Vines twisted and gnarled by seawinds and the merciless sun : the ancient marvel of Sicilian wine
by Gabriele Di Matteo

Sicily's centenary vineyards, warmed by the Mediterranean waters and the almost-tropical sun are experiencing a glorious new era : while classic Sicilian wines still hold strong, the local contemporary wine culture is on the rise, as well as the quality of the wines produced.

Sicily 's latitude, exposure and microclimate are not far different than those of the Napa Valley, but Sicily's winemaking tradition goes back a while longer...In fact, traces of its oenological history can be found on artifacts dated centuries before Christ.

We are in the Magna Grecia, where poetry as well, was watered with the noble Falerno, that wine of lyric. Today's Sicilian wines also bear noble labels which conjure images of dynasties, feuds and vast land-holdings..


Wine Production Areas
The area surrounding Etna, where Catania is located has greatly improved the qualityof its wine over the last few years.

The Palermo region comprises labels already made famous: Salaparuta and Tasca d'Almerita.
The Trapani region, around the city of Marsala, produces strong wines which tend to be sweet and well-aged.
The Agrigento region is fascinating by virtue of the Valley of the Temples and its notable viniculture.
The Sicilian Islands, such as Pantelleria with its Moscato and Moscato Passito and Lipari, famous for its Malvasia wine


Suggested Wineries

Duca di Salaparuta (ph. 0921-953988) found in an agricultural center near Palermo: Casteldaccia. Today 's top of the line is represented by:
Duca Enrico (red) 1992
Corvo Colomba Platino (white) 1995

Tasca d'Almerita (ph. 0921-542522) Also in the province of Palermo, at Sclafani Bagni. Its most notable wine is the Regaleali, with other top wines:
Cabernet Sauvignon (red) 1993
Chardonnay (white) 1994.


In addition to these "aristocrats" of Sicilian oenology, there are emerging labels of note, such as:

Salvatore Murana winery (ph. 0923-915231) on the island of Pantelleria which produces a renowned Moscato and Moscato Passito.
COS (ph. 0932-864042) in Ragusa: Their white wines are their best products.
Barone Scammacca del Murgo(ph. 095-7130090) In the volcanic region around Mt. Etna. Its red Tenuta San Michele 1992 is of striking quality.
Palari vineyard in Messina is making a good name for itself with its red Faro (ph. 090-694281)
La Tenuta di Donnafugata (ph. 0923-999555) in Marsala has an impressive quality Chiaranda del Merlo, a Chardonnay La Fuga and a notable Marsala Superiore riserva Ambra.
Vecchio Samperi vineyard, also in this very hot region, (ph. 0923-962093) with its Marsala Superiore;
Florio, a historical brand, now owned by the Cinzano/IDV Group.
Hauner, on the small island of Lipari, (ph. 090-53853) produces a fine Malvasia. The founder, Mr.Hauner, a historical figure in Sicilian winemaking, died very recently.


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