Stefano Girelli | Sicily, expressed in enchanting flavour

In this interview and tasting I speak with Stefano Girelli, owner of two estates Santa Tresa and Cortese, in the southern part of the Sicily, Vittoria. We discuss the island’s potential for organic produce and why it is so exciting as a 21st century wine producer.

Today, as the southern gateway into Europe, Sicily is both vibrantly awake and celebrating its wealth of flavours and human activity, coupled with the tense interplay of colours that range from Etna’s volcanic displays, to the blindingly pure azure.

Stefano Girelli: ’About 20-25 years ago I went to Sicily and it was like love at first sight.’

‘Vittoria is is in the deep south part of Sicily, south of Regusa, and if you look on the map you will see that Tunis, is north of us! Why did I fall in love? The answer is very simple. In that area you find a unique soil called Terra Rosa or faretti, which is really sandy and gives you an incredible structure. It gives you some really fine and elegant wine.’

‘My perception before going to Vittoria was that all the wines from the south were big, bold with a lot of muscle and of alcohol. Actually from Vittoria you get wines that really elegant with fruity nose and less structure but much more drinkable and enjoyable.’

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