Sicily Wine Region

Profile of Sicily, Italian Wine Region

Sicily Wine Map

Sicily is home to Greek temples, dramatic coastlines, Baroque churches and of course, Mount Etna. There are stunning places to visit in Sicily such as the Greek town of Taormina and the quintessentially Mediterranean Cefalù. This is an island of dramatic beauty, with its own gorgeous islands (Pantelleria, where the famous Passito is made; the Aeolian islands of Stromboli, Lipari, Vulcano and Salina; and the microscopic Paelagian Islands of Lampedusa, Linosa and Lampione). Much of Sicily actually lies at a more southerly latitude than Tunisia, and it is the hottest, driest region of Italy. More than an island, many describe Sicily as a mini continent!

The wine styles of Sicily are varied. Rustic, local wines are often surprisingly good and accompany the local flavors of pistachios, capers, almonds, all citrus fruits, tuna, swordfish, etc. Inzolia is considered to be the best local white varietal, and is used in mono varietal wines along with blends with Catarratto, Grecanico, Grillo, Malvasia, Zibibbo and of course non-Italian varietals like Chardonnay.

The flagship red grape is Nero d´Avola, an exotically spicy and sexy wine. It is often blended with syrah. Other red grapes used extensively in Sicily include Frappato (very light cherry scented red), Nerello Mascalese and Perricone.

Principal wine towns in Sicily include Marsala, Messina, Noto and Ragusa.

Excellent Sicily Producers:

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