Catarratto: a white grape from Southern Italy

Northern whites and southern reds? maybe, or maybe not. It depends.

The Pellegrino family, well known for the production of Marsala, has contributed in one hundred and thirty years of work to the conservation of the local ampelographic heritage.
Catarratto Kelbi, which takes its name from a cru positioned on a breezy plateau, is very enjoyable.
The soil on which the vine grows is sandy calcareous, located 150 meters above sea level. The strong thermal excursions in the area milded by the wind. Harvesting usually takes place in the third decade of September.
A wine that is produced with a long fermentation at a low temperature. Refinement in steel lasts four months.Kelbi 2019, a name that sounds Arabic. A bottle that, for about ten euros, manages to fascinate with elegance and character.

Kelbi – A bottle of Catarratto wine from Sicily

The history of wine in Sicily.

If you are unfamiliar with the Catarratto vine, know that it is a vine cultivated for centuries in Sicily. Differently from the Grillo grape, it even seems to be one of the oldest vines on the island. Considering that viticolture started earlier than the Ancient Roman one, under the greeks. Indeed, were the ancient Greeks to found many cities in Sicily. Oppositely, the ancient Romans focused the agricolture of the island on grainand olive trees rather than vines. Just to remember, the fall of the Sacred Roman Empire had limited effect on Sicily, which stayed safe from barbarian invasions. Later, under the Muslims (827-1091), new products arrived , such as pistachios and eggplants. For centuires, than, viticolture in Sicily was stationary. The great change will arrive only in the middle of the 17th Century, when John Woodhouse, a rich trader from Liverpool, stucked by a sea storm, felt in love with local wines.

The stunning view of the sea from Sicily

Catarratto grapes spreading all over.

Catarratto grapes will flourish only after the second world war. In that particular moment, sicilian viticulture was structured in big properties and very low market shares. Again, as per many other Italian wine types and regions, everything changed in the ’80s: the Renaissance of wine.

What wines are produced with Catarratto?

It exists in four certified varieties: common, lucido spargolo, lucido serrato or extra-lucido. However, only two varieties, the common white  and the glossy white (lucido), are official. It is one of the most cultivated vines in Italy in terms of hectares of vineyards.
The Catarratto lucido is a vigorous vine, very productive, with a long bunch. The berries are greenish or golden and pruinose.
Catarratto is the base for many wines, including Alcamo DOC, Contessa Entellina DOC, Etna DOC, Erice DOC, Marsala DOC, Salaparuta Bianco DOC, Sciacca DOC, Sicily DOC.
The excellent producers of Catarratto are famous names: Castellucci Miano, Tenute Lombardo, Feudo Montoni.

Catarratto grapes