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for the Oct. 31, 2009 issue

See Also
Italian Idyll
Talking Sangiovese
Tuscany's Winning Wines

Remaking Sicily

Improving wines made from native grapes by a new cadre of winemakers are changing the face of this value-oriented region

Jo Cooke
Issue: October 31, 2009

For many years, bargain hunters have found a ready supply of cheap and cheerful red and white wines from Sicily, Italy's arid, rocky island off the toe of the peninsula. The past decade has seen an increasing number of Sicilian producers-some native to the island, some from the Italian mainland-who have introduced better winemaking techniques and turned greater attention to vineyard management and yields. Their efforts are changing the face of Sicily as a wine region.

Our annual tastings of Sicilian wines have tracked the improvements in quality over this period, but our recent tasting of nearly 230 wines, conducted blind in our European bureau in Tuscany, revealed more consistent quality in red and white wines than ever before, suggesting that Sicilian vintners are on the right track.

But the past decade has seen an increasing number of Sicilian producers-some native to the island, some from the Italian mainland-who have introduced better winemaking techniques and turned greater attention to vineyard management and yields. Their efforts are changing the face of Sicily as a wine region.