Sicily’s mild Mediterranean climate is ideal for certain varieties of grapes and it is best known for such wines as Malvasia made from grapes grown on the sunny Aeolian Islands; Zibibbo (zabib in Arabic), a sweet dessert wine whose history dates back to the Arab domain of the Island, and Marsala, named after the location in the Trapani region, it is a relative of Portuguese Port wine and was first discovered by several of English entrepreneurs travelling to Sicily who realized the market potential of this wine.
Perhaps the most ancient reference to Sicily’s thriving vines is in Homer’s Odyssey, as it talks about vines growing wild everywhere on the “land of the Cyclops.” It was the Greeks in the 7th century B.C. that gave life to Sicily's fertile viticulture (vitis vinifera) tradition. The Arabs are credited with planting the Zibibbo vine, a wine with a liqueur quality that makes it the perfect accompaniment to Sicilian cannoli or other desserts. The Romans in the 3rd century B.C. exported Sicilian wine to mainland Italy when Sicily was under Roman Imperial rule.
The production of wine thrived throughout the 18th century thanks to three entrepreneurial English gentlemen who tasted the wine from Marsala and saw its enormous commercial potential. Toward the end of the 19th century a parasite attacked European grape vines and compromised the rich variety of vines on the Island. After the agricultural disaster the production of Marsala wine made a quick recovery and regained its place within world markets. The wine production on the east coast, however, was not as lucky and the corpulent wine was exported for use as blending wine in France. Its production eventually improved and Sicily’s wines have been on the rise since the 1980s.
Sicilian Viticulture
Sicily’s wine growing regions extend from the east coast to the west coast of the Island. Two main areas, however, stand out - the Etna region on the eastern coast and the areas surrounding Trapani on the western coast. The Aeolian islands and the island of Pantelleria also produce wines, the latter being home to the Zibibbo wine. The west coast areas grow predominantly white grapes (73% of the Island’s surface) while the east coast is known for its production of red grapes (27% of the Island’s surface). Historically, having wine regions in coastal areas has facilitated the wine trade with neighbouring Mediterranean and continental countries, thanks to the presence of the island’s major ports: Marsala, Catania and Messina.
On the western portion of the Island the landscape offers acres of vines that alternate with the famed Trapani salt pans against the azure Mediterranean sea. The viticulture production on the opposite side Island has been carved out of Mount Etna. Rows of grape vines are contained inside black lava stone walls on the volcano 400 to 800 meters above the Mediterranean. In this area the wine regions of Piedimonte Etneo, Linguaglossa, Castiglione and Randazzo extend from the north to the east and then to the west of Mount Etna. Sicily ranks second on the list of Italian wine producing regions and it is one of the most important in Europe
There are 21 Sicilian D.O.C. (denominazione di origine controllata) grape producing areas and wines. The DOC is a legal appellation (instituted in Italy in 1963) of the wine producing Italian region thus guaranteeing the wine's origin, taste and quality. There are 13 varieties of grapes with whites being the predominant vine. The seven varieties of white grapes are: Moscato, Malvasia, Inzolia, Catarratto, Grillo, Carricante and Minnella. The red grape varieties are: Nero d’Avola, Frappato di Vittoria, Nerello Mascalese, Nerello Cappuccio, Nocera and Perricone.
Wine festivals take place annually between September and October. Wine lovers and connoisseurs planning to visit Sicily get ready to raise a glass of rosso or giallo paglierino and drink to your health. Salute!
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