Vittoria, the wine, the vineyards and the stone walls that surround them --this is my land. The sun, which rises early in the morning, warms the nearby Iblei Mountains. The sky blushes with layers of warm light diffusing across the rows of vines in Fossa di Lupo, my farm. I love the grapes of this area, Frappato and Nero d’Avola. I identify with them, their ability to be harmonic yet discordant. I admire their strength and ability to merge the past and the future.

My biggest challenge is to understand the needs of this land without disturbing its essence or altering its appearance. I try to ascertain everything it has to offer and understand how it gives rigor and harmony to the Nero D’Avola and freshness and elegance to the Frappato. To receive means to give and as a winemaker this means maintaining the integrity of biodiversity. I try to produce wines without using any chemicals, neither in the cellar nor in the vineyard, so that they may simply be the fruit of our land with their own characteristics and stories.

My farm covers about 10 hectares of vineyards and 15 hectares of olive groves, cultivated entirely organically.

Classification: Sicily IGTVariety: Albanello and Moscato di AlessandriaAltitude: 280 meters above sea levelTerrain: red sand and chalk from sub-Apennine limestone Agriculture: organic, without chemical interventionFarming system: guyot and alberelloAverage age of vines: 10 yearsPlant density: 6,000 plants per hectareHarvest period: mid-OctoberFermentation: only indigenous yeasts, with a maceration period of 15 days on the skins. Aging: six months in stainless steel vats and 1 month in bottle. Unfiltered

L011

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SP68 is not only a road, but also a connection between paths. We cross these roads in Sicily every day to reach our vineyards and to return to our towns. First in amphora and then in bottles, these wines have traveled kilometers on these roads to all their diverse destinations. These roads upon which our farmers travel everyday to reach their land…

Classification: Sicily IGTVariety: Frappato and Nero D’AvolaAltitude: 280 meters above sea levelTerrain: red sand from sub-Apennines of calcareous (chalk)Agriculture: organic, without chemical interventionFarming system: guyot Average age of vines: 10 yearsPlant density: 6,000 plants per hectareHarvest period: mid-october Fermentation: only indigenous yeasts, maceration period of 30 days. Aging: six months in stainless steel vats, 1 month of bottle. Unfiltered

L011

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...In Sicily, we say that that [SP68] is the most ancient wine route in existence. These roads were also trade routes, in this case, between Gela and Riposto, Sicilian wine traveled along our SP68. I imagine a time when Forcone road, which goes from Vittoria to Quaglio, was a gathering place where one would find both vineyards and men carrying vessels of wine.

Classification: Sicily IGTVariety: Frappato di VittoriaAltitude: 270 meters above sea levelTerrain: red sand from sub-Apennines of calcareous (chalk)Agriculture: Organic, without chemical interventionFarming system: guyot, alberelloAverage age of vines: 55 yearsPlant density: 6,000 plants per hectareHarvest period: mid-octoberFermentation: with indigenous yeasts, maceration period of 50 days on skinsAging: 14 months in large 25hl, Slovenian oak barrels, 2 months in bottle. Unfiltered

My Frappato is born from a dream that I think I’ve always had. I want it to convey all that I think, the land I’m working, the air I’m breathing: Vittoria with all its history, perhaps myself as well. I particularly love it because it is a synthesis of my Sicily, with a thousand faces. I adore it because it’s difficult, at times rough and bloody, and yet extremely elegant. I thank it for having brought me back to Sicily, a land that many are still departing from.

Classfication: Sicily IGTVariety: Nero d’AvolaAltitude: 270 meters above sea levelTerrain: Medium Consistency, sand from sub-Apennines of calcareous (chalk)Agriculture: organic, without chemical interventionFarming system: alberelloAverage age of vines: 35 yearsPlant density: 6,000 plants per hectareHarvest period: Mid-OctoberFermentation: with indigenous yeasts, maceration period of 40 days on skinsAging: 16 months in large 25hl, Slovenian oak barrels and 6 months in bottle. Unfiltered

S011

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Chissa è racina siccagna signurì!

