Wines made from Grillo grapes of Sicile

Discover the best wines made with Grillo as a single variety or as a blend of Sicile.

Wine made from Grillo grape variety>Italy >Sicile

More informations about the variety Grillo

A very ancient grape variety still grown today in western Sicily. Very often associated with catarratto and inzolia, it produces the famous Marsala liqueur wine. It is also increasingly being vinified as a single variety and produces excellent dry wines full of freshness and fruitiness. Grillo is believed to be the result of an intra-fertile cross between catarratto and Muscat of Alexandria or zibibbo, obtained in 1869 by Antonino Mendola. It is represented by two biotypes that can be easily recognized, but it seems that winegrowers attach little importance to them. Little known in other Italian regions - in Liguria it is known as "rossese bianco" - it can also be found in Australia and South Africa. It is not widely grown in France, although it is interesting because of its ability to withstand hot climates and drought, and to ripen quite late.

More informations about the region of Sicile

Sicily is the Southernmost region of Italy, and the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. For over 2500 years, Sicily (Sicilia in Italian) has been an important centre of Mediterranean viticulture, although the reputation and style of its wines have changed considerably over time. The island was once best known for its Sweet muscatels (see Pantelleria), and later for its fortified Marsala. Today, many of its best-known wines are Dry table wines produced under the regional designation IGT Terre Siciliane, or Sicilia DOC (see below).

What are the typical flavors of the Grillo grape variety?

Citrus fruitPresent in 85% of Grillo
Tree fruitPresent in 83% of Grillo
EarthPresent in 77% of Grillo
MicrobioPresent in 54% of Grillo
OakPresent in 54% of Grillo
VegetalPresent in 51% of Grillo
Tropical fruitPresent in 50% of Grillo
Non oakPresent in 44% of Grillo
SpicesPresent in 43% of Grillo
FloralPresent in 29% of Grillo

CitrusPresent in 25% of Grillo
MineralityPresent in 22% of Grillo
ApplesPresent in 18% of Grillo
PearPresent in 18% of Grillo
LemonPresent in 16% of Grillo
PeachPresent in 16% of Grillo
MelonPresent in 14% of Grillo
HoneyPresent in 14% of Grillo
ApricotPresent in 13% of Grillo
StonePresent in 11% of Grillo

News about the grape variety Grillo

Aldo Fiordelli: ‘The east-facing vineyard absorbs the morning’s first sunlight’

I’m fortunate enough to taste a fair amount of fine wine each year and I have come to the conclusion that each of us is forced to build our own stylistic preferences, regardless of the appellation or classification of a wine. Instead of simply choosing a bottle of Bordeaux over Barolo, for example, most of us probably aim to drink each on the right occasion and, in doing so, carve out our individual preferences for these wines. My personal bias – which I must confess, to be fair and transp ...

Hugh Johnson: ‘Veteran wine books are by modern standards short on facts’

When you have an idea that, in your first flush of inspiration, you think deserves to get beyond the breakfast table, you run straight into the modern dilemma. Is it a Tweet? Is it one for Facebook or Instagram? Should you just try it out on your nearest and dearest, or is there a book in it? A slim volume, or does it need several tomes to expound its profundity? My trade being what it is, and royalties being as modest as they are these days, I’ve rather given up on books. Writing new ones, that ...

Hugh Johnson: ‘Today it’s a palo cortado, a relatively elusive midfield player’

I’m busy, lazy or just tired… it’s half past twelve. I open the fridge and the same familiar labels smile up at me. The same with the repurposed coal hole under the front steps where the red wines live. I won’t tell you exactly what they are – although regular readers can have a pretty good guess. The ones that get mentioned least frequently are the ones that make an appearance on every routine day. When the soup (winter) or the salad (summer) comes out for a ‘working’ lunch, the bottle be ...