Sicily is one of Italy's most exciting wine regions, a warm Mediterranean island with a cool heart. Sea breezes, old bush vines and the high slopes of Mount Etna give wines that are ripe and generous yet fresh, with a real sense of place. It rewards the curious with styles you will find nowhere else.
Nero d'Avola, Frappato and the volcanic reds of Etna
Nero d'Avola is the island's calling card, a rich, dark red full of ripe black fruit, plum and warm spice. Frappato is the lighter foil, juicy and floral with crunchy red-berry fruit, and the two come together in Cerasuolo di Vittoria, Sicily's only DOCG. On the eastern side, the volcanic soils of Mount Etna change everything: Nerello Mascalese, grown on lava and ash at altitude, makes pale, perfumed reds with the finesse people usually reserve for Burgundy. Browse the full red wine range or explore the rest of Italian wine.
Sicilian whites and the sweet, fortified classics
The whites are just as compelling. Grillo, Catarratto and Inzolia give fresh, citrus-driven wines with a saline, nutty edge, while Carricante from Etna is taut, mineral and built to age. Sicily also guards two sweeter traditions. Marsala, the historic fortified wine of the west coast, comes bone dry or lusciously sweet, all dried fruit and caramel, while on Pantelleria sun-dried Zibibbo becomes Passito, an intense, apricot-scented treasure. Explore our white wine, fortified wine and dessert wine selections.
Sicilian Wine FAQ
What food pairs with Sicilian wine?
Nero d'Avola loves grilled meat, tomato pasta and caponata, while lighter Frappato suits tuna and charcuterie. Crisp Grillo and Carricante are made for seafood and fried fish, and a glass of Marsala or Passito is lovely with cannoli, almond biscuits or blue cheese.
What makes Etna wine special?
Height and volcano. Vines sit high on Etna's black volcanic soils, where cool nights give reds and whites a freshness you rarely find this far south.
Where should I look after Sicily?
If island wines appeal, neighbouring Sardinia is a natural next step, with its own Cannonau and Vermentino.