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Guides / Wine Regions / Italy

Sicily

Vintages

Explore the Sicily vintage chart and learn the vintages of great red and white wines.

Let’s take a look 9 vintages in Sicily to find what wines fared the best and where to find value in the great vintages, but also what to look out for in some of the more variable vintages

Sicily produces many different red and white wines throughout the vast island. Getting enough heat isn’t a problem, but lack of rainfall is. Lets learn what to look out for in some of the more variable vintages as well as great vintages for red and white wines in Sicily.

Red Wines: 2019, 2016, 2011, 2010

White Wines: 2018, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2010

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Recent Vintages To Explore
2019
This vintage had average rainfall and produced excellent red wines and very good white wines. Red wines from Etna were particularly good.
2018
The red wines of Sicily were good but not excellent this year, whilst the white wines performed very well
2017
Both white and red wines this year were average. The low rainfall caused problems with ripening and acid retention.
2016
Both white and red wines performed well this year, despite the low levels of rainfall.
2015
Very good red and white wines, with higher levels of refreshing acidity due to higher levels of rainfall.
2014
White wines show best this year throughout the whole island with some excellent examples. The best red wines were from Etna in this vintage.
2013
Neither the red nor the white wines were exceptional this year, but overall the consistency of quality can be found.
2012
Red wines are your best bet in this vintage, with the white wines showing well, but not better than the reds.
2011
This was a great year for both red and white wines throughout the island.
2010
A good year for whites and reds, however red wines from Etna are drinking well now from this vintage.
Vintage Chart Legend
Highly Consistent
Average Consistency
Variable Consistency
Large Production
Medium Production
Small Production
Hot Temp/Low Rain
Average Weather
Cool Temp/High Rain

How Wine Folly Rates a Vintage

We gather the facts of a vintage and how those features affect the wines. This way, you're better able to find the vintages that fit your needs (whether you're a collector or looking to drink now).

Quality

Generally speaking, the more consistent the vintage, the better the quality.

The crop consistency determines the quality of a vintage. In some years, we see average to high consistency, and to us, consistency equates to quality.

On other vintages, quality is much more variable. In these variable years, it's best to look for producers who consistently produce high-quality wines because they can roll with difficulties growing grapes.

Weather

Ideally, producers want consistent temperatures year in and out for consistent quality. Of course, this is not very likely to happen as weather changes frequently. Rain during harvest, hail, and frost are key events that can create a difficult vintage.

Seasonal events include frost, hail, drought, and even wildfires. These events affect the quality or size of a vintage.

In warmer climates getting enough rainfall during the growing season is key for healthy grapes and ripening.

In cooler or more moderate climates, getting enough but not too much rain and getting the right amount of sunshine and heat are important for producing ripe grapes.

Volume

Contrary to popular belief, low volumes do not always equal high quality. Producers can have very high-quality years where volumes are also high.

The opposite is also true, where we might have low yields, but the quality may be low - this might be due to disease in the vineyard or poor weather conditions.

So why do we care about volume? If there's more, it can lower prices, and if less, the prices might be higher.

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