|
|
Wine Regions
Sicilia
|
Regional capital: Palermo
Provinces: Agrigento, Caltanisetta, Catania, Enna, Messina, Palermo, Ragusa, Siracusa, Trapani
Sicily is Italy's largest region (25,708 square kilometres) and ranks fourth in population (5,084,000).
Vineyards cover 164,500 hectares (First) of which registered DOC plots total 21,000 hectares (Fifth).
Annual wine production of 11,000,000 hectolitres (Second to Apulia) includes 1.5 per cent or 277,000 hectolitre DOC (Eleventh), of which more than 95 per cent is white.
|
|
| DOC AREAS |
| Alcamo Or Bianco D'alcamo |
W-Dr
|
| Cerasuolo Di Vittoria
|
R-Dr
|
| Etna
|
R-P-W-Dr
|
| Faro
|
R-Dr, Ag-1
|
| Malvasia Delle Lipari
|
W-Sw, also Ft
|
| Marsala
|
W-also R/Dr/Sw-Ft (Fine Ag-1; Rs Ag-4; Vergine or Soleras Ag-5, Rs or Stravecchio Ag-10
|
| Moscato Dinoto
|
W-Sw, also Sp, Ft
|
| Moscato Di Pantelleria
|
Naturale W-Sw, also Sp, Ft; Passito W-Sw, also Ft; Passito Extra W-Sw, also Ft, Ag-1
|
| Moscato Di Siracusa |
W-Sw-Ft |
|
|
| OTHER WINES OF NOTE |
| R-Dr |
Cellaro
Cerde`se
Duca Enrico
Libecchio
Menfi Rosso
|
Nerello Siciliano
Rapitala` Rosso
Regaleali Rosso del Conte
Rubillo
Terre d'Agala
|
| W-Dr |
Bianca di Valguarnera
Cellaro Bianco
Cerde`se Bianco
Corvo Colomba Platino
Corvo Prima Goccia
Donnafugata Vigna di Gabri
|
Libecchio
Menfi Bianco
Regaleali Nozze d'Oro
Rincione
Terre di Ginestra
Verdello Siciliano
|
| Others |
Conti d'Almerita Brut, W-Dr-Sp
Inzolia di Samperi, W-Sw
Stravecchio Siciliano, R-Dr-Ft
|
Vecchio Samperi, W-Dr-Ft
Villa Fontane Sollicchiato Bianco W-Sw-Ft
|
|
|
Contrasts are not the least of those things in which Sicily abounds. So perhaps it is not surprising that this ancient island boasts one of Italy's most modern wine industries of that a region noted chiefly in the past for strong and often sweet amber Marsala and Moscato has rapicly switched the emphasis toward lighter, dryer wines - whites and reds.
Sicily, the largest Mediterranean island, has more vineyards for wine than any other region. Production in recent years has reached awesome levels - frequently the greatest in volume among the regions. The westernmost province of Trapani alone turns out more wine than the entire regions of Tuscany or Piedmont or such wine nations as Hungary, Austria or Chile. But the proportion of DOC wine in Sicily's total is a mere 2.5 per cent and a major share of that is Marsala, which with some 22 million litres a year ranks among Italy's top ten DOCs in volume.
Marsala, which was devised by English merchant traders nearly two centuries ago, has remained Sicily's proudest wine despite decades of degradation when it was flavoured with various syrups and sweeteners. Recently it has enjoyed a comeback with connoisseurs, who favour the dry Marsala Vergine and Superiore Riserva with their warmly complex flavours that rank them with the finest fortified wines of Europe.
The only other DOC wine made in significant quantity in Sicily (about 2.5 million litres a year) is the pale white, bone dry Bianco d'Alcamo. Moscato di Pantelleria, from the remote isle off the coast of Tunisia, is among the richest and most esteemed of Italian sweet wines in the Naturale and Passito Extra versions. Malvasia delle Lipari, from the volcanic Aeolian isles,is a dessert wine as exquisite as it is rare.
The dry white and red wines of Etna, whose vines are draped over the lower slopes of the volcano, can show notable class, as can the pale red but potent Cerasuolo di Vittoria. Production of the others DOCs - the dry, red Faro and the sweet Moscatos of Noto and Siracusa - has been virtually nonexistent in recent times.
By contrast, a number of unclassivied "vini da tavola" are thriving. Increasingly prominent are the pale, faintly scented, delicately fruity whites which derive largely from native grapes such as Inzolia, Catarratto, Grecanico and Verdello. Such outsiders as Sauvignon and Chardonnay have also proved promising. Certain reds have achieved prominence, too, mainly those from such admired native varieties as Nero d'Avola (or Calabrese) and Nerello Mascalese and Perricone (or Pignatello).
The most admired brands in Sicilian tables wines - Corvo-Duca di Salaparuta and Regaleali - do not qualify under any DOC. Yet Corvo's consistent quality in dry whites and reds from grapes selected throughout the island has made them prizewinners at home and abroad. Regaleali from the Tasca d'Almerita family estate high in the island's central hills, has been producing white, rose' and reds that have won international acclaim.
The Region of Sicily distinguishes wines of consistent quality - whether DOC or not - with a Q, which appears on labels as a seal of approval.
Sicilian wine has not enjoyed universal success, however. In an era of dwindling consumption world-wide, much of the island's production is either shipped away as blending wine or designated for distillation into industrial alcohol.
The region's wine production - four-fifths of which is centred in cooperatives - has been gradually reduced as new emphasis has been given to premium quality. New methods of viticulture in the sunny, temperate hills are helping to realise wines of real character and individuality. Sicily has taken the lead in winemaking in the modern south as producers seem increasingly determined to live up to the promise that was so well known to the ancient Greeks.
|
|
 |
|
|
Privacy Statement:
The following information is provided by Made-in-Italy.com to inform our users about our Privacy regulations. Made in Italy online is strongly committed to protecting your privacy and personal information by providing a safe and "no risk" online experience. Any information you may provide will not be disclosed to anybody else for whatsoever reason. In case you specifically agree to be updated on our world we might notify you in the future about new features. We are obsessive about privacy and have total respect for the privacy of others. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions in respect to how we treat your online data.
|
|
|
|
|
Wine and Food is a guide to the best of Italian wine and food. Pages are constantly updated and new sections added when relevant. We welcome your suggestions. For your questions PLEASE try our Search Engine before writing. 
