Story by Christopher J Davies, photos courtesy of Sicilia DOC Consorzio.
Wines from Sicily are gaining in popularity. They are earning an excellent reputation for quality and are commanding respectable prices, especially for their red wines.
I recently received a press release from the Sicilia DOC reporting on the 2023 Harvest.
Sicily, the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, is located off the toe of Italy. It has a population of around five million people and covers an area of 9,830 square miles. We visited its densely populated capital city, Palermo, several years ago.
It was astonishing to learn that Sicily's grape harvest in 2023 was the longest in Italy, lasting over one hundred days. The harvest started on the west coast in late July and moved southeast, finishing in late October in the highest-elevation vineyards.
"We expect a high quality of grapes," says the Consortium President Antonio Rallo, "made possible thanks also to the careful and prudent management of the vineyards by Sicilian winegrowers during this climatically complex year."
For 2023, there was a forty percent drop in yields due to extreme spring and early summer rain. The heavy rain resulted in downy mildew. Still, Sicilian winemakers feel that while they harvested a lower quantity of grapes, their quality was excellent.
Sicilian wines are becoming more popular at restaurants and retailers in the United States.
Top wine indigenous varietals from Sicily:
White
- Grillo
Red
- Nero d'Avola
Top non-indigenous varietals produced in Sicily:
Merlot, Cabernet, Syrah, and Chardonnay.
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