The albarello at the Vittoria is not just this. It is fresh and elegant and not just concentrated. It is red fruit and a little wild. It smells like a true wine, in all senses. It is the grapes from our ancestors --those that unite Sicily from every angle and which represent us the most. Siccagno has been with me since the beginning. The loose grape clusters, its diverse variations, fruit of one mass selection. Here in Sicily, it’s pure tradition thanks to grafting in the vineyards. Looking at the vines, you sense the history of our vineyards.

Classification: Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCGVariety: Frappato di Vittoria and Nero d’AvolaAltitude: 270 meters above sea levelTerrain: Medium Consistency, sand from sub-Apennines of calcareous (chalk)Agriculture: organic, without chemical interventionFarming system: guyot, alberelloAverage age of vines: 40 yearsPlant density: 6,000 plants per hectareHarvest period: mid-OctoberFermentation: with indigenous yeasts, maceration time of 40 days on skinsAging: 4 years in 25hl Slovenian oak barrels, 6 months in bottle. Unfiltered

High cliffs comprise the Ippari river valley, which lies close to Vittoria, the city where I grew up and still live. Today, we cultivate both Frappato and Nero d’Avola in Fossa di Lupo. This is my synthesis of Sicily. In 2006, 4120 bottles were produced.

Classification: Sicily IGTVariety: Nero d’Avola (late harvest)Altitude: 270 meters above sea levelTerrain: Medium Consistency, sand from sub-Apennines of calcareous (chalk)Agriculture: organic, without chemical interventionFarming system: AlberelloAverage age of vines: 12 yearsPlant density: 6,500 plants per hectareHarvest period: mid-OctoberDrying period: on reed mats for 12 daysFermentation: with indigenous yeastsMaceration: 7 days on skinsAging: 16 months in used barriques, 10 months in bottle

It is always important to experiment. During a tasting with chocolate and Siccagno, I realized that Nero D’Avola could evolve into something else. The result was a wine (from dried grapes) of particular sweetness and balanced acidity. Historically, this was once done to preserve grapes during winter. In 2008, 1320 bottles were produced.

OLIO

OLIO

GHETA

Production zone: Castelvetrano, Latomie districtVariety: Nocellara del BeliceAgriculture: NaturalFarming system: Umbrella netting systemAverage age of trees: 80 yearsHarvesting: beginning in November, manual harvest.Extraction: continuous cold cycle Storage: in stainless steel vatsAppearance: radiant Color: golden yellow with green huesAroma: intense and freshTaste: Fruity and balancedDensity: Medium-HighUse: for both cooking and finishing.

The life of every Sicilian is intertwined with olive oil. The production of Nocellara Belice is our family tradition, a tradition that dates back to 1600 A.D. It has the most beautiful memories: racing through the olive groves, falling and skinning my knees, the taste of bitter olives in the mouth. The olive harvest was a time of gathering, of parties and stories, of many families with the same origins. Were children played carefree, eating bread and fresh-milled oil; so spicy, yet so good. Today it is still special --green, golden, and fragrant. Fortunately, even today, we have the same desire to play, the same light-heartedness, and joy of the past. In addition to the old property of Castelvetrano, we acquired 14 hectares of ancient olive groves of Tonda Iblea in c. Chiaramonte Gulfi from Piraino. From these trees we derive the single cultivar, and Pantarei Gheta.

OLIO

PANTAREI

Production zone: Chiaramonte Gulfi, c. da Piraino Variety: Tonda Iblea Agriculture: OrganicFarming system: Umbrella netting systemAverage age of trees: centuries-oldHarvesting: second half of October, manual harvestExtraction: continuous cold cycleStorage: in stainless steel vatsAppearance: radiantColor: green with golden huesAroma: Intensely fruityTaste: balanced; slightly bitter, spicy undertonesDensity: Medium-highUse: for both cooking and using raw

Azienda AgricolaArianna Occhipinti

Contrada Fossa di LupoSP68 Vittoria-Pedalino, Km 5.497019 Vittoria (RG), SiciliaTel. +39.339.7383580info@agricolaocchipinti.it

www.agricolaocchipinti.it

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