This red grape variety comes from the island of Sicily(Italy). Synonyms are Vespalora Catanisi and Vesparola. The parentage is unknown. The white variety Carricante with the synonym Catanese Bianco is not a colour mutation. The medium to late ripening vine is susceptible to botrytis. The name derives from the province of Catania in the northeast, where it may have its exact origin. Today, however, it is cultivated in the three western provinces of Agrigento, Palermo and Trapani and is used exclusively as a blend for mainly rosé wines. In 2016, 7 hectares of vines were reported to be in steep decline (Kym Anderson statistics).
Pictures: Ursula Brühl, Doris Schneider, Julius Kühn-Institut (JKI)
Source: Wine Grapes / J. Robinson, J. Harding, J. Vouillamoz / Penguin Books Ltd. 2012
Serious sources on the internet are rare - and Wine lexicon from wein.plus is one such source. When researching for my articles, I regularly consult the wein.plus encyclopaedia. There I get reliable and detailed information.
Thomas Götz
Weinberater, Weinblogger und Journalist; Schwendi