Zibibbo is hands-down the grape that is the most fun to say. It is a white grape with a very long history and not just in Sicily. Zibibbo wine has been enjoyed for thousands of years. I first learned about Zibibbo from my friends at The Italian Cellar. Now it’s time for you to discover Sicily’s Zibibbo wine. Here are 10 zany facts about Zibibbo. You’ll want to remember them so that you can work in the word ‘Zibibbo’ in casual conversation as often as possible. At the end I’ve added a bonus Zibibbo food pairing guide.
1. Zibibbo is the same as Muscat of Alexandria
Muscat is convincingly the oldest grape family in the world. As the name suggests, Muscat of Alexandria originated from Alexandria, Egypt. Both the Phoenicians and the Greeks brought Zibibbo plantings to Sicily and Pantelleria, a tiny island nearby. There are 3 DOC designations for Zibibbo in Italy, Patelleria DOC, Erice DOC, Sicilia DOC.
2. Zibibbo is over 5000 years old
Zibibbo, aka Muscat of Alexandria, dates back to Ancient Egypt. What’s even more fascinating is that over the course of the 5000 years that it’s been cultivated, it hasn’t changed much genetically. That’s basically a viticultural miracle.
3. It is a triple threat
Zibibbo is a table grape, a wine grape, and a raisin grape. Grapes in the Muscat family are the only grapes I’ve ever tasted that taste the same off the vine as table grapes as they do as a wine.
4. The name Zibibbo comes from the Arabic “Zabīb”
The Arab population of Sicily used raisins in their cooking and would have abstained from drinking Zibibbo wine for religious reasons. Zabīb in Arabic means raisin. You can read more about the history of the grape here.
5. Zibibbo wine is very aromatic
Zibibbo is highly aromatic. It smells like jasmine, orange blossoms, peaches, apricots, and almonds. The aromatics of Zibibbo are even more intense when it’s made into dessert wine. Then it also takes on honey and marmalade smells.
6. Zibibbo can be a dry wine or sweet
Zibibbo can be fermented dry or made into dessert wine by making wine from the raisins. This is a method called passito. Passito di Pantelleria is the most famous sweet Zibibbo wine.
7. Zibibbo is making a comeback as an orange wine
Biodynamic viticulture and natural wine making are a perfect fit for Zibibbo since they are both based in ancient winemaking. The young winemakers of Sicily and Pantelleria are going back to their roots and making these new orange wines. Zibibbo with a bit of skin contact gives it a beautiful honey hue and deepens it’s citrusy character.
8. There’s a Zibibbo sparkling wine in Australia
Apparently, Browns Brothers in Australia made a sparkling wine from Muscat of Alexandria and named it Zibibbo. I for one think that’s a little misleading but hey, the Aussie’s call their Syrah Shiraz, what can we really expect from them? Just kidding, love the Australians.
9. Zibibbo is one of 200 synonyms for Muscat of Alexandria
Since Muscat of Alexandria is almost as old as dirt and has travelled all across the world, it is no surprise that each country, each region, and each village would have a special name for the grape. Moscatel de Alejandria in Spain, Muscat Roumain in France, Moscatel de Setubal in Portugal, Hanepoot in South Africa, and Lexia in Australia.
10. Zibibbo might be the grape of the future
Zibibbo has survived this long, right? It’s also a grape that can survive drought and extreme heat. Unfortunately, these climactic conditions aren’t too far into the future.
Bonus: Zibibbo Food Pairing
Zibibbo is very food friendly in all of its expressions. Pair dry Zibibbo with shellfish, spicy Asian dishes, and Indian food. Zibibbo orange wine pairs beautifully with roasted poultry, ham, and duck. Sweet passito Zibibbo matches with almond cookies, biscotti, and honey soaked desserts like baklava.