History
Archaeological and chemical studies place the first Sicilian wine around the 4th millennium BCE, based on tartaric acid residues recovered in prehistoric jars from Monte Kronio near Agrigento. [3] Phoenician and Greek colonisation from the 8th century BCE expanded vine growing and wine exchange around the island's coasts and inland emporia. [1] Under Rome, Sicilian wines circulated widely, with centres such as Messina and Agrigento linked to amphora production and maritime trade. [1] Wine continued to be produced and traded in early medieval Islamic Sicily, as shown by biomarker analyses of amphorae and tablewares found in Muslim-period contexts. [4]
In the early modern era western Sicily developed strong mercantile ties with England. In 1773 the English merchant John Woodhouse encountered and exported the local fortified wines of Marsala, which were soon standardised and shipped to northern European markets. [5] [6] The island's viticulture modernised in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries with new plantings, training systems and co-operatives. After the 1960s the first Sicilian DOCs were recognised, including Etna in 1968, and from the 1990s a quality-focused renaissance shifted production toward territorial wines from native grapes. [7] [1]
Territory and climate
Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean. Vineyards occupy hills, coastal plains and volcanic slopes, with a mosaic of soils and exposures that produce distinct wine styles. [8] Volcanic sands and fragmented lava dominate around Mount Etna in the east. Calcareous and clay-rich soils are widespread in the west and southwest, while aeolian and sandy soils characterise areas such as Vittoria and parts of the smaller islands including Pantelleria and Lipari. [1] [9] On Etna the DOC zone spans roughly 400 to 1,050 metres above sea level, which produces strong diurnal temperature ranges and a long growing season. [7] Traditional bush-trained vines, known as alberello, remain common in arid and windy sites. The Pantelleria alberello system is inscribed by UNESCO on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. [2]
Sicily's vineyards have been affected in recent years by recurrent drought and heat. Sector reports for the 2024 harvest recorded healthy grapes but an overall reduction in yields on the island, with many areas reporting a production decrease around 20 percent and a renewed focus on water management and agronomic adaptation. [10] [11]
Grape varieties and viticulture
The regional vineyard is dominated by white varieties on a surface basis. In 2020 white grapes accounted for about 63 percent of planted area, black grapes about 33 percent, with other categories making up the remainder. [1] Among native reds, Nero d'Avola, Frappato, Nerello Mascalese, Nerello Cappuccio, Perricone and Nocera are significant. Among white natives, Catarratto, Grillo, Inzolia, Carricante, Grecanico Dorato, Zibibbo, Moscato Bianco and Malvasia delle Lipari are traditional pillars of production. [1] International cultivars such as Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio are also present, often in warm coastal or hill sites where they ripen reliably. [1]
Training systems vary by zone. Spurred cordon and Guyot are widely used in modern plantings, while alberello bush vines persist in historic parcels on Etna, in Vittoria's sandy terrains and on Pantelleria where low, protected canopies mitigate wind and aridity. [7] [2]
Production and denominations
In 2024 Sicily produced about 2.77 million hectolitres of wine and must. DOP wines accounted for roughly 41 percent of the regional output, IGT wines 36 percent, with the remainder sold as wines without geographical indication. [1] The region has one DOCG, Cerasuolo di Vittoria. It also has more than twenty DOC denominations including Etna, Marsala, Pantelleria, Malvasia delle Lipari, Vittoria, Mamertino, Faro, Menfi, Sambuca di Sicilia, Alcamo, Salaparuta, Eloro, Siracusa and Noto. Several IGT designations are in use, of which Terre Siciliane is the largest by volume. [1]
Marsala DOC
Marsala is a fortified wine produced around the city of Marsala in the province of Trapani. The disciplinare recognises Oro and Ambra styles, based on white varieties such as Grillo, Catarratto, Inzolia and Damaschino, and Rubino based on red varieties including Nero d'Avola, Perricone and Nerello Mascalese, with permitted proportions defined by the DOC rules. [12] Ageing categories include Fine, Superiore, Superiore Riserva, Vergine or Soleras, Vergine Riserva or Soleras Riserva and Vergine Stravecchio or Soleras Stravecchio. Minimum total alcohol levels and ageing periods differ by category, with Vergine requiring longer cask ageing and no use of mosto cotto or sifone. [12] [6]
Sweet wines of the islands
Pantelleria produces Moscato di Pantelleria and Passito di Pantelleria DOC from Zibibbo grapes. The disciplinare requires 100 percent Zibibbo for passito and sets rules for withering, vinification and bottling within the area, with specific legacy exceptions. [13] In the Aeolian Islands the Malvasia delle Lipari DOC covers dry, passito and liquoroso wines based on Malvasia delle Lipari with a small permitted share of Corinto Nero. Requirements for sugar, alcohol and maturation are set in the disciplinare. [9]
Etna DOC
Established in 1968, Etna DOC encompasses red, rosato, white and traditional method sparkling wines from vineyards on the slopes of Mount Etna. Etna Rosso blends are based primarily on Nerello Mascalese with Nerello Cappuccio. Etna Bianco is centred on Carricante, especially on higher eastern slopes, with minor complementary varieties permitted. [7] [14] Recent updates to the disciplinare increased the minimum share of Nerello Mascalese in Etna Spumante and introduced planting density thresholds to maintain viticultural character. [14] The combination of elevation, volcanic sands from different lava flows and marked diurnal ranges produces wines that age well and show site specificity in both colours. [7]
Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG
Cerasuolo di Vittoria is Sicily's only DOCG. It is a red wine that must blend Nero d'Avola at 50 to 70 percent with Frappato at 30 to 50 percent. The Classico version comes from a defined subzone and follows longer ageing before release, as set by the disciplinare. [15] The denomination lies mainly in Ragusa with extensions into Caltanissetta and Catania on sandy to calcareous soils that favour bush-trained vines in dry years. [15]
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