WineNZ Summer 2019-20

Feature | Sicilian Wine - History in the Making
Sicilian
Wine -
history in
the Making
By Joan gestro
Marsala, on the eastern coast
of Sicily, was on our itinerary
for a visit during a recent
trip, to a country of very
fine horticulture, climate
and soil type, perfect for
grapes, olives, vegetables, lemons and fruit of all
description.
The Alagna family winery, into its fourth
generation of ownership, is a master at fortified
wines. Antonio Alagna showed us through and
didn’t hesitate to lay out a tasting range for us
to sample and of course purchase if we wished.
The VINeYARDS
Technologies and land conservaTion
The company owns about 50 hectares of land
in the municipalities of Marsala, Mazara, Trapani
and Selemi. In these areas the vines necessary
for the production of its wines are cultivated:
Zibibbo, Nero d’avola, Grillo, Catarrato, Inzolia
and Damaschino. These are all local grapes
that can only be grown in Sicily and need
a special microclimate that is only found in
the province of Trapani. The company uses a
mixture of traditional and modern techniques
for the production of these grapes. For example,
this one started using mechanical collection
systems, but it also uses ancient systems like
the saplings. Furthermore, the entire production
is done trying to minimize the environmental
impact and preserve the natural heritage of the
area.
The CeLLAR
respecT for TradiTion and qualiTy
Currently, the company is equipped for the
production and storage of wines that are
produced in the vineyards of the area and
the aging and bottling process is also carried
72 WineNZ Magazine | Summer 2019/2020