Sicily is a land of thousands of colors, aromas and hues. The largest island in the Mediterranean, Sicily is separated from the “boot” of Italy by the Strait of Messina, a narrow stretch of water that marks a large cultural divide from the mainland.
“To have seen Italy without having seen Sicily is not to have seen Italy at all,” wrote Goethe after a visit in 1789. Impressed with the sun-drenched beauty before him, the German philosopher concluded that “Sicily is the clue to everything.” The island has been enchanting travelers for generations, with the power to reinvent itself, to burn bright in the imagination and linger on the palate. Sicilian winemakers are drawing from this rich island legacy to reveal hidden depths.
Looming large over the Sicilian wine scene is Mount Etna. The most active volcano in Europe, Etna is menacing and beautiful, a reminder of nature’s power over humanity. As a child, I spent several summer vacations near Etna, and despite many reassurances from my parents, I found it terrifying to behold. The mountain is in a near constant state of eruption, and even on a clear day it spews fire and rock, shifting the landscape below with loose volcanic matter that slides under your feet. Nonetheless, about 500,000 people inhabit the base of Mount Etna, including some 250 wineries hard at work on its steep slopes. As vintners reach higher than ever to stake a claim on Etna, one wonders how long they can tempt fate.
Sicily is inherently a place of natural beauty and tension. Millions of years ago the island rose from the sea in one epic collision between the African and European plates, cracking the earth’s crust so hard that the magma below pushed Sicily into existence, breaking through the surface to form Mount Etna. Etna DOC, the official name of the wine appellation that arcs around the eastern side of the volcano, lies below the still-smoldering crack in the earth’s core. On the plus side, the volcanic soils are rich in minerality and support outstanding quality in Etna Rosso, Bianco and Rosato wines. Lava flows, ash and near-constant smoke present unique challenges to winegrowers but have also shaped Etna wines into rising stars.
It’s a plot line that repeats itself in the modern Sicilian wine industry: Vines ignored for years have been revived with extraordinary diligence and a quality mindset. On Etna, against all volcanic odds, 50-to-100-year-old vines, complex soils and precipitous elevation primed the region for success. Local wine families such as Benanti and enologist Salvo Foti, who grew up on the mountain, were among the first to restore Etna’s heirloom vineyards. In 2000, they were joined by outsiders to the region who brought resilience and vision, including American importer Marco de Grazia of Tenuta delle Terre Nere, Belgian Frank Cornelissen and Roman vintner Andrea Franchetti of Passopisciaro. Consistently ranked among the top Etna producers, their vineyards are clustered in the exceptional northern slopes, and many carry the designation contrada, the local term for single vineyard wines of distinction.
About 60% of the wines are Etna Rosso, red wines that approach the finesse of Burgundy or Barbaresco. The primary red variety is the prized Nerello Mascalese, a wine with delicate floral and wild berry notes often compared to Pinot Noir. The lean and lovely Etna Bianco wines are made primarily from indigenous Carricante and Catarratto. Etna whites are high in minerality with a refreshing acidity and lower alcohol that makes them particularly easy to drink. The charming Etna Rosato wines deliver tangy, bright notes of tangerine and Mediterranean herbs that will appeal to fans of Provence rosé.
Grapes have been grown in Sicily since ancient times, but it is only recently that wine quality has prevailed on a world-class scale. In 2005, the southeastern region of Cerasuolo di Vittoria became the first (and still only) Sicilian region to receive Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG) status, Italy’s top designation reserved for the best growing areas. Cerasuolo di Vittoria stretches some 50 miles from Riesi to Ragusa, in a stream of vineyards that flow across the plains from the Iblei Mountains to the cool blue Mediterranean. Temperate nights and ample rainfall help the vines overcome the extreme summer heat, and many sites are planted in red clay over a backbone of limestone. Nero d’Avola, Sicily’s most famous (and full-throttled) red variety, thrives here, together with the delicate Frappato red. As on Etna, a resolute group of wineries, including COS, Planeta and Donnafugata, have revealed the potential of Sicily’s terroir and its ability to produce complex, pure and fresh wines.
Cerasuolo di Vittoria was still a backwater when COS launched 40 years ago. Founders Giambattista Cilia, Giusto Occhipinti and Cirino Strano (the acronym COS comes from their last names) knew little about wine, but they were young and free to write their own rules. They went all in with natural winemaking before it was remotely fashionable (COS is 100% organic and biodynamic) and have avoided all chemical additives in the vineyard. They also revived the use of clay amphorae, inspiring many others to experiment with ancient techniques that require minimal intervention. COS Pithos Rosso is classically aged in amphorae sunk into the cellar floor; it’s a walk on the wild side, rustic and free-form with a zesty mineral streak.
One of my longtime favorite wines, COS Cerasuolo di Vittoria Classico captures the essence of the region. Cerasuolo means cherry in Sicilian, and COS obliges with appealing berry-hued colors and flavor. Dark-skinned and juicy, Nero d’Avola is delicious but tends to dominate, delivering power more than finesse. COS Cerasuolo di Vittoria finds harmony in the region’s signature grapes; Nero d’Avola accounts for 60% of the base wine, with the balance reserved for the more delicate Frappato variety. It’s a brilliant partnership. Nero d’Avola delivers color, weight and body while Frappato is all about freshness and bright aromas. Together, this native Sicilian duo shines with cherry, strawberry, leather, minerality and unmistakable elegance. It’s a triumph, a wine that radically improved perceptions of Sicilian wine.
