island wine
Each island in Italy produces its own amazing wine. Actually, many wines. From Sicily, Sardinia, Pantelleria, Elba, Ischia, and Capri, and many smaller ones, cheers from the sea! You may already know about the wines from Sicily: Marsala, Etna, Sardinians wines have a very "tough" spirit: Cannonau, Carignano, Monica... Probably the Vermentino di Gallura is one of the most "delicate" ones even if its palate is very powerful. Elba is the third biggest Island in Italy: you can enjoy Ansonica and Aleatico there, even some Vermentino. Pantelleria is Southern than Sicily: its signature wine from this island is the Passito from Zibibbo grapes.
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Zibibbo
Zibibbo is a grape found in Sicily. It is very resistant to drought and wind, and it is cultivated in the small Island of Pantelleria where it is used to produce the amazing Passito di Pantelleria DOC. It is also called Moscato di Alessandria. We are working on this Zibibbo grape description. Please come back soon.Send us an e-mail if you are looking for more info at cheers@drinkitalian.com Two of the best books about Italian grapes, where some of this information come from, are:– Native Grapes of Italy, by Ian d’Agata– Italian Wine Unplugged, by Steve Kim Additionally, you can discover the other grapes from Sicily.
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Elba Island, jealous guardian of an endangered vine: Aleatico
The protagonist of this story is Aleatico and the handful of defenders of this variety are the winemakers of the beautiful island of Elba, who, with their 32 hectares, remain the major producers of this grape in Italy In 1970 there were 2120 hectares in Italy, in 2010 only 171. The future of any single grape variety in the world with these features could be considered inevitable. Fortunately, in agriculture, and especially in viticulture, values, ideals, and, above all, passion are stronger than any rule in the market. So it can happen that a territory adopts a grape to exalt its uniqueness and makes it not only a top wine…
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Perricone
Perricone is a grape present in Sicily and it is used to make ruby Marsala. Some monovarietal wine, even rare, are now produced. We are working on this Perricone grape description. Please come back soon.Send us an e-mail if you are looking for more info at cheers@drinkitalian.com Two of the best books about Italian grapes, where some of this information come from, are:– Native Grapes of Italy, by Ian d’Agata– Italian Wine Unplugged, by Steve Kim Additionally, you can discover the other grapes from Sicily.     Â
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Nocera
Nocera is a grape found around Messina in Sicily in the angle of the island close to the Calabria. It was important in the past as it was part of the blend of Faro DOC. We are working on this Nocera grape description. Please come back soon.Send us an e-mail if you are looking for more info at cheers@drinkitalian.com Two of the best books about Italian grapes, where some of this information come from, are:– Native Grapes of Italy, by Ian d’Agata– Italian Wine Unplugged, by Steve Kim Additionally, you can discover the other grapes from Sicily.     Â
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Nerello Mascalese
Nerello Mascalese is a grape present on the Etna Volcano and it is named after the Mascali plain in the Northeast of Catania. There are many biotypes as it has high intravarietal variability. We are working on this Nerello Mascalese grape description. Please come back soon.Send us an e-mail if you are looking for more info at cheers@drinkitalian.com Two of the best books about Italian grapes, where some of this information come from, are:– Native Grapes of Italy, by Ian d’Agata– Italian Wine Unplugged, by Steve Kim Additionally, you can discover the other grapes from Sicily.     Â
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Nerello Cappuccio
Nerello Cappuccio is a grape found in Sicily in the Etna area. It is less widespread than Nerello Mascalese and they are usually blended together in the Etna DOC Rosso. We are working on this Nerello Cappuccio grape description. Please come back soon.Send us an e-mail if you are looking for more info at cheers@drinkitalian.com Two of the best books about Italian grapes, where some of this information come from, are:– Native Grapes of Italy, by Ian d’Agata– Italian Wine Unplugged, by Steve Kim Additionally, you can discover the other grapes from Sicily.     Â
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Frappato
Frappato is one of Sicily’s oldest grape varieties. It adapts well to hot and dry conditions and it gives the best expression in red sandy-calcareous soil. We are working on this Frappato grape description. Please come back soon.Send us an e-mail if you are looking for more info at cheers@drinkitalian.com Two of the best books about Italian grapes, where some of this information come from, are:– Native Grapes of Italy, by Ian d’Agata– Italian Wine Unplugged, by Steve Kim Additionally, you can discover the other grapes from Sicily.     Â
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Calabrese / Nero D’Avola
Calabrese is the most important red grape variety in Sicily, commonly called Nero d’Avola. The name translates as Black from Avola, which is a small town next to Siracusa. We are working on this Calabrese / Nero d’Avola grape description. Please come back soon.Send us an e-mail if you are looking for more info at cheers@drinkitalian.com Two of the best books about Italian grapes, where some of this information come from, are:– Native Grapes of Italy, by Ian d’Agata– Italian Wine Unplugged, by Steve Kim Additionally, you can discover the other grapes from Sicily.     Â
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Monica
Monica is a grape found in Sardinia and it gives easy-drinking, yet interesting perfumed wines. It is the third most planted variety in the island. We are working on this Monica grape description. Please come back soon.Send us an e-mail if you are looking for more info at cheers@drinkitalian.com Two of the best books about Italian grapes, where some of this information come from, are:– Native Grapes of Italy, by Ian d’Agata– Italian Wine Unplugged, by Steve Kim Additionally, you can discover the other grapes from Sardinia. Â
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Carignano
Carignano is a grape found mainly in the South of Sardinia. It may have been brought on the island by the Spaniard who reigned there for centuries. We are working on this Carignano grape description. Please come back soon.Send us an e-mail if you are looking for more info at cheers@drinkitalian.com Two of the best books about Italian grapes, where some of this information come from, are:– Native Grapes of Italy, by Ian d’Agata– Italian Wine Unplugged, by Steve Kim Additionally, you can discover the other grapes from Sardinia. Â
