Sicily: Stunning Italian island shaking off its Mafia image - but the wine is still just as great

But Sicily is changing its image.

Ahead of Agrigento becoming Italy’s city of culture next year, and the attention that will bring to this UNESCO heritage site there is a significant attempt to remove references to the era of organised crime that the film referred to.

Francesco Miccichè, mayor of Agrigento has banned the sale of souvenirs that feature Mafioso images because they send the wrong message to visitors and do not represent the current situation in the town.

Whether that ban will end the tourist trails that wind their way through the key sites where the film was made, is unlikely. Savoca, where much of the film was made is on the eastern side of Sicily, 300 km from Corleone. You can still get a drink in Bar Vitelli.

And while this re-adjustment of history may change the perceived image of Sicily, there is nothing that can change the beauty of this island with its rugged countryside, ancient history, elegant cities and glorious food.

Sicily produces more wine than any other region of Italy. For generations it has churned out vast quantities of wine, and while quantity has been plentiful, the quality has not always been consistently good.

All that has changed in recent years and there is a new quality drive in wineries across Sicily.

There are many estates, usually family-run, where wine quality has always been the aim, but many of these wines have not reached the UK. As attitudes and budgets have shifted, so we are starting to see Sicily’s gems reach our shores.

The weather in inland Sicily is not exactly as you might encounter in holiday hotspots. Leave the coast and head to where the land begins to rise towards the island’s mountainous centre and breezes keep temperatures down.

As for rain, I was soaked for two days when I was visiting wineries in May, while others who were on Etna were stopped by snow. Spring rain combined with breezes and good ripening summer sunshine gives Sicily the right conditions for top-quality wines.

I spent days exploring the region close to Palermo, talking to producers and tasting wines. These are some of the producers who impressed me.

Tenuta Regaleali

Around 20 Kms inland from the coast, south east of Palermo, successive generations of the Tasca d’Almerita family have tended and developed their large property for almost 200 years.

It used to spread over 1200 hectares, but agricultural reform in the 1950s meant that a significant chunk was distributed to local people. But the 600 or so hectares of remaining land is plenty to work with, stretching over a series of five gentle hills and valleys.

Here at altitudes from 450 metres to 900 metres there are many different soil types, making it perfect for a wide range of grapes to be grown. It was from this land that in the 1970’s Regaleali Rosso del Conte was first recognised as a world class wine.

The focus of this family has always been to preserve the land and to work sustainably. Wherever possible natural solutions to any problems are used, and even the bottles are lighter than many, to reduce the carbon footprint from the winery.

This company was instrumental in setting up SOStain – a sustainability program that covers all the important criteria for making sure that vineyards work in harmony with the environment.

As for the wines, over the course of my stay, I tasted through most of the wines. All had their own individual character and quality. While the main focus is on indigenous grapes such as Carricante, Inzolia, Nero d’Avola and Perricone, there is room for international grapes such as Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and a handful of other varieties for blending.

The estate is now run by Alberto Tasca, who also heads up the SOStain association, along with other Sicilian estates owned by the family, producing a fine range of top-quality wines.

Hic! in Ledston has a great range of Regaleali wines. Try Cavallo delle Fate Grillo 2022 (£19.75) for dry, fresh flavours of citrus and white peach with a streak of minerality that goes brilliantly well with fish and poultry. The star of the day’s tasting was Rosso del Conte 2018, made from an old, co-planted plot of Perricone and Nero d’Avola vines, aged in French oak for 18 months. Full of dark red fruits it has gentle, velvety power, with a balance that shows freshness as well as perfect ripeness of style. (Hic! £60).

Feudo Montoni

It is unlikely that you will come across Feudo Montoni by chance. Located right in the midst of hills, this is an ancient farm, established in 1469, according to a stone found on a barn.

Now in charge of the estate is Fabio Sireci and his American wife Melissa. How a girl from New York came to live in this Sicilian hideaway is a story best enjoyed over lunch, if you are lucky enough to be invited. She is a famous chef and cookery book writer.

Fabio makes some of the best wines I tasted on my trip. He has old clones of old vines that have been nurtured since the time of his grandfather, and he makes wines in the old slow way using natural yeasts and cement tanks. These wines have a delicacy of touch, perfectly balanced and complex. Find them at SicilyWine (www.sicily-wine.io) but I really hope that a Yorkshire importer will seize the chance to get their hands on these wines.

Principe di Corleone

This family-run estate is an hour’s drive from the town of Corleone, and it combines terrific wines with a place to stay on holiday. With 60 hectares of vines cultivated organically on impoverished black volcanic soils, the wines shine with fruit and style.

Sadly, these are not available in the UK so contact me to be put in touch with these lovely people.