An IGT stands for region-wide Indicazione Geografica Tipica (IGT) and only refers to wine while an IGP stands for “protected geographical indication” and can be used for a variety of products in Sicily, including wine, olive oil and oranges. It’s complicated! The Terre Siciliane IGT was established in 2011 and replaced the Sicilia IGP. It covers the entire region of Sicily – 55,978 acres of vineyard area with 10,450,000 cases in 2018 – which includes the satellite islands of Sicily.
- Higher up is the DOC or Denominazione Di Origin Controllata. Sicily has 23 DOCs. There were 332 of them in Italy back in 2021. There are rules on the grapes and percentages that can be used.
- Highest on the totem pole is a DOCG which is a DOC garantita as in Brunello di Montalcino and Barolo. There were 76 of them across Italy as of 2021 but only one in Sicily.
Some Wineries You Should Know
Tasca D’Almerita
Wine Enthusiast Magazine named this now very famous Sicilian winery as the “European Winery of the Year 2019” at their 20th Annual Wine Star Awards. They won this very prestigious award for their family commitment to viticulture sustainability and greatly improving the quality of Sicilian wine. Alberto Tasca, head of the Tasca d’Almerita family, is currently responsible for their 190 years and eight generations of family commitment to the vineyard. They have been making ultra-high-quality wines for over 100 years. Over the years the Regaleali estate, located in the center of Sicily, has been joined by Capofaro on the island of Salina, Tascante on Etna, the Whitaker estate on the ancient island of Mozia and Sallier de La Tour in the Monreal DOC. In 1959 they planted Perricone and Nero d’Avola vines of the albarello style which was the basis for the first wine from a single vineyard in Sicily: the “Riserva del Conte” now called Rosso del Conte, first sold to the public as a 1970 vintage. Today there are 25 varieties in production at Tenuta Regaleali. Since 2010 they have adhered to SOStain, a sustainability protocol for Sicilian viticulture, certified by an independent third party, and based on ten minimum sustainability requirements, measurable and comparable. I have been lucky enough to drink their wines for years, ever since my first introduction to Tasca at a wine dinner hosted by Winebow pouring many of their wines. From sparkling to whites to reds, I have enjoyed them all.
Planeta
In February 2024, Alessio Planeta received the honor of “Winemaker of the Year” during the 24th Annual “Wine Star Awards” by Wine Enthusiast. Planeta has been in the winemaking business for five centuries and through 17 generations. They now have estates in five different territories from west to east including Menfi, Vittoria, Noto, Etna and Capo Milazzo, and six boutique wineries. Their wines are all certified organic. Menfi is the largest with over 250 hectares under cultivation. It goes from the sea to the hills up to 400 meters in altitude. Planeta planted their first vineyards around the 16th century family baglio or farmhouse in the mid-1980s. Dispensa estate is among the vineyards of Menfi . They have two wineries there plus their headquarters. Monte Cirami has been in existence since 2003 and specializes in high-end reds. Ulmo has been an estate since 1694. It began with international varieties and continued with traditional Sicilian varieties. In 1995 they built the first winery here. Vittorio is home to the Dorilli and Mogli vineyards that are entirely cultivated with Nero d’Avola and Frappato. This is the land of Cerasuolo. The first vintage of Cerasuolo di Vittoria was produced in 2001. Cometa, the first Fiano in Sicily was born and Planeta Chardonnay made it to Wine Spectator’s Top 100 in 2000. Their 100% Frappato is from the Mogil Vineyard in the Vittoria DOC. The Eruzione 1614 wines denotes the history of the Mt. Etna volcano and the eruptions that have shaped it. That of 1614 is legendary; it lasted for 10 years, the longest ever recorded. The Nerello Mascalese grapes that produce this wine grow on the actual lava flow.
