Depending on where you buy and drink wine, catarratto will be very familiar or very obscure. In the 2010s, it was ubiquitous in many London restaurants and natural wine shops, yet many wine drinkers have unknowingly enjoyed it in fruity, sun-soaked whites from larger retailers.
The Unsung Hero of Sicilian Vineyards
Catarratto is Sicily’s most widely planted white grape, covering roughly a third of the island’s vineyards. It is also the second most planted grape in all of Italy, after sangiovese. For decades, it was either used for bulk wine or as a supporting component in better-known Sicilian denominations like Marsala or Etna bianco. This has led to a Quincy Jones-like quality: integral to the success of others before being recognized in its own right.
Modern Recognition and Terroir Expression
Today, modern producers are making more complex catarrattos that truly express their terroirs, whether volcanic, maritime, or the rolling hills around Alcamo in northwestern Sicily. The wine offers notes of ripe pear, peach, lemon, and almond, making it a crowdpleasing choice. It remains a favorite on wine lists and is now being named and championed in supermarket bottles. For example, the Purato organic catarratto/pinot grigio blend from Ocado celebrates its component parts, while Vinca’s Organic White Wine explicitly mentions 100% catarratto grapes on its packaging and is available in aluminium bottles from Tesco for £8.50.
Small Producers Leading the Way
Natural winemaker Nino Barraco, based in the catarratto heartland of Marsala, creates single-vineyard wines using indigenous grapes and wild yeasts. His Biancomatte, a one-off wine made in 2025 when his new bush catarratto failed to reach full ripeness, is light, bright, and mineral. It offers a limited-edition treat for enthusiasts.
Four Catarrattos to Catch the Eye
- Fazoli Gino Biddizza Catarratto £17.99 (1 litre) Adnams, 13%. A peachy and food-versatile orange catarratto, perfect for alfresco parties.
- Biancomatto Barraco 2025 £22.50 Sip Wines, 9.5%. A beautiful result of a bad year for the winemaker’s young bush catarratto.
- Purato Organic Catarratto Pinot Grigio £10.75 Ocado, 11%. A blend with plenty of round, fruit-forward catarratto character.
- Tule Bianco Catarratto 2024 £11.10 The Sourcing Table, 12%. An unfiltered, mineral wine from the catarratto heartland of Alcamo, suitable for any occasion.
