Nocera

Nocera is a native dark-skinned grape of north-eastern Sicily, historically grown in the province of Messina and neighbouring Calabria, where it was once valued as a colouring and structuring grape for blends shipped north. It is a traditional component of the Faro and Mamertino denominations near Messina.

It gives deeply coloured reds with high acidity and firm tannins, contributing colour, structure and freshness to blends with the Nerello grapes. Long marginalised, it is being revived by Messina-area producers as part of the region's classic red blends and occasionally on its own.