Riesi

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Terroir

• White soils of marly-calcareous origin, rich in skeletal material, with modest levels of argillaceous breccia and arenaria; predominantly south-east-facing exposure.
• Mediterranean climate: hot, dry summers and mild winters; mean temperatures 12–22 °C, with peaks exceeding 40 °C in July–August.
• Average annual rainfall of 620 mm, concentrated in roughly three-quarters of the year between October and March; late-winter and early-spring night frosts are frequent.
• Scirocco dominant in late spring and summer, moderated by Monte Dissueri; cold north-easterly and north-westerly winds prevail in winter.

• Viticulture in Riesi is documented from 1879, when Prof. Macagno visited local vineyards showing symptoms attributable to phylloxera.
• The DOC was recognised in 2001 by Ministerial Decree of 23/07/2001, subsequently amended by Ministerial Decree of 20 May 2009.

• White marly-calcareous soils with argillaceous breccia and arenaria form the substrate of the hillside vineyards situated between 250 and 350 m above sea level.
• The scirocco, a warm southerly wind, is moderated by Monte Dissueri; the proximity of the sea exerts an influence on grape quality.

• Marly-calcareous soils with argillaceous breccia and arenaria provide the vine with vegetative-productive balance in the hillside vineyards between 250 and 350 m.

Facts drawn from the cahier's terroir-link section (Lien au terroir) by automatic interpretation — see the source.

Sources

• eAmbrosia register (EU) — File number PDO-IT-A0793
• Official trade body site — Assovini Sicilia