Calabrese is Italy’s official name for a red wine grape variety found in Sicily, where it is also known as Nero d’Avola. It is widely grown in Sicily apart from north-eastern corner, which is the territory of Nerello Mascalase.

Viticulture: Calabrese flowers poorly creating unpredictable yields despite its natural vigour. It has adapted to Sicilian terroir, notably on saline soils, enabling it  to maintain acidity levels in warmer conditions. Pachino, on Sicily’s extreme southern tip in Syracuse province (in the Noto DOC, see link below), is regarded as the zone producing the best Calabrese wines.

Biotypes: There are said to exist numerous biotypes of Calabrese, a result of how this variety has adapted to Sicily’s varied conditions and sites (‘terroirs’) over centuries. DOCG wines | Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG.

Clones: Four official Calabrese clones exist.

Wine style: Dark cherry, black plum, saline, lively acidity.

Ideal blending partner: Frappato.

Wines

DOCG wines: Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG.

DOC wines: Alcamo DOC. | Contea di Sclafani DOC. | Eloro DOC. | Marsala DOC. | Noto DOC. | Sicilia DOC.

IGP wines: Terre Siciliane IGT.

Wineries

Certified organic: COS (Sicily).