Did You Know?... About the Wines of Sicily

Sicily is the "ball" at the tip of the "boot" of Italy. Sicily has more vineyards than any other region of Italy, but mostly for grapes and raisins--not wine. The region is known for its dessert wines, like Marsala, but the climate and geography is well suited to growing big red wines. Catarrato is the most widely produced grape, and is often exported to other regions as a concentrate to bolster their wines. Probably the most recognized grape is Nero D'Avola, which makes a bold red wine similar to Shiraz.