Mar 1, 2022
Sicily has a long history, and all of it is tied up with the
evolution of wine and food in the Sicilian culture. In this show,
we look at how this huge Mediterranean island played a major role
in every major civilization from indigenous tribes to the current
generation of young winemakers who seek to carve out a niche for
Sicily and its unique wine culture.
Here’s a brief timeline of what we talk
Sicilian Wine Timeline...
- 10,000 years ago: Natural grapevines on Etna
- Indigenous groups – Siculi, Socani, Elymi (Greeks who brought
wine to Sicily)
Metropolitan Museum of Art
- 8th – 3rd century BCE: Greeks arrived, introduced grapes and
planted a lot of vineyards. They introduced pruning, varietal
selection, bush training, and techniques to make great wine. Wine
became an economic essential, as Sicily’s strategic position allows
Greeks to export wine all over the Mediterranean. Inzolia, Zibibbo,
Lucido/Catarratto were brought from Greece.
- 3rd century BCE: Roman Republic wins control of Sicily over the
Greeks. The Roman Empire reigns afterwards. During both eras, the
Romans planted more grapes, refined viticulture and winemaking
techniques and traded Sicilian wine throughout the Roman empire,
enriching wine merchants on Sicily. Mamertino, Julius Caesar’s
favorite wine was made in Sicily. Wine vessels from Sicily have
been found in France and other parts of Europe.
Photo: National Gallery Open
- 535 AD –826 AD: After the chaos that ensued after the fall of
the Roman Empire, Byzantines conquered Sicily and used it as their
base in the Mediterranean to take over other parts of Italy. The
church revived viticulture and make wine for religious purposes and
for trade around the Mediterranean.
- 826 AD –1061 AD: Muslim rule -- not great for wine, as it is
against the law to consume alcohol. Viticulture did not prosper,
but it didn’t die. A few people still drank, and Z'bīb, Muscat of
Alexandria, thrived as a table grape. The food and spices
introduced during this time had a lasting impact on the cuisine of
- 1061 AD –1189 AD: The Normans, Christian descendants from
Vikings conquered Sicily and brought wine back to the table in full
force. The rulers expanded vineyards and wine became an economic
mainstay for the Normans – they traded it and it was part of life
for the aristocracy so Sicilian wine had status. Rather than throw
out the influence, the Normans incorporated Arab spices and cooking
in their food. Vermicelli (pasta) likely was made here in 1154 AD,
100 years before Marco Polo was born.
- 1189 AD – 1266 AD: Norman rule ends and Henry VI of Swabia
claims the throne.
- 1266 AD: Pope Clement IV puts Charles, Count of Anjou and
Provence, on the throne in Sicily but in 1282 a French soldier
insults a Sicilian girl on her way into a church for Vesper
services. This sparks the uprising called the Sicilian Vespers,
ending French rule.
- 1282: Peter II of Aragón (Spain) took control of Sicily. Wine
was an important economic commondity as it was traded to northern
winemaking areas to beef up their wines with color, flavor, and
- 1400s-1500s: Guilds of wine merchants and growers flourished
under the Aragón rule. Tomatoes, chocolate, squash, cactus, and
other items were brought on Spanish ships from Mexico,
revolutionizing the Sicilian cuisine.
- 1700s: The House of Bourbon, a power family from Spain who
ruled in Sicily, invested in local wine again.
- 1773: John Woodhouse makes Marsala on the western side of the
island, ships it out to England and the American colonies. Marsala
was the first Italian wine to be exported America. Marsala was a
major contributor to the Sicilian economy and to the islands
Photo credit: Dedda71,
- 1816: Naples and Sicily were united under the Aragón crown in
the Kingdom of two Sicilies.
- 1861: Giuseppe Garibaldi claims Sicily as part of the Italian
Republic, ending Aragón rule. The Risorgimento, Italian
unification, was not beneficial to Sicily. They found it difficult
to integrate into continental Italy. The economy suffered,
and the first great emigration out of Sicily, occurred, spreading
of the cuisine and wine traditions around the world – to America,
Australia, the UK, and other places.
- Late 1800s: Mass plantings of vineyards became necessary to
supply Europe with wine in the wake of phylloxera. This was a
prosperous time for wine in Sicily until phylloxera hit the island.
Due to economic restrictions, poverty, and the level of destruction
from phylloxera, Sicily took about 60 years to properly recover
from the aphid.
- 1950s: Sicily finally recovers from phylloxera. Vineyards
mechanize, but in the post-World War II – global demand dropped for
- 1960s and 1970s: Again, Sicilian wines exported to bulk wines
up from northern areas. Sicily’s reputation for quality
- 1980s –1990s: Some older families on the island planted
international grapes to garner international attention from
critics, and build a reputation for good wine. Consultants were
hired, and Sicily gained global recognition for its wines made of
Syrah, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and other
- 1990s – Native grapes were introduced to the world to a
- Today – the new generation is ready for smaller production and
higher quality from native grapes, continuing the 3000+ year legacy
of quality wine.
Don’t forget to check out the LIVE class on Thursday or watch it
on my YouTube Channel if you can’t catch it
live. Thank you to the Wines of Sicily DOC for the opportunity to
offer this class for free!
Thanks to our sponsors this week:
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