🍇 Grillo

Grillo is a white wine grape of Sicily. By DNA markers (VIVC no. 5021) it descends from Catarratto Comune and Muscat of Alexandria, called Zibibbo in Italy. It is used for Marsala and dry wines; a Sicilia DOC wine named after the variety requires at least 85% Grillo and total acidity of at least 4.5 g/L.

VIVC describes Grillo as a white variety with hermaphrodite flowers for wine use; the catalogue lists 5 synonyms, among them Ariddu, Riddu and Volpicello. A 2021 study in OENO One calls it one of the most important white varieties of Sicily and confirms its descent from Catarratto Comune and Zibibbo. It is genetically distinct from Moscato Cerletti, which Baron Mendola bred in 1869.

For Marsala from the province of Trapani the law permits Grillo, Catarratto, Inzolia and Damaschino. Sicilia DOC also provides for Grillo wines as vendemmia tardiva, passito, superiore, riserva and spumante; the yield is up to 14 t/ha. The specification describes the dry wine as straw yellow, with an elegant, fine aroma, harmonious and full on the palate. In the Alcamo DOC a wine named after the variety also contains at least 85% Grillo.

Plantings in the reference catalogue are out of date: VIVC gives 4,965 ha in Italy in 1982 and 1,808 ha in 2000.

Why it matters to you. “Grillo” on a Sicilia DOC label means at least 85% of this variety, and a blend of two varieties is possible only when the smaller one makes up at least 15%. Marsala is a fortified wine and is not the same as a dry white Grillo.