Passito di Pantelleria DOC 'Ben Rye' 2022 (375 ml boxed) Donnafugata

The vineyards of Pantelleria

The vineyards and the winery of Donnafugata in Pantelleria harmoniously blend into the landscape and the specific agricultural context of the island of wind. Pantelleria is a volcanic island between Sicily and Africa, and it is a rare example of heroic viticulture. The landscape exudes the farmer's toil in building terraces and dry stone walls and in cultivating the vineyard shaped by the wind. The vineyards, where... Donnafugata It cultivates Zibibbo, which is located in 12 different districts characterized by soil, altitude, exposure, and the age of the plants (some over 100 years old). In the Khamma winery, an example of sustainable architecture, the individual batches of Zibibbo are processed separately, enhancing the diversity of the viticultural contexts.

The wineries of Marsala

The ancient family cellars are the beating heart and the strategic center of the business where the aging and bottling of wines take place. Donnafugata. The Marsala cellars, built in 1851, are a living example of industrial archaeology. They preserve the typical layout of the Mediterranean "baglio" with a large internal courtyard dotted with citrus trees and olive trees, and wooden trusses crafted by ancient master carpenters. Today, they host a dynamic production reality aimed at excellence. Here, products from Contessa Entellina and Pantelleria come together for aging processes (in steel, cement, wood) and bottling. The cellar processes involve the use of simple technologies that are increasingly respectful of the intrinsic qualities of musts and wines. Considering the importance of temperature control at every stage of the production process, the environments are air-conditioned and insulated to achieve maximum energy savings; even the tuff material of the construction and the high ceilings (7 meters) supported by wooden trusses naturally isolate the environments from the high temperatures typically found in Sicily. In line with the company's environmental policies, there is also the underground barrel cellar carved into the tuff rock.

Victory

In southeastern Sicily, Donnafugata chooses a territory with a high vocation for producing soft red wines with a floral soul, unusual wines capable of innovating the way of drinking red wine. It is the area of Vittoria, between the Ibleo plateau and the sea, land of a historic and prestigious denomination that includes the first and only... DOCG of Sicily: the Cerasuolo di Vittoria.

Donnafugata He cultivates his vineyards in the territory of Acate. Overall, the company can count on 36 hectares, divided into 3 subregions: Biddine Soprana, Biddine Sottana, and Isola Cavaliere. The grapes grown are Nero d'Avola and Frappato. Nero d'Avola, the king of Sicilian red grape varieties, is the most widespread in Sicily, thanks to its strong ability to interact with the environment. In the area of Vittoria, it expresses itself with a medium structure and particularly fine tannins. Frappato is one of the oldest Sicilian varieties, which loves the typical climate of the Doc Vittoria territories. A wine that stands out for its fragrance and floral notes. Extremely pleasant on the palate and delicately tannic.

Etna

In eastern Sicily, where Mount Etna is located: the highest active volcano in Europe (over 3,300 m), Donnafugata He chose the North side to produce mountain, volcanic, and Mediterranean wines.

In this estate, between 730 m and 750 m. s.l.m., , Donnafugata It has about 21 hectares of vineyards, all in the DOC area, divided into 6 districts: Montelaguardia, Statella, Camporè, and Calderara in the municipality of Randazzo, Marchesa and Verzella in the municipality of Castiglione di Sicilia. The cultivated varieties are the indigenous ones representative of the territory: Carricante, Nerello Mascalese, and in small quantities, Nerello Cappuccio.

The wine landscape on Etna is characterized by terraces and dry stone walls made of lava stone (UNESCO World Heritage Site). The training method is the low trellis or the traditional bush vine, also in quincunx (dense checkerboard planting with about 7,000 plants per hectare).