What is made here
Wine colours
Colours the rules allow. Pick a colour to filter the rules and grapes below.
Where it is
Riesi in Italy
- Latitude
- 37.1°–37.4° N
- Vineyard altitude
- 31 m to 493 m
- Production zone
- 65,816 ha
Lies within
Cerasuolo di Vittoria, Vittoria, Sicilia
Worked out from the boundaries (smallest container first). They follow whole communes, so a neighbour sharing a commune can show up here too.
Boundary drawn from whole communes, so it is a little larger than the legal zone. Boundary: Eurac Research PDO inventory (CC0). Country outlines: Natural Earth. Dots on the zone map are the vineyard points used for climate.
Showing every colour The colour filter changes the rules and grapes. Climate, vintages and soils describe the vineyards, so they stay the same.
01 · What the law says
The rules
Limits on grapes, yields, ripeness and ageing that every wine labelled Riesi must meet.
Blend rules
Riesi Rosso
- ≥ 80% Calabrese (Nero d'Avola) / Cabernet Sauvignon · Main grape
- – other non-aromatic red grapes suitable for Sicily · Others allowed
At least 4 months' ageing; release from April of the year after the harvest.
Blend rules
Riesi Novello
- ≥ 80% Calabrese (Nero d'Avola) / Cabernet Sauvignon · Main grape
- – other non-aromatic red grapes suitable for Sicily · Others allowed
Blend rules
Riesi Rosato
- 50–75% Calabrese (Nero d'Avola) · Main grape
- 25–50% Nerello Mascalese / Cabernet Sauvignon · Allowed
- – other non-aromatic grapes suitable for Sicily · Others allowed
; release from February of the year after the harvest.
Blend rules
Riesi Superiore
- ≥ 85% Calabrese (Nero d'Avola) · Main grape
- – other non-aromatic red grapes suitable for Sicily · Others allowed
At least 24 months' ageing; release from November of the second year after the harvest.
Blend rules
Riesi Superiore Riserva
- ≥ 85% Calabrese (Nero d'Avola) · Main grape
- – other non-aromatic red grapes suitable for Sicily · Others allowed
At least 36 months' ageing; release from November of the third year after the harvest.
Blend rules
Riesi Nero d’Avola
- ≥ 85% Nero d'Avola · Main grape
- – other non-aromatic grapes of the same colour suitable for Sicily · Others allowed
; release from April of the year after the harvest.
Blend rules
Riesi Cabernet Sauvignon
- ≥ 85% Cabernet Sauvignon · Main grape
- – other non-aromatic grapes of the same colour suitable for Sicily · Others allowed
; release from April of the year after the harvest.
Blend rules
Riesi Merlot
- ≥ 85% Merlot · Main grape
- – other non-aromatic grapes of the same colour suitable for Sicily · Others allowed
; release from April of the year after the harvest.
Blend rules
Riesi Syrah
- ≥ 85% Syrah · Main grape
- – other non-aromatic grapes of the same colour suitable for Sicily · Others allowed
; release from April of the year after the harvest.
Blend rules
Riesi Bianco
- ≥ 75% Ansonica (Insolia) / Chardonnay · Main grape
- – other non-aromatic white grapes suitable for Sicily · Others allowed
; release from February of the year after the harvest.
Blend rules
Riesi Spumante
- ≥ 75% Ansonica (Insolia) / Chardonnay · Main grape
- – other non-aromatic white grapes suitable for Sicily · Others allowed
Blend rules
Riesi Vendemmia Tardiva
- ≥ 75% Ansonica (Insolia) / Chardonnay · Main grape
- – other non-aromatic white grapes suitable for Sicily · Others allowed
; release from November of the second year after the harvest.
Blend rules
Riesi Insolia
- ≥ 85% Insolia · Main grape
- – other non-aromatic grapes of the same colour suitable for Sicily · Others allowed
; release from February of the year after the harvest.
Blend rules
Riesi Chardonnay
- ≥ 85% Chardonnay · Main grape
- – other non-aromatic grapes of the same colour suitable for Sicily · Others allowed
; release from February of the year after the harvest.
