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Unique Reds of Sicily

Written By: Dylan York on Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Have you ever tried a red varietal that grows on the side of a volcano?

At last we reach the red wines of Sicily. I must say that Sicily does quite a bit for an island its size. According to my research, Sicily has more vineyards than any other region in Italy. That would explain why I had so many notes.

Most commonly in the DOC regions you will find the grape varietals Nero d'Avola (also known as Calabrese), Frappato, and Nero Mascalese. In regions that produce wines under the IGT designation you will find international varieties such as Sangiovese, Cabernet, Syrah, and Merlot. Here are some of the areas and wines that I found to be of notable quality in my studies into Sicily.

One of the most interesting sites for wines is the Etna DOC. There are few places in the world where you can find grapevines planted near the slopes of the world's most active volcano. On the slopes of Mt. Etna, it's business as usual for a region that has been producing wine since 500 BC. The major red grape variety grown here is Nerello Mascalese. This variety anywhere else in Sicily produces weak and uninteresting wines. However, because of the volcanic soil, the grape produces wines with high alcohol, deep tannic structure and bold fruit. According to Homer, this was the wine that Ulysses used to intoxicate the Cyclops - now that's a good wine. One of the best producers I have found for this area is Vinicola Benanti. They produce several wines from vineyards surrounding the temperamental volcano. One that you should definitely try is the Rovitello Etna Rosso DOC. The wine is comprised of 80% Nerello Mascalese and 20 % Nerello Mantellato (or Cappuccio).

An article about Sicilian reds that did not mention Tasca d'Almerita would not be a very good one, so here we go. Tasca D'Almerita Rosso de Conte is produced in the Contea di Sciafani DOC which is located in the western center of the island between the provinces of Agrigento and Canissetta. Rosso de Conte is produced with 100% Nero D'Avola from forty year old vines and is rapidly becoming, if not already, one of Sicily's most recognized red wines. No tasting notes needed on this one, you have to try it for yourself. It's a great wine to drink with your favorite steak.

Of course I have to mention Planeta, and it just so happens that they make a wine from the one and only DOCG in Sicily, Cerasuolo di Victoria. The region received DOC status in 1973 and in 2005 was upgraded to DOCG. The wine is made from 50% Frappato and 50% Nero d'Avola and is a juicy, smoky delight. The only thing that I found contradicting is that Sicilians recommend drinking Cerasuolo di Victoria when it is well aged and as an aperitif. I found Planeta's wine very juicy and approachable, but I can't really see it going the long haul. In fact the winery even recommends that the wine be consumed when it is young. Perhaps this will take some additional tasting with different producers to sort out. If anyone finds an age-worthy Cerasulo di Victoria, leave comments.

Of course there are many other Sicilian reds to try but definitely start with these producers and work your way around. Enjoy tasting!

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suri
Seattle, WA
Posted on 2/26/08

That's pretty cool. You'd think they would be worried about losing their entire crop if the volcano explodes, but I guess it's worth the risk for the high quality product.Nice article, I picked up some Sicily facts.

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