As reflected by the name, probably this grape variety is native of the East and, in particular, of the territory in what is today Syria, from which it was introduced in Sicily during the Arab domination. The first documentation about it dates back to 1868, through the work of Baron Antonio Mendola, who talks about it in his essay Italian Ampelography and, subsequently, it is mentioned in the "Ampelographic Bulletin" of 1885. Although currently it has been almost completely forgotten and replaced by the more productive and interesting Cataratto variety, Damaschino was much used in the post-phylloxera period, especially in the province of Trapani. It is a very vigorous plant with large, pentagonal and five-lobed leaves, with large, pyramidal, winged and medium-sparse bunches, formed by medium-large, spheroidal grapes with slightly waxy skin.
