Perricone

Perricone is a Sicilian red grape, also encountered under the name Pignatello. It is part of western Sicily's local wine heritage, offering an alternative to treating the island's reds as a choice only between Nero d'Avola and international varieties. It can contribute colour, fruit and structure in blends as well as in more direct varietal bottlings.

A producer may make a firm, substantial red or choose a gentler extraction that presents the fruit more immediately. Warm regional origin is not a guarantee of soft tannin, and prominent oak is not necessary to establish a wine's seriousness. Where Perricone is part of a blend, the other grapes and their proportions remain part of the explanation.

Try a dry varietal example with roast lamb, pork, mushrooms or a rich vegetable dish, and give a young structured bottle some air. If your preference is a fresher style, ask about extraction and maturation before choosing a reserve. Search both grape names when exploring producers so an older local term does not appear to be an unrelated new discovery.