When it comes to Italian wine regions, most of us would mention Tuscany, Piemont or Veneto in the first place, but one shouldn’t forget about the southern region of the country: Calabria, Puglia, or Sicily.
Especially Sicily with it’s dramatic landscape and rich flora and fauna. And this is the home of one of our favourite wineyard.
Donnafugata was established in Sicily by a family that, thanks to its passion, has been able to innovate the style and perception of Sicilian wine throughout the world.
Giacomo Rallo, the fourth generation of a family with over 160 years of experience in quality wine, founded Donnafugata in 1983 together with his wife Gabriella, a pioneer of viticulture in Sicily. Today, their children José and Antonio lead the company and a team of people focused on excellence.
The name Donnafugata refers to the novel by Tomasi di Lampedusa entitled Il Gattopardo (The Leopard). A name that means “donna in fuga” (woman in flight) and refers to the story of a queen who found refuge in the part of Sicily where the company’s vineyards are located today. An adventure that inspired the corporate logo: the image of a woman’s head with windblown hair that dominates every bottle. Donnafugata labels are also works of art created or inspired by Gabriella Rallo, as are the names of the wines, an homage to art and literature.
One of their signature wines Ben Ryé 2014 refers to the ancient tradition of sweet wine. Every sip is surprising with their freshness and complexity. The bouquet is intense and fragrant: typical aromas of apricots and candied citrus zest combined with balsamic scents of Mediterranean scrub and sweet notes of honey and fresh figs. The palate is well defined and intense, with pleasant sweetness well balanced by a fresh vein of acidity and lively sapidity. We should also mention their collaboration with the well known designer duo: Dolce&Gabbana and Donnafugata renew their collaboration by giving life to Rosa, a new rosé wine with a fruity and floral personality. A message of common positivity and rebirth, starting from its roots: Sicily.
