What is Grillo?Sicily's heat-loving white grape, once the heart of Marsala, at Fiena, King's Cross

Grillo is a white Italian grape that copes well with high temperatures, which suits Sicily's climate. It's also known as Riddu, and in Liguria, around Riomaggiore in the province of La Spezia, it grows under the name Rossese bianco.

Nobody is quite sure where it started. One theory is that it was brought to Sicily from Apulia, the heel of Italy. What is certain is that by 1897 it was already widely planted in the province of Trapani. Today it's grown right across Sicily and on the Aeolian Islands too.

Grillo has a long association with Marsala, the Sicilian wine it has long been used to make. In recent years it has also become widely used in several Sicilian DOC wines:

• Monreale, in the province of Palermo
• Alcamo, in the provinces of Palermo and Trapani
• Contea di Sclafani, in the provinces of Agrigento and Palermo
• Delia Nivolelli, in the province of Trapani

Some producers bottle it on its own as a 100% Grillo, while others blend it, often with Chardonnay. It has even started to travel: the first Grillo vines in California were planted in 2023. Background from Wikipedia's Grillo page.

On our drinks menu, the Vitis Nostra Grillo from Italy is described simply as a dry white, with crisp citrus and a green apple aroma. If you'd like to stay in Sicily for your red, the Vitis Nostra Nero d'Avola is a full-bodied Sicilian red with black cherries, red berries and dried fruit. Comparing whites? Try it next to the Ca Del Lago Inzolia, pale golden with citrus aromas, the bone-dry Gavi di Gavi or the Pinot Grigio. See our guide to our wine list and our posts on Nero d'Avola and Albariño. Ask our team about glasses and bottles when you order.

A crisp, citrusy white is a natural match for seafood and lemony dishes. From our main menu:

• Baby calamari, deep-fried baby squid with tartar sauce and a lemon wedge.
• Marinated seafood, mixed seafood marinated in olive oil, lemon juice and mixed herbs.
• Capesante, pan-fried scallops with a lemon buttery sauce.
• Linguine vongole, with clams, baby prawns, garlic, cherry tomatoes and bisque.
• Sea bass with capers sauce, or Salmon with lemon sauce, both served with French beans.

See our posts on calamari, capesante, linguine alle vongole and sea bass with capers.

Guests often mention the drinks alongside the food. R C wrote: The drinks were also really good. (R C, Google review) And after the seafood linguine, one guest said the fish was cooked perfectly. (M Sinnott, Google review)

“Great place! Wonderful food and lovely people!”

Lina, Google reviews, 2026