It was the dream we had been cradling for a long time, going back to the countryside sooner or later and contributing in our own little way to the rebirth of a magnificent territory as only Sicily could be. It was not easy to find this corner of paradise, indeed it was quite the opposite! For a few years, in fact, we have traveled Sicily far and wide in search of a suitable place to establish roots, and make a dream come true. We visited beautiful places, but no one lent itself to the project we had in mind, because it always seemed to be missing something.
A dream comes true
Suddenly, in 2010, the opportunity presented itself to visit this beautiful estate, completely left out in the cold, with the very old and original grapevineyard almost eradicated, but still with an incredible charm, and immediately the spark had struck. Then see our kids run and have fun contributed a lot in the final purchase decision. Tenuta Santo Spirito was undoubtedly the right place we were looking for. In 2011 our Company was born, and the dream has become a reality.
Tenuta Santo Spirito is a small family business, with a wine production of about 11,000 bottles, which at full capacity should become as many as 20,000 bottles. The estate is located within the Cerasuolo area of Vittoria Classico, along the road from Roccazzo to Acate, in one of the most surprising and beautiful territory of south-eastern Sicily, rich in history and traditions, and with a generous climate consisting of hot summers and mild winters, which surely put it at the top of the most beautiful and suited wine areas of Italy. The property includes twelve hectares of agricultural land, of which only around four hectares are dedicated to specialized grapevineyards, while in the rest there are olive trees (two hectares), citrus fruits (four hectares), and other typical crops of the area.
Only native Sicilian grapevines are present in the grapevineyard. Nothing has been recovered from the original grapevineyard, so from the very beginning everything was focused on the best clones of Nero d’Avola (1.5 hectares) and Frappato(1.5 hectares), and later of Grillo and Inzolia (together 1.2 hectares). This area of production offers a quality viticulture, consistent with the type of soil, which here is mainly dissolved limestone. The form of farming adopted for the grapevines is espalier Guyot-type, with a density per hectare of 4,000 strains, as provided for by the production discipline of the Cerasuolo di Vittoria. Inside the estate there is also the old Art Nouveau villa, currently under complete restoration, and which in the future will be dedicated to the hospitality of wine lovers for tastings and corporate visits.
The production philosophy of our Company is aimed at enhancing the territory through the production and marketing of quality wines deeply linked to the territory, in full respect of local traditions, the environment, and the people who live and work there. Is not by chance that Tenuta Santo Spirito, in addition of being an organic company, actively adheres to the SOStain project, the sustainability program for Sicilian winemaking, developed as a path aimed at enriching and enhancing everything that lives around the production system, such as the land, the landscape, flora and fauna, those who work and finally to those who consume wine , with the aim of pursuing environmentally friendly, socially equitable and cost-effective development.
The exceptional wine value of the area of origin of our wines, combined with the great experience of all our collaborators, few but good, allows us to reach the market with wines having strong territorial identity, able to express at best complexity, elegance, and aromatic depth of every grape present in our grapevineyards. Grapevineyards amorously cared through meticulous and continuous seasonal work, aimed at ensuring the best possible raw material. The same care and attention are found in the cellar where nothing is left to chance, and each stage is carefully followed by our excellent winemaker, Rosario Livolsi, to deliver an outstandingly good and surprisingly healthy product. Behind every wine there is always a story, and this is ours.
