Perricone

Perricone is a red grape variety that is cultivated in Sicily and in a very limited way in Tunisia. In the provinces of Agrigento, Palermo, Trapani and it is recommended for planting, in the provinces of Messina and Syracuse it is authorized.

Perricone is approved in the DOC wines Contea di Sclafani Perricone, Contea di Sclafani Rosso, Delia Nivolelli Pignatello o Perricone and Delia Nivolelli Rosso. In very rare red Marsala she also finds use. Currently (2001) are planted approximately 1195 hectares with Perricone.

The Perricone grape produces soft, bold, soft -bodied red wines. It is used primarily as a blending partner or (under the name Pignatello ) for varietal IGT wines. It is believed that it is related to the grape variety Barbera or identical, but this appears to be unlikely in view of the different type ampelography varietal characteristics.

See also the article viticulture and winemaking in Italy in Tunisia and the list of grape varieties.

Ampelographic varietal characteristics

In the ampelography the habit is described as follows:

• The shoot tip is flattened. She is hairy only spinnwebig. The greenish, glossy young leaves with their bronze-colored spots ( Anthocyanflecken ) are also hairy spinnwebig or even glabrous.
• The medium-sized leaves are three - or five-lobed and barely sinuate. The petiole is lyres -shaped open. The blade is serrated pointed. The teeth are set closely compared the vine. The leaf surface (also called lamina ) is vesicular coarse.
• The roll or cone-shaped cluster is small to medium in size and dichtbeerig. The roundish berries are medium in size and of a bluish-black color. The aroma of the berry is neutral. The berry skin is thick.

The berries ripen about 30 days after which the good Dels. It is valid under international scale even as late maturing. The variety is very susceptible to the vine diseases powdery mildew and downy mildew. The early sprouting variety has only moderate growth and provides only medium income in the order of 40 to 60 hectoliters / hectare.

Synonyms

The Perricone grape is also known under the name Cattarato rouge, Guarnaccia Nera, Nieddara, Niuru, Quarnaccia, Perricone Nera Nera or Pirricone, Pignateddu, Pignatelle or Pignatello, Quarnaccia and Tuccarino di Catania.