Sicily: Welcome to the Revolution

BY ERIC GUIDO | JUNE 23, 2022

Sicily has suffered a great deal throughout history, as producers have had to fight tooth and nail to overcome worldwide stereotypes of a region with massive cooperatives, low quality, overproduction, bulk wine, high alcohol, corruption, government control… you name it. For decades, I’ve watched with anticipation, following the works of my contemporaries, looking to the day that I could experience the wines that, we all somehow knew, Sicily could produce, yet simply didn’t. Rumors of Etna’s potential began to break internationally in the mid-2000s. The new wave of wines were released and suggestions were made about the potential here, yet there was still an overwhelming black mark that followed the entire island, lumping it into the greater “Southern Italy” category. Luckily, those initial views were correct, and Etna continued to win the hearts of readers and critics with the one-two punch of Nerello Mascalese and Carricante–Sicily’s answer to red and white Burgundy. With that, interests were piqued, and, luckily, several of the island’s top producers’ work, not just on Etna, started to get noticed again. Quality continued to rise. New producers became inspired. Old producers began to shake off the cobwebs and start anew. Young winemakers, who were willing to travel the world to learn their craft, joined the mix. Experimentation was welcome. Research into clones became relevant. Terroir was recognized as important. And do you know what happened? Sicily, to a large degree, completely turned around their wine industry, and it is now one of the top producing regions in all of Italy.

Granted, readers still need to be very selective; as with any sudden rise in popularity within the wine world, there will be producers that still create an inferior product. Those that ride the wave of trends consider marketing and flashy labels to be more important than what they place into the bottle. The good news is that those wines no longer make up the bulk of what's available in today's market. In my current tasting lineups, I seldom see the repeated overuse of oak, Nero d'Avola that smells of coffee grinds and chocolate, sweet yet thin Catarratto, or just plain dirty wines. In fact, it’s the opposite, as I find myself inspired by so much of what I’m tasting from a purity standpoint, a varietal standpoint and a focus on terroir. Sicily is going through a Golden Age. The best part is that, overall, the wines are still an amazing value.

The Sallier de la Tour vineyards of Tasca d'Almerita.

An Entire World to Explore

Sicily really has something for everyone, from the most quaffable reds and whites to the more important wines, spanning both international and local varieties, as well as some truly cerebral expressions. Sicily also has is the perfect growing conditions to allow these grapes to come to ideal ripeness in an environment that suits them best. Many Sicilian winemakers will tell you that there’s simply no reason not to be organic. The combination of warm temperatures, abundant sunlight and the dry and ventilating Scirocco winds blowing up from north Africa means that it can often be too easy to make big, ripe wines–which is part of what got Sicily in trouble in the first place.

The island's success with international varieties may surprise readers looking to explore further. My eyes were opened years ago as I started tasting Chardonnay from the likes of Planeta and Tasca D’Almerita. These aren’t quite Old World in style, nor are they New World, instead finding a very happy balance in between the two. Excellent examples of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot can be found in the clay-rich soils of the island’s northwest, while Syrah thrives, planted next to Nero d’Avola, in the arid and sandy southeast. However, as much as international varieties played a huge role in Sicily’s modern success, it’s in the indigenous varities where readers can really find the flavor of the region.

Nero d’Avola (also known as Calabrese) ranks at the top of the red varieties, along with Nerello Mascalese. It is also one of the varieties where I witness the least consistency. Nero d’Avola is suited well for the sandy, limestone and clay soils of the southeastern coast, where it finds a happy blending partner with Frappato to create Cerasuolo di Vittoria, one of Sicily’s most traditional wines and its only DOCG. That said, the future of the variety rests more on the success of mono-varietal expressions, especially further west along the coast around Noto. The problem is that for all of the high-caliber Nero d’Avola being made by producers such as Gulfi, COS, Feudo Montoni, Gueli and Marabino, there’s an ocean of wines that are barely worth our attention or that are best enjoyed alongside a slice of sfincione (Sicilian pizza). Speaking of Frappato, another southern favorite, I’m seeing more varietal expressions as well. However, don’t expect the deepest and most riveting experience from the majority of them. Frappato’s fresh, floral and mineral tones make a great match with Nero d’Avola’s power and acidity when blended, yet they can fall flat on their own. Granted, there are producers that continue to try and follow the lead of Arianna Occhipinti, who makes varietal Frappato that can stand on its own–but few succeed. 

The Faro DOC, found in the Peloritani hills in Sicily’s easternmost corner, is a location that I expect will gain much more popularity over time. The grapes used in Faro are Nerello Mascalese (45-60%), Nerello Cappuccio (15-30%) and Nocera (5-10%), along with 15% mix of Galioppo, Nero d’Avola or Sangiovese. The higher elevations here and cooling influences of the northern coast make for an ideal location for these varieties, with unfortunately just 15 hectares of vines in the DOC. Think Etna Rosso with a little more meat on the bone. The traditional Nocera grape, which can also be found on the Capo di Milazzo peninsula, where it makes Mamertino, or on the island of Salina, has been gaining serious notoriety amongst winemakers, and it isn't rare to see more and more varietal forms of it, at this time produced under the all-encompassing Terre Siciliane IGT. While resulting in dark and spicy wines with ample tannins, the grape's high acidity also makes it perfect for making Rosato. Rounding out the reds and worth mentioning is Perricone, which is often used for blending, but has the capacity to create deep, earthy, red-fruited wines on its own.