Sicily isn’t Italy (you can ask anyone), and Sicilian wine isn’t Italian wine either.

Many Sicilian producers have embraced the Sicilia DOC designation as a simple but effective identity. It’s the kind of idea that other wine regions might consider in today’s crowded marketplace. Here is our report.

Einstein’s Law

Everything should be as simple as possible, Albert Einstein said. But no simpler.

I think Einstein was talking about scientific theories, of course, but the idea applies to wine, too. If you make wine too complicated, it is hard to understand (and harder to sell). But make it too simple and it really isn’t wine anymore. It’s just … what? Alcohol, I guess.

I see Einstein’s Law everywhere in wine these days. On one hand, some wine brands push simplification to the point where it is hard to know what’s in the bottle, where it came from, or even who made it. Consumers buy the brand as much as the wine (maybe more).

On the other hand, many wine regions work to needlessly complicate life. Regional indicators (AVAs in the United States, appellations in Europe) are a sort of collective brand that gives the producers in a region an identity. The problem is that, once an AVA brand is established, we often see pressure for sub-AVAs that might benefit particular producers and sub-regions, but risk undermining the whole by diluting the regional brand.

I authored a tongue-in-cheek “Modest Proposal” for U.S. AVA reform a few years ago, but I don’t think anyone got the message. But some regions in Italy have been working to find the right balance between complication and simplicity. Both the Abruzzo DOC (2010)and Sicilia DOC (2011) appellations were established in an attempt to strengthen the broad regional brand, to simplify choice for consumers without going too far.

Simply Sicilia DOC

It is not easy to get producers to invest in a broad regional designation (Sicilia DOC)  when they see their particular interest more closely tied to their own sub-regional brand (Etna DOC, for example). And of course getting consensus on technical and financial issues is harder the larger the group involved.

Maybe this is why the Sicilia DOC took a while to gather speed. My 1999 copy of a Touring Club of Italy wine guide notes that, after several years of negotiation, the much-anticipated Sicilia DOC designation was just about ready. The 2004 edition of the same guide said the same thing. The DOC finally appeared in 2011 and is now an important force.

Sicilia DOC has ridden the ups and downs of the wine market in general, of course, but it benefits now from Sicily’s rising profile, which has spawned a couple of interesting initiatives. Taormina, Sicily, is the recent home of The White Lotus television series, creating what is called The White Lotus Effect for Sicilian wine. Sicilia DOC has worked to take advantage of this association, which has drawn both international visitors and international interest more generally.

Sicily has also benefitted from the post-COVID international travel boom. As a press release explains:

It’s no secret that Sicily has become the “it” destination for American travelers, but that cultural obsession is now officially moving from the suitcase to the wine cellar.

We’re seeing a fascinating “Souvenir Effect” take hold: as Americans return from the island, they aren’t just looking for “Italian wine,” they are hunting for the specific indigenous grapes they discovered on the coast, like Grillo, Lucido, and Nero d’Avola.

Sicily enjoys an embarrassment of riches in terms of regions, grape varieties, and styles of wine. Some producers focus on a particular region or style, but others draw broadly on the resources available. Donnafugata, for example, offers a range of wines ranging  the rich Ben Ryé dessert wine from the wind-blown island of Pantelleria in the south-east to the complex minerality of Sul Vulcano Bianco from the slopes of Mount Etna in the north-east. Completely different. Totally Sicilian.

T is for Tasca

Sue and I learned a lot about the diversity of Sicilian wine during our recent trip by enjoying Sicilia DOC wines from Tasca d’Almerita.

In Palermo we discovered Tasca d’Almerita Fondazione Whitaker Mozia, which is made from Grillo grapes grown in a historic vineyard on the low-lying island of Mozia near Trapani on the island’s west coast. We later visited Mozia and its salt flats and recognized how much the unique terroir is reflected in the wine.

We enjoyed a completely different Tasca d’Almerita wine over dinner in Catania. Tasca d’Almerita Nozze d’Oro is made from Inzolia and Sauvignon grape varieties and commemorates a special wedding anniversary (like the one Sue and I are celebrating this month). Memorable wines.

Back home in the U.S. we were pleased to see that Tasca d’Almerita wines are available here, imported by Heritage Collection, part of Trinchero Family Estates. We are currently sampling several of them, including Tasca d’Almerita Tenuta Regaleali Regaleali Bianco Sicilia DOC 2023, Tasca d’Almerita Tenuta Regaleali Lamuri Sicilia DOC 2022, and Tasca d’Almerita Tenuta Regaleali Rosso del Conte Sicilia Contea di Sclafani DOC 2018.

The bargain-priced Regaleali Bianco really caught our attention. A blend of native grapes from the west coast of Sicily (plus a little Chardonnay), it is both interesting and delicious. A perfect “souvenir” wine? Of course. Simply irresistable.