Valle Belice

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Terroir

• Predominantly clayey soils: Regosols, Brown Soils (up to 35% clay), Vertisols and Alluvial Soils, all with a neutral to alkaline reaction.
• Undulating hilly morphology with variable slopes, typical of the inner Sicilian argillaceous hills.
• Mediterranean climate: rainfall concentrated in autumn–winter, summer drought; mean annual precipitation of 700 mm.
• Temperatures ranging from approximately 11 °C (January–February) to 28–30 °C (July–August); relative humidity between 60% (summer) and 75% (winter).
• The zone encompasses the communes of Menfi, Montevago, Santa Margherita Belice (AG) and Contessa Entellina (PA), in the Valle del Belice.

• Vine cultivation documented as early as the 6th century BC: wine amphorae recovered in the Greco-Selinuntine contrade and from the seabed at Capparrina attest to ancient export trade.
• Following the phylloxera crisis (early 1900s), Menfi attracted viticulturists on account of its coastal sandy dunes, which proved more resistant to phylloxera.

• Clayey soils (regosols, vertisols, brown soils) and alluvial soils shape wines with a terroir character rooted in the undulating inner Sicilian hills.

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

Sources

• Regional grape register (PDF) — sicilia
• eAmbrosia register (EU) — File number PGI-IT-A0811
• Official trade body site — Istituto Regionale del Vino e dell'Olio di Sicilia (IRVO)