Perricone (also known as Pignatello) is a red

Italian wine Italian wine is produced in every region of Italy. Italy is the world's largest producer of wine, with an area of under vineyard cultivation, and contributing a 2013–2017 annual average of 48.3 million hl of wine. In 2018 Italy accounted fo ...

grape variety This list of grape varieties includes cultivated grapes, whether used for wine, or eating as a table grape, fresh or dried (raisin, currant, sultana). For a complete list of all grape species including those unimportant to agriculture, see Viti ...

that is grown in

Sicily (man) it, Siciliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Ethnicity , demographics1_footnotes = , demographi ...

. In the late 20th century there was around 1000

hectare The hectare (; SI symbol: ha) is a non-SI metric unit of area equal to a square with 100- metre sides (1 hm2), or 10,000 m2, and is primarily used in the measurement of land. There are 100 hectares in one square kilometre. An acre is ...

s/2,500

acres The acre is a unit of land area used in the imperial and US customary systems. It is traditionally defined as the area of one chain by one furlong (66 by 660 feet), which is exactly equal to 10 square chains, of a square mile, 4,840 square ...

of the grape planted throughout the island.J. Robinson ''Jancis Robinson's Guide to Wine Grapes'' pg 148 Oxford University Press 1996 According to wine expert

Oz Clarke Robert Owen Clarke (born 1949), known as Oz Clarke, is a British wine writer, actor, television presenter and broadcaster. Early life Clarke's parents were a chest physician and a nursing sister. He is of Irish descent and was brought up Roman ...

in Sicily Perricone is used to make full bodied, deeply

colored ''Colored'' (or ''coloured'') is a racial descriptor historically used in the United States during the Jim Crow Era to refer to an African American. In many places, it may be considered a slur, though it has taken on a special meaning in Sout ...

, highly alcoholic wines.Oz Clarke ''Encyclopedia of Grapes'' pg 167 Harcourt Books 2001

DOC wines

In Sicily, Perricone is a permitted variety in the Contea di Sclafani DOC which includes vineyards in the

Caltanissetta Caltanissetta (; scn, Nissa or ) is a ''comune'' in the central interior of Sicily, Italy, and the capital of the Province of Caltanissetta. Its inhabitants are called ''Nisseni''. In 2017, the city had a population of 62,797. It is the 14th ...

and

Agrigento Agrigento (; scn, Girgenti or ; grc, Ἀκράγας, translit=Akrágas; la, Agrigentum or ; ar, كركنت, Kirkant, or ''Jirjant'') is a city on the southern coast of Sicily, Italy and capital of the province of Agrigento. It was one o ...

provinces. Here Perricone can be made as a

varietal A varietal wine is a wine made primarily from a single named grape variety, and which typically displays the name of that variety on the wine label.The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition, 2000.winepros.com.au. ...

wine provided it represents at least 85% of the wine's total content or it can be used in the DOC red wine where together with

Nero d'Avola Nero d'Avola (; 'Black of Avola' in Italian) is "the most important red wine grape in Sicily (man) it, Siciliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , ...

(Calabrese) it must represent at least 50% of the blend with local varieties, such as Nerello Mascalese, and

Sangiovese Sangiovese (, also , , ) is a red Italian wine grape variety that derives its name from the Latin ''sanguis Jovis'', "the blood of Jupiter". Though it is the grape of most of central Italy from Romagna down to Lazio (the most widespread grape ...

as well as

international varieties An international variety is a grape variety that is widely planted in most of the major wine producing regions and has widespread appeal and consumer recognition. These are grapes that are highly likely to appear on wine labels as varietal wines a ...

like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah and Pinot noir permitted to fill in the remainder of the blend. Perricone destined for Contea di Sclafani DOC wines must be harvested to a yield no greater than 14 tonnes/hectare with the finished wine attaining an alcohol level of at least 11%.P. Saunders ''Wine Label Language'' pp. 153-181 Firefly Books 2004 Similar laws governs Perricone's use in the

Delia Nivolelli DOC Delia is a feminine given name, either taken from an epithet of the Greek moon goddess Artemis, or else representing a short form of ''Adelia'', '' Bedelia'', '' Cordelia'' or '' Odelia''. Meanings and origins According to records for the 1901 ...

