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Sicily
[SIHS-uh-lee]

Sicily (Sicilia in Italian) is located right off the tip of the “toe” of Italy’s boot-shaped land mass. It’s the biggest island in the Mediterranean and, with over 325,000 vineyard acres, Italy’s largest wine-producing region (both in vineyard acreage and overall size). Sicily usually competes with APULIA or VENETO for the largest wine production out of Italy’s twenty wine regions. As with Apulia’s production, much of Sicily’s wine is distilled (see DISTILLATION) into spirits. Even though there are twenty DOC areas in Sicily, less than 21⁄2 percent of the total wine production is covered by DOCs. Some of the better-known DOCs are ALCAMO, ETNA, MOSCATO DI PANTELLERIA, and the historically well-known MARSALA. Many of the best wines are VINO DA TAVOLA (VdT), made by better producers like Corvo and Regaleali. Sicily has developed its own regional method of identifying quality wines, establishing its own standards and allowing wines that qualify to place a Q for “quality” on the label or CAPSULE. The most widely planted white grape is CATARRATTO, followed by TREBBIANO. Other white grapes include GRILLO, Inzolia, Carricante (also called Catanese Bianco), and MUSCAT (the local subvariety is called Zibibbo). The most widely planted red grape is NERO D’AVOLA (also called Calabrese), followed by NERELLO, Mascalse, and Perricone (also called Pignatello). The red varieties, BARBERA and SANGIOVESE, are starting to make some inroads.
Related Links: Alcamo DOC, Nerello, Catarratto
© Copyright Barron's Educational Services, Inc.
1995 based on THE WINE LOVER'S COMPANION,
by Ron Herbst and Sharon Tyler Herbst.

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