Perricone is a red grape of western Sicily, grown mainly in the provinces of Palermo, Trapani and Agrigento. It makes deeply coloured, medium to full-bodied reds with plum, black cherry, herbs and firm tannins, and is also known locally as Pignatello.
Perricone is an old Sicilian variety. It was once widely planted in the west of the island and was used in red blends and in the red style of Marsala. After phylloxera hit Sicily at the end of the 19th century, growers replanted with other grapes, and Perricone slowly became rare. Since the 2000s a number of Sicilian producers have bottled it again as a varietal wine, and it is now one of the island's rediscovered native reds.
The vineyards are hot and dry, on clay and limestone soils, and the grape needs a long season to ripen its thick skins.
Perricone has more tannin and less fruity softness than Nero d'Avola. Young wines can feel firm, and a few years in bottle help. Some producers age it in large or used barrels to soften it without masking the fruit.
Start with a varietal Perricone under the Sicilia DOC or Terre Siciliane IGT label. Producers worth knowing include Tasca d'Almerita, Firriato, Rallo, Castellucci Miano, Feudo Montoni, Barraco, Cantine Fina and Aldo Viola. Some make it as a fresh, unoaked red, others as a fuller wine for ageing.
Perricone grows next to Nero d'Avola and is a darker, firmer red than Frappato or Nerello Mascalese. Read our best Sicily wines, the Marsala wine guide, or browse the grape varieties index.