While COS was focused on Cerasuolo, the Planeta wine family had their eyes on all of Sicily. The origins of the Planeta estate lie off the beaten track on the western side of the island in Sambuca territory. In the mid-1980s the family planted vineyards around their 16th-century farmhouse in Menfi, a beautiful place tucked into the forests and hills along Lake Arancio.
Talent runs deep in the Planeta family, but much credit for their success is due to the vision of Diego Planeta, who led the winery until his death in 2020. His father was one of the founders of the Settesoli co-op in 1958, born out of adversity to protect local grape growers from alarming price drops. Planeta succeeded his father as president of Settesoli for 20 years before leaving to launch the Planeta winery in 1995. His legacy was to promote quality viticulture and winemaking long before most Sicilians believed that a reversal of their fortunes was possible. “At the time, he seemed mad to everyone else in Sicily,” shared Francesca Planeta, his daughter, in an interview with Wine Spectator. Settesoli has since flourished with thousands of members and accounts for close to 5% of Sicilian wine acreage.
Tenuta delle Terre Nere Etna Rosso 2022
($30)
Predominantly Nerello Mascalese with Nerello Cappuccio,
this is a classic, young Etna red. Fresh and well-balanced with
a dense core of bright red cherries and medium acidity.
Planeta Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG 2018
($28)
60% Nero d’Avola, 40% Frappato. Fresh and lively,
with notes of wild strawberries and pepper. A versatile,
medium-bodied red to pair with grilled seafood and pizza.
Donnafugata Mille e Una Notte Sicilia 2019
($100)
A blend of Nero d’Avola, Petit Verdot, Syrah and
select other grapes. Deep ruby red in color. Velvety with
blackberry, balsamic and dark chocolate flavors.
Diego Planeta had the foresight to develop well-established French varieties like Chardonnay, Syrah, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon that established quality benchmarks to ease the entry of Sicilian wines to world markets. Sicily grew exponentially through the export of popular “foreign varietals,” while opening the door for native grape varieties to make their mark. Today, the Planeta winery is equally renowned for international varietals like classic Chardonnay as well as a full suite of Sicilian wines sourced from heirloom grapes.
Wine is a bridge between Planeta Sicily and the world. Tourists to the island can book exclusive wine tastings, cooking classes and overnight stays at the Planeta wine resort and country homes. Fans of Season 2 of The White Lotus can also replicate the wine experience from Episode 5, filmed on location at the Planeta Sciaranuova Winery on Etna. Google searches for Sicilian travel spiked after the HBO hit first aired, especially among Americans looking to relive the show while enjoying glorious beaches, amazing food and ancient ruins.
For her part, winery founder Gabriella Rallo and her family are determined to protect the colorful character of Sicily. Rallo and her husband, Giacomo, launched Donnafugata in western Sicily in 1983, naming their wine adventure after the classic Sicilian narrative of una donna in fuga (a woman in flight), the story of a queen who finds refuge in western Sicily (a metaphor for Rallo’s decision to leave teaching and dedicate her life to wine). The Sicilian artist Stefano Vitale captured la donna in strong, bright strokes, a romantic figure with long, flowing hair to adorn every Donnafugata label.
Like Planeta, Donnafugata spans multiple areas of Sicily, including an estate winery in Contessa Entellina to the west with 704 acres of vines and 19 different grape varieties. Donnafugata’s modern thinking accommodates international varietals like Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, but the family has a protective instinct to elevate heirloom varieties like Zibibbo, Nero d’Avola, Nocera, Grecanico and Grillo. Donnafugata also owns a historic family cellar in Marsala; 68 acres on Pantelleria, a volcanic island between Sicily and Africa; and property in northern Etna and the central Vittoria region.
The sheer breadth of Donnafugata allows for creative winemaking throughout Sicily. Perhaps the most famous wine from the Contessa Entellina estate is Mille e Una Notte, a blend of Nero d’Avola with Petit Verdot and Syrah. On the island of Pantelleria, the vines for Ben Ryé (Arabic for “Son of the Wind”) Passito di Pantelleria are planted low to the ground behind ancient lava walls to guard against the unrelenting wind. It takes much longer to manually harvest the grapes on Pantelleria, a heroic effort commemorated on the label. Made from 100% Zibibbo grapes dried in the traditional “passito” style before fermentation, Ben Ryé is a sweet, golden-colored wine with luscious apricot, candied orange peel and sage notes.
Donnafugata’s pride in Sicilian craftsmanship has attracted many admirers, including the luxury fashion house Dolce&Gabbana. In 2019, Dolce&Gabbana and Donnafugata partnered to make Rosa, a pale pink Sicilian rosé with notes of jasmine and wild strawberry, the first in a series of ultrachic wines. An original blend of Nerello Mascalese from Mount Etna and Nocera grapes from western Sicily, Rosa’s label recalls the bold, geometric patterns of a Sicilian donkey cart. *
Helen Gregory is the founder and president of Gregory + Vine. She has worked in strategic brand management and communications for beverage industry leaders such as Moët Hennessy USA, Rémy Cointreau and STOLI, and has led award-winning hospitality, beverage and lifestyle campaigns for prestige clients from the European Union to Argentina, Australia, Chile, Israel, South Africa and across the United States.
left: Mount Etna and the town of Taormina, Sicily, Italy
