ALZANO, DUNNUNI, LUCIGNOLA, USIRIOTO, ORISI, NOCERA, VITRAROLO, GROSSONERO, INZOLIA NERA, ZIBIBBO NERO, VISPAROLA, ZUCCATARO: THESE ARE THE NAMES OF THE SICILIAN "ANCIENT GRAPES". TASTING TOMORROW IN PALERMO. FOCUS - THE NUMBERS OF SICILY

Alzano, Dunnuni, Lucignola, Usirioto, Orisi, Nocera, Vitrarolo, Grossonero, Inzolia Nera, Zibibbo Nero, Visparola, Zuccataro: these are the names of the Sicilian "ancient grapes" that, thanks to scientific research sponsored by the Region and by Assovini together with the Universities of Milan, Rome and the Marsala Research Center, have been recovered and will be featured in an exceptional tasting tomorrow in Palermo. Because by bringing back the past one can have a better look towards the future.

"It's as if it were a new dawn for Sicilian viticulture”, Professor Attilio Scienza, Professor of Viticulture at the University of Milan and one of the leading experts in the field, explained to WineNews, “thanks to genetics we were able to recover these ancient grape varieties that had been cultivated in abandoned or marginal vineyards and sometimes even on a single plant. We still know little or nothing at all about some of them and are still not able to name certain varieties, but we have already made wine out of some of the grapes and others have interesting possibilities. The sensory profile of these wines is completely different from today’s Sicilian wines.
These wines come from grapes that arrived before the phylloxera epidemic in Europe, and in the future, vinified with modern techniques, they may represent real gems that are perfectly complimentary to the present day offer. And, recovering the history of this viticulture identity could also help the reconstruction of marginal agriculture areas in Sicily that need to be rebuilt, as well as opportunities for communication and a unique attraction for wine tourism. This experience teaches how recovering the ancient past of winemaking, thanks also to genetics, opens up new avenues for the future”.