DOC area for red and white wines in the Italian region of
Sicily. It was only created in 2011. The zone covers in its entirety the municipality of Siracusa in the province of the same name Siracusa. If the grapes come from classified vineyards,
Vigna followed by the name of the vineyard can be indicated on the bottle label.
The
Bianco is produced from Moscato Bianco =
Muscat Blanc (zum. 40%), as well as other approved varieties (max. 60%). The
Rosso is produced from
Nero d'Avola (zum. 65%), as well as other approved varieties (max. 35%). The
pure variety wines must contain at least 85% of the respective variety, the remaining 15% can be other approved varieties. These are Moscato, Moscato Spumante, Nero d'Avola,
Passito (Moscato Bianco) and
Syrah.
Until 2011 there was an independent DOC division
Moscato di Siracusa, which was then transferred to the new DOC division Siracusa. One of the oldest wines in Sicily, it is said to be the descendant of the legendary "Pollio di Siracusa" (after a legendary ruler of Syracuse) and of
Pliny the Elder (23-79), who mentioned the
ancient wine called
Haluntium. The German Staufer Emperor Frederick II (1194-1250), who resided in Sicily, regularly served it to his guests. In the first half of the 20th century it was still as famous and popular as
Marsala and the wines from the island of
Pantelleria, which belongs to Sicily. Bottles are still available on the market today, which are over 150 years old and in excellent and edible condition. The wine is now produced by only a few producers and has experienced a rebirth with the creation of a consortium of producers in 2008.