Is anyone else craving wines that taste like sunshine now that the hot yellow ball in the sky has FINALLY made an appearance?
For me, few places in the Med call me quite Sicily. Perhaps it’s because it sounds like citrus and sizzling or maybe it’s the truly ancient history that is still so physically visible there? Maybe it’s the fact that they’ve been making wine since around 4000BC, so it’s truly in their DNA? Maybe it’s all of it.
This Italian island has been shaped by thousands of years of conquest and reinvention from the Phoenicians, Greeks and Romans to Arabs and even Normans, each of whom left their mark on the landscape, the food, the architecture and inevitably, the vines. But Sicily doesn’t flaunt its history like many other, much younger wine regions do. It just gets on with it. As a result, Sicilian wines all share a very special trait, which combines a deep ‘knowing’ with a quintessentially laid back, Italian character and the subtlest seam of tension that reminds us that this is a volcanic island after all.
Over the next month, I’ll be doing a bit of a Sicilian takeover here, so let’s start with getting to know the grapes and I’ll be back soon with more about producers to get to know, food and wine pairing and which wineries are good for a visit and some lovely nosh. For now though, GRAPES:
Sicily’s Indigenous Grapes: A Vinous Treasure Trove
Italy is well known as the country with the most indigenous grape varieties, boasting more than France, Spain and Greece combined! Sicily itself is home to 60 of them; more than almost any other Italian region. These ancient vines have evolved to thrive in the island’s extremes of heat and volcanic soils producing bold wines with great character that showcase an astonishing sense of place - all the while offering exceptional value for money. Here are the grapes you need to know with some fantastic ones to try - not always the cheapest, but amongst the BEST.
RED Sicilian Grapes
Nero d’Avola is Sicily’s calling card for red wines, producing ripe and rustic, earthy reds with notes of purple plum, cocoa powder and balsamic. It’s a dreamy pairing with grilled meat and anything tomato-based.
Try: Gulfi Rosso Ibleo Nero d’Avola, £21.95 from Fortnum & Mason
Frappato offers the opposite style, making lighter, strawberry-scented reds with zippy acidity that love a chill on warm days. They’re delicate, fruity and seriously easy drinking - perfect for light lunches that feature cold cuts or oily fish too.
Try: Santa Tresa Frappato 2024, £10.95 from The Wine Society
Nerello Mascalese, which thrives on Mount Etna’s volcanic slopes, delivers elegant reds with clearly defined texture, haunting, more subtle red fruit notes and pleasing, mineral edge. If you like Barolo, you’ll enjoy this. It can age too!
Try: Armagia Etna Rosso 2019, £17.99 from Laithwaites
Cerasuolo di Vittoria: A style rather than a single grape variety, look out for this famous name. It’s actually made with a blend of Frappato with Nero d’Avola, so offers a delicate, red-fruit lightness with some earthy, plummy undertones. There’s nothing better with rich veggie pastas and caponata’s sweet-sour notes.
Santa Tresa, Cerasuolo di Vittoria, Sicilia 2021, £17.99 The Wine Society
WHITE Sicilian Grapes
Grillo is a fabulous go-to in any Italian restaurant. It screams seafood and hot afternoons with its zesty, mandarin and lemon notes combined with some exotic, pineapple flavours. This is also the grape that makes the famous wines of Marsala.
Terra Organica Parcel Series No. 1 Grillo, £10.40, Ocado
Catarratto on the other hand, offers softer, more textural whites with baked apple flavours, a hint of wildflowers and often, a subtle nuttiness. It loves light fish dishes, clams and any kind of Mediterranean vegetables.
Try: Da Vero Organic Catarratto, £9.79, Vino Fandango
Carricante at its best, hails from high on Etna’s slopes. Different again, think crisp, lemon citrus with green apple and a salty, stony finish that feels clean and refreshing. It makes excellent fizz too. A must with grilled sardines or anything in batter.
Try: Kew Gardens Carricante 2023, £8.99 (was £12.99) Laithwaites
Stay tuned for more on this sun-drenched, Italian island! In the meantime, why not look at these articles: