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Sicily is Italy's largest region boasting the greatest number of vineyards, however it is only recently that a push for quality has developed as the region has a reputation for bulk second only to Apulia. In recent years prestige producers like Donnafugata and Planeta have significantly elevated the quality of Sicilian wines to levels of admiration and praise.
The DOC system is not widely employed in Sicily where a "Q" for qualità is the most popular designation. Unclassified vini da tavola are thriving. Sicily's popular varietals include Nero d'avola, a robust red, strong on its own but excellent for blending; Cataratto Bianco, a fairly bland varietal with excellent body making it the choice base of Marsala and Vermouth; Inzolia, somewhat fragile but highly valued in white table wines and Marsala; and Perricone which provides strength and color making it another optimal choice for blending.
Ample sunshine and rich soils are excellent contributors to the consistency found among the wines of the south. In a land of cooperatives, private estates are working with local varietals as well as international grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay and meeting with great success. The notion that the south is suited to the production of hot blooded wines is unfair and limited as Sicily's favorable conditions and modern technology have led to the production of dry, balanced and highly acclaimed wines
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