What is made here
Wine colours
Colours the rules allow. Pick a colour to filter the rules and grapes below.
Where it is
Sambuca di Sicilia in Italy
- Latitude
- 37.6°–37.7° N
- Vineyard altitude
- 192 m to 357 m
- Production zone
- 9,614 ha
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 Sambuca di Sicilia must meet.
Blend rules
Sambuca di Sicilia Passito
- ≥ 50% Ansonica (Inzolia, Insolia) · Main grape
- – Grillo, Sauvignon · Allowed
Blend rules
Sambuca di Sicilia Rosso
- ≥ 50% Nero d'Avola · Main grape
- – other non-aromatic black grapes authorised in Sicily · Others allowed
Blend rules
Sambuca di Sicilia Nero d’Avola
- ≥ 85% Nero d'Avola · Main grape
- ≤ 15% other non-aromatic black grapes authorised in Sicily · Others allowed
Blend rules
Sambuca di Sicilia Sangiovese
- ≥ 85% Sangiovese · Main grape
- ≤ 15% other non-aromatic black grapes authorised in Sicily · Others allowed
Blend rules
Sambuca di Sicilia Cabernet-Sauvignon
- ≥ 85% Cabernet Sauvignon · Main grape
- ≤ 15% other non-aromatic black grapes authorised in Sicily · Others allowed
Blend rules
Sambuca di Sicilia Merlot
- ≥ 85% Merlot · Main grape
- ≤ 15% other non-aromatic black grapes authorised in Sicily · Others allowed
Blend rules
Sambuca di Sicilia Sirah
- ≥ 85% Syrah · Main grape
- ≤ 15% other non-aromatic black grapes authorised in Sicily · Others allowed
Blend rules
Sambuca di Sicilia Rosso Riserva
- ≥ 50% Nero d'Avola · Main grape
- – other non-aromatic black grapes authorised in Sicily · Others allowed
At least 24 months' ageing.
Blend rules
Sambuca di Sicilia Rosato
- ≥ 50% Nero d'Avola · Main grape
- – other non-aromatic black grapes authorised in Sicily · Others allowed
Blend rules
Sambuca di Sicilia Bianco
- ≥ 50% Ansonica (Inzolia, Insolia) · Main grape
- – other non-aromatic white grapes authorised in Sicily · Others allowed
Blend rules
Sambuca di Sicilia Ansonica/Inzolia/Insolia
- ≥ 85% Ansonica (Inzolia, Insolia) · Main grape
- ≤ 15% other non-aromatic grapes authorised in Sicily · Others allowed
Blend rules
Sambuca di Sicilia Chardonnay
- ≥ 85% Chardonnay · Main grape
- ≤ 15% other non-aromatic grapes authorised in Sicily · Others allowed
Blend rules
Sambuca di Sicilia Grecanico
- ≥ 85% Grecanico · Main grape
- ≤ 15% other non-aromatic grapes authorised in Sicily · Others allowed
Other varieties allowed
Besides the main grapes, the rules allow these varieties in some wines. Grape names link where a profile exists.
28 varieties · 4 wines
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 · Sambuca di Sicilia Sangiovese
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, Syrah, Tannat, Tempranillo
27 varieties · Sambuca di Sicilia 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
27 varieties · Sambuca di Sicilia 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 · Sambuca di Sicilia Sirah
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 · Sambuca di Sicilia Bianco, Sambuca di Sicilia Ansonica/Inzolia/Insolia
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 · Sambuca di Sicilia 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
28 varieties · Sambuca di Sicilia Grecanico
Albanello, Ansonica, Carricante, Catarratto Bianco Comune, Catarratto Bianco Lucido, Chenin Blanc, Damaschino, Fiano, Glera, 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
2,500
Vines per hectare, minimum
Training
Systems allowed
alberello; controspalliera
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 20.9 °C, hot on Gregory Jones's scale, with 2,327 growing degree days (Winkler V).
The average year 1991–2020, vineyards at about 235 m
Monthly mean, °CRain, mmGrowing season
- Growing-season temperature
- 20.9 °C
- Hot · 19–21 °C (Jones)
- Growing degree days
- 2,327
- Region V: 2,222 and over degree days
- Growing-season rain
- 218 mm
- Of 591 mm a year
- Harvest rain
- 116 mm
- September–October
Copernicus ERA5-Land monthly averages at 5 vineyard points (Vineyard point 1, 225 m; Vineyard point 2, 197 m; Vineyard point 3, 204 m; Vineyard point 4, 355 m; Vineyard point 5, 195 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.
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. MadeiraVery similarCompared with Sambuca di Sicilia: same season warmth, similar rain.
2. MadeirenseVery similarCompared with Sambuca di Sicilia: same season warmth, similar rain.
3. Monica di SardegnaVery similarCompared with Sambuca di Sicilia: 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, 116 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: Sambuca di Sicilia (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 vine density is 2,500/ha (existing white vineyards); new plantings need 3,200/ha for whites and 3,400/ha for reds and rosato, existing red vineyards 2,700/ha. The riserva mention may also be used for varietal reds. Passito grapes are dried after harvest; its taste may range from dry to sweet, so sweetness is left null. Vinification is also allowed in listed neighbouring communes.
- National tier (DOC/DOCG) not captured yet; rules extracted from the specification text.