Nerello Cappuccio, also known as Nerello Mantellato or Niuru Cappucciu, is an ancient Sicilian red grape variety, historically associated with the slopes of Mount Etna and the hills of the province of Messina. The earliest documented records date back to the 19th century and confirm its cultivation in the areas of Trecastagni and Viagrande, often interplanted with other grape varieties. Today it is widespread across various parts of Sicily, with significant populations in the provinces of Agrigento, Enna and Caltanissetta, as well as in the areas around Mount Etna, Messina and Ragusa. The vine is of medium vigour and has medium-to-large, wedge-shaped leaves that are entire or three-lobed, sometimes five-lobed, with an almost flat blade and wavy margins. The bunch is medium or large, cylindrical or conical, winged and compact; the berry, spheroidal and of medium size, has a firm, pruinose skin of a blue-black colour. The wine is characterised by its ruby-red colour, its vinous and fruity profile, its good structure on the palate and a pleasant finesse, supported by generally soft tannins. When vinified as a single variety, it offers a fragrant and immediately approachable expression, whilst when blended with Nerello Mascalese, it helps to produce more complex and long-lived wines. Of particular interest is its nature as a polyclonal population, with biotypes exhibiting variable ampelographic characteristics, and its traditional role in the Etna and Faro appellations.
