WineGuessrWine region · Italy
Sicily wine
Sicily is an Italian island region with more vineyard area than any other region of Italy. Its featured grapes are Nero d'Avola and Grillo, alongside Catarratto, Nerello Mascalese, Carricante and Zibibbo. Etna became Sicily's first DOC in 1968 and Cerasuolo di Vittoria its first DOCG in 2005.
| Country | Italy |
|---|---|
| Climate | Mediterranean, cooler at altitude on Mount Etna |
| Main grapes | Muscat, Nero d'Avola, Grillo, Catarratto, Nerello Mascalese, Carricante, Frappato, Inzolia |
| Key appellations | Sicilia, Etna, Cerasuolo di Vittoria, Marsala, Pantelleria, Malvasia delle Lipari, Vittoria |
| Wines on WineGuessr | 5 |
History
Sicily's best-known historical wine is Marsala. In 1773 the Liverpool merchant John Woodhouse landed at the port of Marsala, found a cask-aged local wine similar to the fortified wines of Spain and Portugal then popular in England, and in 1796 began producing it on a commercial scale. Marsala became a DOC in 1969, a year after Etna became the island's first DOC in 1968. Cerasuolo di Vittoria, a DOC since 1973, became Sicily's first DOCG in 2005. For decades most Sicilian wine was sold as IGP, but the promotion of the island-wide Sicilia DOC has raised DOP wines to almost 40% of volume. In 2022 Sicily ranked fourth in Italy for production at 5.9 million hl.
Terroir and appellations
Sicily has one DOCG, 23 DOCs and 6 IGPs. The most distinctive terroir is Mount Etna, where vineyards climb from about 450 to 1,100 m on the northern, eastern and southern slopes of the volcano, in soils formed from lava, ash and sand. Height and slope give large differences in ripening and harvest dates. In the west, the province of Trapani surrounds the town of Marsala. In the south-east, Vittoria in Ragusa province is the home of Cerasuolo di Vittoria. Sweet wines come from the smaller islands: Passito di Pantelleria from Pantelleria and Malvasia delle Lipari from Salina in the Aeolian Islands. The Sicilia DOC covers the whole island.
Grapes and wine styles
Nero d'Avola, also called Calabrese, is Sicily's leading red grape, and Grillo its featured white. Cerasuolo di Vittoria blends 50 to 70% Nero d'Avola with Frappato. Etna Rosso needs at least 80% Nerello Mascalese, with Nerello Cappuccio, while Etna Bianco needs at least 60% Carricante; Etna Bianco Superiore requires 80% Carricante from the commune of Milo. Marsala uses white Grillo, Inzolia, Catarratto and Damaschino, or red grapes such as Perricone, Nero d'Avola and Nerello Mascalese for the rubino style. It reaches about 15 to 20% alcohol and ranges from Fine, aged one year, to Vergine Stravecchio, aged at least ten. Zibibbo, a type of Muscat, makes the dried-grape wines of Pantelleria.
5 wines from Sicily on the map
Aeolian Islands
Sicily wine: questions and answers
What is the main red grape of Sicily?
Nero d'Avola is Sicily's main red grape. It is the base of Cerasuolo di Vittoria and is widely used under the Sicilia DOC.
What grapes are used in Etna Rosso?
Etna Rosso must contain at least 80% Nerello Mascalese, usually completed with Nerello Cappuccio. The white Etna Bianco is based on Carricante.
How many DOCG wines does Sicily have?
Sicily has one DOCG, Cerasuolo di Vittoria, promoted in 2005. The island also has 23 DOCs, including Etna, Marsala and Pantelleria.
Who invented Marsala wine?
The English merchant John Woodhouse popularised Marsala after landing there in 1773, and began commercial production in 1796. The local wine was already aged in wooden casks before his arrival.
Other wine regions of Italy
All wine regions →Sources: italianwinecentral.com, en.wikipedia.org, en.wikipedia.org, en.wikipedia.org
Last reviewed October 2026.