Sicilian white wines are proving more and more popular with consumers, primarily Grillo, but Catarratto is no less in pleasantness and freshness. We offer CVA Canicattì's Grillo Fileno and Rapitalà's Catarratto Vigna Casalj.
With 95,760 hectares of vines under cultivation, the Sicily ranks second in Italy in terms of vineyard extension and, covering about 28% of the national total, is the first region by area planted with organic vines, according to the findings ofThe Observatory on the Competitiveness of Wine Regions-Sicily, realized by Nomisma Wine Monitor and presented last April 29 in Palermo on the occasion of the presentation of Sicily en Primeur 2024.
The survey, which analyzed sales of Sicilian wines in 2023 both in Italy and abroad, “
was enriched by the results of a survey involving
1,000 Italian wine consumers
, representative of the Italian population by gender, age and territorial residence
. – reads the official note. – The objectives of the survey were, among others, to assess the notoriety of major appellation wines among consumers, identify the regions most valued in wine production by type, and show consumption behavior at the territorial level (frequency, purchasing channels, etc.).”
The perception of the Sicily brand
Sicilian wines placed at fifth place behind labels from historically established regions such as Piedmont, Tuscany, Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia. Among red wines, Sicily falls to the sixth place but manages to climb to the third step of the podium For white wines. In general, it is white wines and organic crops that are driving Sicily. In particular, driving this “blank” growth is the Grillo.
Grillo and Catarratto
An increasingly popular grape variety because of its aromas and organoleptic depth, the Grillo is the result of a cross between the Catarratto and Zibibbo grape varieties, which makes it a multifaceted wine. Native to Western Sicily and initially cultivated mainly in the Trapani area, it is now expanding to different parts of the island where it is showing particular adaptability to different territories.
Grillo’s counterbalance is its parent Catarratto, obviously the oldest grape variety and by far the most widely grown white grape in Sicily. After experiencing a moment of disfavor, it is making a comeback, thanks to the renewed care with which it is vinified. The result is a wine of remarkable aromatic and gustatory freshness, which has what it takes to share the podium of Sicilian whites with Grillo.
A separate discussion is that of the whites of theEtna, but as we have said many times, Etna constitutes a world of its own.
Our proposals
We present a Grillo and a Catarratto from different farms and areas. The first is the Fileno produced by CVA Canicattì, a cooperative winery that represents a virtuous example for Sicily, the result of a project that combines the traditions of the area with state-of-the-art winemaking techniques and a current conception of the wine product.
Catarratto, on the other hand, is theVigna Casaljby Rapitalà,a company with vineyards in the Alcamese area in the northwestern part of Sicily, once the exclusive property of the Counts de la Gatinais and for the past 15 years or so joined the constellation of Gruppo Italiano Vini.
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