Perricone wine
Perricone, a native Sicilian wine.
Perricone is a native sicilian red grape variety, predominantly from the western part of the island and mainly cultivated in the provinces of Trapani and Palermo. Since the eighteenth century has been used for blending with one of the most famous wines of the Sicilian wine tradition: Marsala.
In ancient times it was also known by the synonym of Pignatello, which indicates the Sicilian pignatta, a clay pot used for cooking.
The connection between the pignatta and the perricone refers to the clay soils in which this vine is cultivated and which give it its particular characteristics. In the nineteenth century there were about 30,000 hectares of land cultivated with the perricone vines. Unfortunately, today less than 200 hectares survive because of its low productivity. But thanks to the courage of some Sicilian winegrowers this variety of wine is becoming increasingly popular all over the world.
Organoleptic characteristics of Perricone wine
Wine obtained from processing the Perricone grapes is elegant and intense, supported by intense tannins and a fine and broad aromatic bouquet.
Its taste is dominated by the clear scent of ripe red fruits: cherries and blackberries, marasca cherry and plum crossed with spicy hints of pepper and juniper. These rich flavors are derived from allowing the wine to age in wooden barrels.