A guide to Sicily's native grape varieties

Sicily's native grapes — Nerello Cappuccio harvest on Mount Etna, Sicily.

(Image credit: ItalianFoodProduction / Getty Images)

It seems hard to believe that Sicily was seen as the Italian answer to the New World in the early years of its wine renaissance: creamy Chardonnay and opulent international-style reds dominated the premium segment, while indigenous grapes were often relegated to bulk wine production.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for 12 top wines from native Sicilian grapes

The situation has radically changed in recent years, and although international grapes may still be widespread on the island, the newfound interest in native varieties has fostered the rediscovery of regional identity.

Climate change has further strengthened this trend: not only do indigenous varieties yield more distinctive wines, they also prove better capable of withstanding increasingly torrid weather and drought.

Accrding to the regional Sicilia DOC consorzio, Sicily is home to over 70 native varieties – yet only 16 of them are currently permitted for wine production. However, the Valorizzazione biodiversità (Bi.Vi.Si.) initiative, and the G.R.A.S.P.O. project are currently promoting research on relic grapes, with a recently rescued one, Orisi, already producing small amounts of commercial wine.

Indigenous varieties Catarratto, Grillo, Nero d’ Avola and Zibibbo account for over 60% of the total planted surface area, followed by Inzolia (Ansonica), which is mostly used for blending. Extremely adaptable to different growing conditions, these varieties give a plethora of different wine styles.

Key native Sicilian grape varieties:

Catarratto

Sicily’s most widely planted white variety, accounting for one-third of the total surface area under vine, Catarratto is slowly earning recognition for its quality after decades of bulk wine production.

The Lucido and Extra Lucido biotypes are responsible for the qualitative upsurge of single-varietal examples, giving crisper and more phenolic wines than Catarratto Comune, and becoming almost Riesling-like when coming from higher altitude areas like the Monreale subzone in western Sicily.

‘Quality Catarratto is both immediately-pleasing and cellar-worthy,’ explained Benedetto Alessandro, winemaker at Alessandro di Camporeale. ‘It starts herbal and acidity-driven, then develops spicy and flinty complexity with ageing.’

Nero d’Avola

Native to the namesake town in Southeastern Sicily, Nero d’Avola has become the region’s most widespread red variety, representing approximately 15% of the total surface area under vine.

Exceptionally drought resistant, its early success derived from immediately-pleasing wines focusing on simple – and often jammy – fruit flavours.

While such wines still dominate production, forward-thinking producers have started picking earlier to preserve the grape’s naturally high acidity and achieve a brighter expression of fruit.

Geology also matters: limestone-rich soils in Noto/Pachino and Vittoria (southeast), Butera (centre), and Menfi (west) favour the production of elegant Nero d’Avola; either easy-drinking with blood orange and anchovy-like salinity complementing sweet cherry fruit, or bold and oak-influenced but still retaining excellent balance.

Zibibbo

Elsewhere known as Muscat of Alexandria, Zibibbo produces decadent sweet wines, most notably Passito di Pantelleria, obtained by letting slightly underripe grapes wither under the sun.

Declining sales of sweet wine, however, have incentivised the production of dry Zibibbo. Predominantly light and apricot-scented, the most characterful versions undergo a period of skin-contact and combine orange wine features with Passito-like aromatics.

Grillo

It is not difficult to understand why Grillo became the key grape of Marsala: a crossing of Zibibbo and Catarratto, it combines the aromatics of the former with the long-lasting phenolics of the latter.

Dry versions have become wildly popular, leading to a 400% increase in total plantings since 2000. Styles range from easygoing and bright, with reductive vinification enhancing thiol-derived herbs and florals, to richer and slightly oxidative, combining nutty complexity with tangy savouriness.

Frappato

Little-known until a few years ago, Frappato owes its recent success to its ability to defy scorching heat on the plateaus of southeastern Sicily.

Late-ripening, it yields medium-bodied, low-tannin and generally affordable reds that sport juicy red fruit flavours and moderate alcohol, pairing delightfully with tuna or swordfish.

Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG – a Nero d’Avola and Frappato blend – combines similar purity of fruit with a slightly richer structure and good cellaring potential.

Malvasia di Lipari

Grown on the volcanic slopes of the namesake islands, Malvasia di Lipari accounts for a small proportion of regional plantings, yet punches above its weight in terms of reputation.

Making up between 92% and 95% of the blend for Malvasia delle Lipari DOC, Malvasia di Lipari typically produces lighter sweet wines than Zibibbo Passito. The variety is also gaining momentum in dry Salina Bianco IGT: the best examples match raw seafood with their gentle terpenic aromas allied to mouthwatering salinity.

Perricone

Once the main red variety in western Sicily, producing Marsala Rubino, Perricone has only recently re-emerged from oblivion. While gritty tannins have long marred the reputation of dry examples, Marco Sferlazzo of Porta del Vento explains that, ‘excellent acidity and moderate alcohol are Perricone’s calling card in the age of global warming.’

By picking at full ripeness and downplaying extraction, top Perricone producers like Sferlazzo obtain wines achieving good fruit-tannin balance while retaining distinctive herbal freshness.

Native grapes of Etna

Assessing ampelography on Etna may prove challenging: old vineyards are home to dozens of relic varieties, such as Visparola, the progenitor of many Italian varieties, or the so-called ‘Francisi’, a group of mysterious red grapes (not necessarily originating from France as the name suggests).

However, two varieties dominate production on Etna: Carricante and Nerello Mascalese.

Carricante

Carricante accounts for at least 60% of Etna Bianco (80% for the Superiore category). ‘Carricante shows some affinity with Catarratto,’ explained Alessandro. ‘Both grapes are late-ripening, high-acid and rich in polyphenols. Carricante, however, is more neutral, requiring longer ageing to show best.’

Steeliness and tautness are commonly considered Etna Bianco’s distinctive features, but top-shelf versions – usually coming from a single contrada – go beyond that, often showing a Puligny-like combination of tension and creaminess, and evolving gracefully over time.

Nerello Mascalese

The key grape for Etna Rosso, Nerello Mascalese, defies all stereotypes about southern Italian reds. High altitude fosters its Nebbiolo-esque personality, and the wines range from perfumed and ethereal to deep, minerally and ageworthy – but still acidity-driven – especially when sourced from century-old bush vines.

Nerello Mascalese is often complemented by a dollop of Nerello Cappuccio (max. 20%), imparting darker hues to the light ruby colour and softening the palate with its richer fruit.

12 wines from native Sicilian grapes to try:

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Raffaele Mosca is an independent wine writer based in Rome and Abruzzo. He holds a master’s degree in Wine Culture and Communication from the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Pollenzo and an advanced sommelier certification from Fondazione Italiana Sommelier. In Italy, he collaborates with leading food and wine publications, Lucianopignataro.it and Gambero Rosso, and manages a personal website, Sommelierlife.it.

A guide to Sicily’s native grape varieties

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for 12 top wines from native Sicilian grapes