Currently I take care of 5 hectares of vineyard (and two more to come). Making an authentic wine is the mission that motivates me each day to work in the vineyard and in the cellar. For me “Authenticity” means to be able to fully express the Marsala territory in my wines.
The varieties that I grow are Catarratto, Grillo, Nero d’Avola and Merlot (one of my father’s vineyards). Most of the vineyards are located practically in front of the Nature Reserve of the Stagnone Islands of Marsala. I really love this territory, with it’s sea breeze and warm Sicilian sun, the spectacular reflections of the salt pans and the breathtaking view of the Aegadian Islands.
Respecting the authenticity of the territory means fighting vine diseases with few sulphur and copper treatments, which I decide based on the year’s rainfall, but mostly considering the degree of humidity in the vineyard. The vineyard interventions are decided one at a time. It’s very important to me to make my wine with good, healthy grapes. In case of a bad vintage, I sort the grapes. Producing a good wine asks for quality, not quantity. And that quality, firstly and fore-mostly, has to be achieved in the vineyard.
This wine represents the feminine side of the tale of Guancianera (read here), somewhere between fantasy and real. Guanciabianca is a white wine of catarratto grapes, dedicated to the tiny Sicilian “acidduzza” (bird) in love. After Guancianera first kissed her, a small white patch would have appeared on her cheek, and from that moment the two “aciduzzi” would have been united. Guanciabianca speaks of the pure soul of the Sicilian woman, and the transparency of her feelings. The delicately floral scent with hints of ripe fruit reflect kindness, beauty and elegance.