Other varieties allowed
Besides the main grapes, the rules allow these varieties in some wines. Grape names link where a profile exists.
27 varieties · Riesi Rosso, Riesi Novello, Riesi Cabernet Sauvignon
Aglianico, Alicante, Alicante Bouschet, Ancellotta, Barbera, Cabernet Franc, Calabrese, Carignan, Catanese Nero, Ciliegiolo, Corinto Nero, Frappato, Gaglioppo, Malbec, Merlot, Mondeuse, Montepulciano, Nerello Cappuccio, Nerello Mascalese, Nocera, Perricone, Petit Verdot, Pinot Noir, Sangiovese, Syrah, Tannat, Tempranillo
26 varieties · Riesi Rosato
Aglianico, Alicante, Alicante Bouschet, Ancellotta, Barbera, Cabernet Franc, Calabrese, Carignan, Catanese Nero, Ciliegiolo, Corinto Nero, Frappato, Gaglioppo, Malbec, Merlot, Mondeuse, Montepulciano, Nerello Cappuccio, Nocera, Perricone, Petit Verdot, Pinot Noir, Sangiovese, Syrah, Tannat, Tempranillo
28 varieties · Riesi Superiore, Riesi Superiore Riserva, Riesi Nero d’Avola
Aglianico, Alicante, Alicante Bouschet, Ancellotta, Barbera, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Calabrese, Carignan, Catanese Nero, Ciliegiolo, Corinto Nero, Frappato, Gaglioppo, Malbec, Merlot, Mondeuse, Montepulciano, Nerello Cappuccio, Nerello Mascalese, Nocera, Perricone, Petit Verdot, Pinot Noir, Sangiovese, Syrah, Tannat, Tempranillo
27 varieties · Riesi Merlot
Aglianico, Alicante, Alicante Bouschet, Ancellotta, Barbera, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Calabrese, Carignan, Catanese Nero, Ciliegiolo, Corinto Nero, Frappato, Gaglioppo, Malbec, Mondeuse, Montepulciano, Nerello Cappuccio, Nerello Mascalese, Nocera, Perricone, Petit Verdot, Pinot Noir, Sangiovese, Syrah, Tannat, Tempranillo
27 varieties · Riesi Syrah
Aglianico, Alicante, Alicante Bouschet, Ancellotta, Barbera, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Calabrese, Carignan, Catanese Nero, Ciliegiolo, Corinto Nero, Frappato, Gaglioppo, Malbec, Merlot, Mondeuse, Montepulciano, Nerello Cappuccio, Nerello Mascalese, Nocera, Perricone, Petit Verdot, Pinot Noir, Sangiovese, Tannat, Tempranillo
28 varieties · 4 wines
Albanello, Carricante, Catarratto Bianco Comune, Catarratto Bianco Lucido, Chenin Blanc, Damaschino, Fiano, Glera, Grecanico Dorato, Grillo, Malvasia Bianca, Malvasia di Lipari, Manzoni Bianco, Minnella Bianca, Montonico Bianco, Moscato Giallo, Muller Thurgau, Muscat Blanc A Petits Grains, Petit Manseng, Pinot Blanc, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Trebbiano Toscano, Vermentino, Vernaccia di S. Giminiano, Viognier, Zibibbo
29 varieties · Riesi Chardonnay
Albanello, Ansonica, Carricante, Catarratto Bianco Comune, Catarratto Bianco Lucido, Chenin Blanc, Damaschino, Fiano, Glera, Grecanico Dorato, Grillo, Malvasia Bianca, Malvasia di Lipari, Manzoni Bianco, Minnella Bianca, Montonico Bianco, Moscato Giallo, Muller Thurgau, Muscat Blanc A Petits Grains, Petit Manseng, Pinot Blanc, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Trebbiano Toscano, Vermentino, Vernaccia di S. Giminiano, Viognier, Zibibbo
In the vineyard and cellar: rules for every wine
3,200
Vines per hectare, minimum
Training
Systems allowed
controspalliera; alberello
No forcing
Forcing the vines is prohibited
Permitted
Irrigation
Cellar
Where the wine must be made
Within the production zone
Allowed
Enrichment (chaptalisation)
02 · Climate fingerprint
The climate
The growing season averages 20.4 °C, hot on Gregory Jones's scale, with 2,233 growing degree days (Winkler V).