located in the province of

Trapani Trapani ( , ; scn, Tràpani ; lat, Drepanum; grc, Δρέπανον) is a city and municipality (''comune'') on the west coast of Sicily, in Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Trapani. Founded by Elymians, the city is still an imp ...

near Marsala where the grape can be made either as a varietal or blended with Nero d'Avola, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Sangiovese. Grapes destined for this DOC wine have a maximum harvest yield of 14 tonnes/ha with a minimum alcohol level of the finished wine being 11.5%. A separate ''

riserva Reserve wine is wine of a higher quality than usual, a wine that has been aged before sale, or both. Traditionally, winemakers would reserve some of their best wine rather than sell it immediately, coining the term. In some countries the use of t ...

'' wine can be made with Perricone provided the wine is

aged Ageing ( BE) or aging ( AE) is the process of becoming older. The term refers mainly to humans, many other animals, and fungi, whereas for example, bacteria, perennial plants and some simple animals are potentially biologically immortal. In ...

a minimum of two years prior to release. In the

Eloro DOC Helorus, Heloros, Helorum, or Elorus (Greek: or , Ptol., Steph. B. or , Scyl.; it, Eloro), was an ancient Greek city of Sicily, situated near the east coast, about 40 km south of Syracuse and on the banks of the river of the same name. ...

, Perricone is known as ''Pignatello'' and produced as varietal wine when comprising at least 80% of the wine. It is also used in the DOC red and rosé along with Nero d'Avola and

Frappato Frappato di Vittoria or Frappato is a red Italian wine grape variety planted primarily in Sicily. As a varietal, Frappato produces light bodied wines with a distinct grapey aroma. J. Robinson ''Jancis Robinson's Wine Course'' Third Edition pg 1 ...

together making up at least 90% of the blend. Perricone destined for these DOC wines must be harvested to a yield no greater than 12 tonnes/ha with the finished red wines attaining a minimum alcohol level of 12% and the finished rosés having an alcohol level of at least 11.5%. In

fortified A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

dessert wine Dessert wines, sometimes called pudding wines in the United Kingdom, are sweet wines typically served with dessert. There is no simple definition of a dessert wine. In the UK, a dessert wine is considered to be any sweet wine drunk with a meal ...

Marsala Perricone is the main component in the ''Rubino'' style where it is blended with Nero d'Avola (Calabrese) and/or Nerello Mascalese and a maximum of 30% white grape varieties such as

Grillo Grillo, also known as Riddu and Rossese bianco, is a white Italian wine grape variety that withstands high temperatures and is widely used in Sicilian winemaking and, in particular, for making Marsala. Its origins are uncertain, but it may h ...

, Inzolia, and

Catarratto Catarratto is a white Italian wine grape planted primarily in Sicily where it is the most widely planted grape. Catarratto can make full bodied wines with lemon notes.J. Robinson: ''Jancis Robinson's Wine Course'' Third Edition, p. 101. Abbevill ...

. In the

Monreale DOC Monreale (; ; Sicilian: ''Murriali'') is a town and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Palermo, in Sicily, southern Italy. It is located on the slope of Monte Caputo, overlooking the very fertile valley called ''"La Conca d'oro"'' (the Gold ...

Perricone can be made a varietal (at least 85% of the wine) or blended with Nero d'Avola (Calabrese) to make up at least 50% of the DOC red wine with International varieties, including Pinot noir permitted to make up the remainder. Perricone intended for the DOC wines are limited to yields of 11 tonnes/ha with the finished wines having a minimum alcohol level of 11%.

Synonyms

Over the years Perricone has been known under a variety of synonyms including Cattarato rouge, Guarnaccia Nera, Nieddara, Niuru, Perricone Nera, Perricone Nero, Perricone noir, Picnatelo, Pignateddu, Pignatelle, Pignatello, Pirricone , Quarnaccia and Tuccarino di Catania.

Vitis International Variety Catalogue The Vitis International Variety Catalogue (VIVC) is a database of various species and varieties/cultivars of grapevine, the genus ''Vitis''. VIVC is administered by the Geilweilerhof Institute for Grape Breeding (''Institut für Rebenzüchtung Gei ...

(VIVC)
Perricone
' Accessed: October 2nd, 2012

References

{{reflist Red wine grape varieties