What is made here
Wine colours
Colours the rules allow. Pick a colour to filter the rules and grapes below.
Where it is
Sciacca in Italy
- Latitude
- 37.5°–37.7° N
- Production zone
- 31,496 ha
Lies within
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 Sciacca must meet.
Blend rules
Sciacca Rosso
- ≥ 70% Merlot / Cabernet Sauvignon / Nero d'Avola / Sangiovese · Main grape
- – other non-aromatic red grapes authorised in Sicily · Others allowed
Blend rules
Sciacca Nero d’Avola
- ≥ 85% Nero d'Avola · Main grape
- – other non-aromatic red grapes authorised in Sicily · Others allowed
Blend rules
Sciacca Cabernet Sauvignon
- ≥ 85% Cabernet Sauvignon · Main grape
- – other non-aromatic red grapes authorised in Sicily · Others allowed
Blend rules
Sciacca Merlot
- ≥ 85% Merlot · Main grape
- – other non-aromatic red grapes authorised in Sicily · Others allowed
Blend rules
Sciacca Sangiovese
- ≥ 85% Sangiovese · Main grape
- – other non-aromatic red grapes authorised in Sicily · Others allowed
Blend rules
Sciacca Rosso Riserva
- ≥ 70% Merlot / Cabernet Sauvignon / Nero d'Avola / Sangiovese · Main grape
- – other non-aromatic red grapes authorised in Sicily · Others allowed
At least 24 months' ageing.
Blend rules
Sciacca Rosato
- ≥ 70% grapes prescribed for Sciacca rosso (or for Sciacca bianco and rosso together) · Main grape
- – other non-aromatic red grapes authorised in Sicily · Others allowed
Blend rules
Sciacca Bianco
- ≥ 70% Inzolia / Grecanico / Chardonnay / Catarratto lucido · Main grape
- – other non-aromatic white grapes authorised in Sicily · Others allowed
Blend rules
Sciacca Inzolia
- ≥ 85% Inzolia · Main grape
- – other non-aromatic white grapes authorised in Sicily · Others allowed
Blend rules
Sciacca Grecanico
- ≥ 85% Grecanico · Main grape
- – other non-aromatic white grapes authorised in Sicily · Others allowed
Blend rules
Sciacca Chardonnay
- ≥ 85% Chardonnay · Main grape
- – other non-aromatic white grapes authorised in Sicily · Others allowed
Blend rules
Sciacca Riserva Rayana
- ≥ 80% Catarratto lucido / Inzolia · Main grape
- – other non-aromatic white grapes authorised in Sicily · Others allowed
At least 24 months' ageing.
Other varieties allowed
Besides the main grapes, the rules allow these varieties in some wines. Grape names link where a profile exists.
25 varieties · Sciacca Rosso, Sciacca Rosso Riserva, Sciacca Rosato
Aglianico, Alicante, Alicante Bouschet, Ancellotta, Barbera, Cabernet Franc, Calabrese, Carignan, Catanese Nero, Ciliegiolo, Corinto Nero, Frappato, Gaglioppo, Malbec, Mondeuse, Montepulciano, Nerello Cappuccio, Nerello Mascalese, Nocera, Perricone, Petit Verdot, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Tannat, Tempranillo
28 varieties · Sciacca 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 · Sciacca 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 · Sciacca 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 · Sciacca 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
26 varieties · Sciacca Bianco
Albanello, Carricante, Catarratto Bianco Comune, 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
28 varieties · Sciacca Inzolia
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
28 varieties · Sciacca 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
29 varieties · Sciacca 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
27 varieties · Sciacca Riserva Rayana
Albanello, Carricante, Catarratto Bianco Comune, 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
3,000
Vines per hectare, minimum
No forcing
Forcing the vines is prohibited
Permitted
Irrigation
Cellar
Where the wine must be made
Within the production zone
02 · Climate fingerprint
The climate
The growing season averages 21.1 °C, very hot on Gregory Jones's scale, with 2,372 growing degree days (Winkler V).
The average year 1991–2020, vineyards at about 218 m
Monthly mean, °CRain, mmGrowing season
- Growing-season temperature
- 21.1 °C
- Very hot · above 21 °C (Jones)
- Growing degree days
- 2,372
- Region V: 2,222 and over degree days
- Growing-season rain
- 213 mm
- Of 587 mm a year
- Harvest rain
- 114 mm
- September–October
Copernicus ERA5-Land monthly averages at 1 vineyard points (Vineyard point 1, 218 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:No vineyards are mapped here yet, so this is the climate at one point in the middle of the zone, which may not be where the vines are. Monthly reanalysis in complex terrain (height corrections up to 0.4 °C); absolute values may be several degrees out, year-to-year changes are more reliable.
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. ΝεμέαVery similarCompared with Sciacca: same season warmth, similar rain.
2. Nuragus di CagliariVery similarCompared with Sciacca: same season warmth, similar rain.
3. VittoriaVery similarCompared with Sciacca: 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, 114 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)
- Disciplinare di produzione: Sciacca (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: Rayana is a subzone used only with the riserva type for white wine. Tendone training is excluded; the 3,000 vines/ha minimum applies to new vineyards. Bottling must also take place in the zone.
- National tier (DOC/DOCG) not captured yet; rules extracted from the specification text.