The "wine route" designation was created in 1999 to promote a rich winemaking heritage. It is distinguished by the diversity of its ancient and native grape varieties, mixed with international introductions. The affected areas have been equipped with dedicated signposted routes, in an effort to combine natural and cultural values with vineyards and wineries open to the public. The 13 Sicilian wine routes, organized into associations, are distributed heterogeneously across the island. Three can be considered the most interesting in terms of the quality of the wine they produce: Marsala, Etna, and Alcamo.
The Alcamo DOC Wine Route crosses the territory overlooking the Gulf of Castellammare near ancient Segesta, with vineyards in the municipalities of Calatafimi, Alcamo, and Camporeale, where native and international grape varieties are grown, including Catarratto, Ansonica, Inzolia, Chardonnay, Müller Thurgau, and Sauvignon.
This production is ancient, dating back at least to the 19th century, with XNUMX different wines: white, rosé, and sparkling. The most prestigious is the Alcamo Bianco DOC (white wine) and the rosés (including the sparkling rosé). These wines, one might say, are beach wines, both for their moderate alcohol content and for their ease of tasting, especially in the areas of Erice, San Vito lo Capo, and Segesta.
After a brief presentation by a delegation of representatives of the various consortia who underlined the importance of these wines in Italy and abroad, the MasterClass included the tasting of 11 wines (3 whites, 8 reds) of different types of vines, with the tasting commentary of Paul LowHalf of the red wines were produced from the Nero d'Avola grape variety, and Assovini Sicilia has announced a project to address important issues related to the diversification of production and the diversity of the Nero d'Avola grape variety, and the reduction of alcohol in wine.
The InnoNDA project, led by Assovini Sicilia, aims to investigate the agronomic and oenological techniques that allow for the production of wines with lower alcohol content while maintaining the aromatic intensity and distinctive flavor that characterize the Nero d'Avola variety, the most famous of the native Sicilian red grape varieties.
The InnoNDA project also includes activities aimed at diversifying production through the use of terracotta amphorae and evaluating the diversity of the Nero d'Avola grape variety in Sicily. The research, launched in April 2024, is based on a scientific approach that involves the use of technologies and fermentation strategies not previously used for Nero d'Avola winemaking.
The Oil Route Sicily is an exciting study trip throughout Sicily's olive-growing region, allowing you to discover the incomparable beauty of its centuries-old olive groves and visit passionate and prestigious olive oil producers located in areas that have always been renowned for producing highly prized, certified-quality EVO oil. The Oil Route project in Sicily aims to encourage agricultural producers and others to diversify their core businesses by offering hospitality to tourists on their farms, with the specific goal of generating additional income beyond their primary production. Its primary priority, however, is to fill the serious gap that still exists, especially in the Sicilian tourism and olive oil sector—the complete lack of Oil Routes—and thus set the goal of finally creating one, a profitable tourism, olive oil, and food and wine itinerary in Sicily.
Twenty-five Sicilian olive cultivars or varieties have been described with certainty. However, it is estimated that many of the genetic resources have not yet been fully studied. In fact, another thirty genotypes are still being studied, which could partly shape the future of Sicilian olive growing due to the richness of their sensory characteristics and the nutritional and nutraceutical properties of their oils. Sicilian olive oil production is primarily obtained from eight main cultivars, which in most olive groves are intercropped with other so-called minor cultivars and, more rarely, from plants classified as neglected—in other words, genotypes of high botanical value that contribute to the sensory characteristics of Sicilian oils.
The first eight cultivars: Biancolilla; Cerasuola; Moresca; Nocellara del Belìce; Nocellara etnea; Ogliarola messinese; Santagatese and Tonda iblea. Some olives have names lost in the mists of time: Giarraffa; Aitana; Erbano; Lumiaru; Nasitan; Bottone di gallo; Castriciana rapparina; Citrale; Murtiddara; Piricuddara and Pizzutella. A tasting suggestion is these sensations: medium-intensity olive fruitiness, highly intense when new. The olfactory and retro-olfactory sensation of tomato is clearly present, normally green or slightly ripe. It can also offer hints of almond and, in the early stages of ripening, hints of tomato leaf. Occasionally, the odor of artichoke or grass can be perceived. Bitterness and pungency are usually medium-high intensity.