Donnafugata
Donnafugata became reality in 1983 when Giacomo and Gabriella Rallo invested in a Sicilian project by that name. Their vision was to have a winegrowing operation based around three sites in western Sicily and to produce a range of international and indigenous wines to showcase the potential of Sicily. Today they have a family cellar in Marsala that dates back to 1851, a 667-acre estate at Contessa Entellina in Eastern Sicily Vittoria DOC, mountainous vineyards on the volcano Etna and a cellar on the island of Pantelleria, home to their 168 acres of Zibibbo vineyards. They practice sustainable viticulture at all estates and make only high-quality wines. They were one of the first Italian wineries to produce all of its electricity from solar energy. Now in the 5th generation, José and Antonio Rallo lead the company.
The name “Donnafugata” refers to a novel by Tomasi di Lampedusa entitled Il Gattopardo or The Leopard. “Donna in fuga” or woman in flight refers to a story of a queen who found refuge in Sicily where their vineyards are located today.
Donnafugata makes 7 wines from 8 grape varieties. To mention a few – Anthìlia, from Sicilia DOC, is 100% Catarratto, and the most enjoyed Donnafugata wine in the world. Sul Vulcano, from Etna Rosso DOC, is a volcanic red 100% Nerello Mascalese. SurSur is 100% Grillo from the Grillo Sicilia DOC. Ben Ryé, a Passito di Pantelleria, is made from 100% Zibibbo and is one of the most appreciated sweet Italian wines in the world.
Some other top producers that we haven’t already mentioned include Benanti, Cottanera, Passopisciaro, COS, Feudo Montoni, De Bartoli, Ceuso, Cusumano, Firriato, Morgante, Rapitala and Abbazia Santa Anatasia.
What to Eat in Sicily
Sicilian food is renowned around the world. It is truly unique and exotic thanks to origins of Italian, Spanish, Greek and Arab influence. It’s a melting pot of culture from rice and saffron from the Arabs, oranges from the Spanish, to “sfincione”, Sicily’s answer to pizza. That’s a dough topped with tomatoes, anchovies and caciocavallo cheese. Then there is sweet and sour caponata, pasta con le sarde and sardines, but the one you may be most familiar with is pasta alla Norma, a tasty blend of pasta with fried eggplant, tomatoes and ricotta. Since you are often close to the sea when in Sicily, fish and shellfish are most prevalent. Some of the other most prized products are citrus fruits, blood oranges, and pistachios all used in everything from savory to sweet. You will often start a meal with a Sicilian Antipasti of caponata, arancini or some type of seafood salad, then move on to a Primi Piatti (first course) featuring pasta, risotto or a hearty soup. The Secondi often highlights the island’s seafood and high-quality meats. Then there are Contorni (side dishes) highlighting the island’s produce – peperonata, fried zucchini flowers, or a salad. You will most likely have some cheese, and it’s not to be missed! Pecorino, Ragusano, Provola and Ricotta are extra special here. Of course you cannot leave a Sicilian dinner table, especially a Sunday Supper, without a Dolci! ……..maybe a cannoli, some granita or if you are really lucky a serving of cassata. When you are invited to Sunday Lunch or Supper, you know you must be extra special!
The end of my brief story…………
I always enjoy researching and writing about a wine region or country “new” to me, and the past few weeks being immersed in Sicily, were definitely no different. I always try to present my information as correctly as possible, but information changes often. When researching I have several favorite resources; however, I always begin with my favorite – Karen MacNeil’s “The Wine Bible”. She is now on her 3rd edition, and I highly recommend it! Most other info comes from the internet which you can find yourself in a search. So I have not listed all of those articles as references.
If you are not familiar with the wines of Sicily – or if you drink them often – I hope that these few pages of information will be helpful to you, or remind you that maybe you should open a bottle of Nero d’Avola or Grillo tonight with your dinner. My pot of minestra di ceci (Sicilian chickpea soup with cheese) is simmering now on the stove! And I think I’ll pair it with a Morgante Sicilia Bianco from the Morgante Contrada Racalmare. Saluti…………..and hope to see you on my next wine adventure.
Forkandcorkdivine.com
3.9.2025
