Sicile

Sicily has been a land of wine since the time of the Phoenicians, who planted the first vineyards there in the 8th century BCE. Although “Sicilia” wine began to gain recognition abroad in the 18th century—notably with the sweet Marsala wine—it was not until the 1970s that Sicily’s vineyards underwent a major modernization and subsequent expansion.

Sicily enjoys a typical Mediterranean climate, mild in winter and warm—even very hot—in summer. These favorable conditions have allowed the region to reach 180,000 hectares of planted vineyards, making it the largest wine-growing region in all of Italy. Seventy percent of production consists of white wine. A large portion of these Sicilian wines is produced by cooperatives using both international grape varieties and native varieties such as Catarratto, Grecanico, Inzolia, Nero d’Avola, and Nerello Mascalese.

Sicily can now boast numerous local DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) designations that identify wines with distinct and typically Sicilian characteristics, such as Pantelleria, Monreale, and Vittoria. Wine enthusiasts will appreciate the unique character of the wines from Domaine Caruso & Minini.