The Etna DOC appellation features four main indigenous grape varieties: nerello Mascalese and nerello cappuccio for red, rosé and sparkling wines, and carricante and catarratto, for white wines.
Nerello mascalese is native to the Mascali plain in the province of Catania, from which it derives its Sicilian name niuriddu mascalisi or simply niuriddu. It accounts for 65 percent of Etna’s volcanic territory and is attested to be the second most cultivated variety after Nero d’Avola. Often compared to nebbiolo for its late ripening in the second decade of October, it gives wines of great acidity, high alcohol content (13-14°), intended for long aging. Its grapes form the 80% base for the production of Etna Rosso DOC.
Nerello cappuccio, known in Sicilian as niuriddu ammantiddatu or just mantiddatu, owes its name to the bearing of the plant’s leaves, which protect the clusters as if they were a hood. Although it belongs to the same variety, it has different characteristics from nerello mascalese: lower sugar level and such a content of aromas and polyphenols that it is considered the ideal complement to the former for the production of Etna Rosso DOC.
Carricante is an ancient grape variety grown on the slopes of Mount Etna. Its name comes from the Sicilian expression u carricanti, which emphasizes the abundant production of its plants, capable of filling carts with grapes. Grown mainly on the eastern slope of Etna, it yields fresh, dry wines characterized by lively acidity and marked citrus scents. Carricante grapes are generally vinified as a single variety, constituting 100% Etna Bianco DOC.
Although catarratto is a variety mainly found in the areas of Palermo and Agrigento, it also forms part of the Etna grape varieties. Its two variants-common catarratto and glossy catarratto-differ in the presence of pruine (a substance of waxy consistency that protects the plant from UV rays and prevents excessive dehydration) on the surface of the berry: while in common catarratto it is present, glossy white catarratto lacks it. Catarratto grapes yield interesting wines with good acidity and low alcohol note, with aromas of hawthorn and white-fleshed fruit. Finally, they contribute up to 40 percent to the composition of Etna Bianco DOC.
Finally, the last very old white grape variety that is slowly disappearing is minnella, known in dialect as minnedda or minnedda janca to indicate the oblong shape of the berry similar to a woman’s udder with its white color. It is grown on the eastern slope, particularly in the Viagrande area at about 450 to 500 meters above sea level. It ripens between the second and third decade of September, thus earlier than other native Etna grape varieties that ripen late. It is usually vinified in blends together with catarratto or inzolia.
We can well affirm, therefore, how Sicily over the years has strongly fought for the revaluation and rediscovery of ancient native grape varieties. The key to open up to the future lies entirely in the great desire to dig into the past to bring back forgotten varieties, always remembering one’s territorial identity. This is how the vast Sicilian wine world is further enriched, offering new stimuli for wine tourism and interesting tastings.