The average year 1991–2020, vineyards at about 292 m
Monthly mean, °CRain, mmGrowing season
- Growing-season temperature
- 20.4 °C
- Hot · 19–21 °C (Jones)
- Growing degree days
- 2,233
- Region V: 2,222 and over degree days
- Growing-season rain
- 196 mm
- Of 508 mm a year
- Harvest rain
- 115 mm
- September–October
Copernicus ERA5-Land monthly averages at 5 vineyard points (Vineyard point 1, 377 m; Vineyard point 2, 29 m; Vineyard point 3, 229 m; Vineyard point 4, 498 m; Vineyard point 5, 325 m), moved to each point's height from the model's terrain. Indices that need daily data are not captured yet. How the climate figures are made.
Lower confidence:Monthly reanalysis in moderately complex terrain; not yet checked against a weather station.
Closest climates in the database
Picked by the data, not by hand: the profiles nearest on season warmth (counted twice), degree days, rain, ripening-month nights and day–night range. Neighbours within 30 km are left out, as they share the same weather.
1. PortimãoVery similarCompared with Riesi: same season warmth, similar rain.
2. Pago FlorentinoVery similarCompared with Riesi: same season warmth, similar rain.
3. Casa del BlancoVery similarCompared with Riesi: same season warmth, similar rain.
Growing-season temperature
Growing degree days
Growing-season rain
03 · Year by year
35 vintages
Each column is one growing season: heat above or below the 1991–2020 average, and rain at harvest. Pick a year for the details.
Warmer than averageCooler than averageHarvest rain (Sep–Oct)Average harvest rain, 115 mm
2025
- Growing-season temp.
- Growing degree days
- Harvest rain
- Growing-season rain
- September nights
- Hot days and frosts
Seasons are labelled by harvest year (April–October). Year-to-year changes from ERA5-Land; tested against station records in Alto Adige (r = 0.94 for season temperature at Bolzano). Rain varies more locally, so treat single-season rain with some caution. Vintage ratings, harvest dates and frost or hail events have places in the data model but are not loaded yet.
04 · Where the numbers come from
Sources
- A geospatial inventory of regulatory information for wine protected designations of origin in Europe · Candiago et al., Scientific Data 9, 394 (2022); Eurac Research · CC0
- Quality wines in Italy and France: a dataset of PDO specifications · figshare 25393261 · CC BY 4.0
- ERA5-Land monthly averaged data (reanalysis-era5-land-monthly-means) · Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), Climate Data Store · CC BY 4.0 (Copernicus licence)
- OpenStreetMap vineyard areas (landuse=vineyard), from Geofabrik country extracts · OpenStreetMap contributors · ODbL 1.0
- Copernicus DEM GLO-90 (AWS open data tiles) · European Space Agency / Copernicus · Copernicus DEM licence
- Disciplinare di produzione: Riesi (version published by MASAF up to May 2023, via the Internet Archive; later amendments not yet included) · Ministero dell'agricoltura, della sovranità alimentare e delle foreste (MASAF) · Official act
- Appellation nesting worked out from boundaries (pipeline/build_nesting.py) · Vinous, from the Eurac PDO boundaries · CC0 (source data)
- Climate profiles calculated by Vinous: method
Still to check (3)
- Generated from EU reference data: check against the current product specification.
- From the specification: Minimum planting density is 3,200 vines/ha for white varieties and 4,000 for red. Novello and spumante have no yield rows of their own, so the rosso and bianco rows are repeated for them; novello needs carbonic maceration of at least 40% of the grapes. Vendemmia tardiva grapes are dried on the vine and picked no earlier than 10 October.
- National tier (DOC/DOCG) not captured yet; rules extracted from the specification text.