Here at a height of 400 metres is where you find the 75 hectares of family vineyards, here the climate conditions of the hillside and the lay of the land combine with the beneficial influences of a typical Mediterranean climate: temperate summers and mild winters. We always have a gentle breeze, which favours significant day-night temperature swings.
It is a grape growing area that is characterised by a particular concentration of variable type of soils: from dark clays mixed in with organic matter to white chalky soil. The former has a constant and homogenous level of fertility, the latter guarantees rich, complex, aromatic profiles. Thanks to these fortunate conditions, within a radius of around 5 sq kilometres, we perfectly adapted the varieties to the subsoils capturing the uniqueness of every growing area, obtaining wines with a broad spectrum of aromas.
Each of our wines is unique and authentic. Each area is a mosaic of sensations inescapably evoking the characteristics of that specific subsoil and microclimate.
The untiring work on the vines represents the most interesting aspect of the Milazzo family’s “winemaking”.
As we aim to improve the way we grow the vines and the winemaking research and experimentation have always been an integral part of our work. Those are the necessary conditions to produce quality white and red wines as well as Classic Method sparkling ones. Our experimental field is the hotbed of ideas, in collaboration with researchers and institutes from various cities, we have over the years carried out a program to improve the clones selected in the vineyards from the existing cultivars, so as to obtain healthy plants that are especially suited for the wines we produce.
This same approach has been used for many years to study the type of training, in order to determine the best ways to combine quality and authenticity, letting emerge in the wine the aspects of a typically Mediterranean climate, enriched by the temperature swings of the high hills.
The use of machines is restricted to tractors for the management of the ground between the rows, whilst weeds are removed by manual hoeing. For everything that we grow we only use organic fertilizers to guarantee the genuineness of our product and protect the water bearing layers from any changes.
Our production philosophy is dedicated to creating wines that are structured, aromatic and age -worthy.
A key factor to obtain this results is planting density. We have an average of about 5,000 plants per hectare. This allows us to reduce the weight and the size of the plant itself. This permit us to attain a better quality and concentration, with a reduced demand on the water system (therefore a better adaptation to the climate) and an earlier maturation improving phyto-sanitary conditions.
Pruning is carried out exclusively by hand. The choice of buds and shoots is a very delicate in springtime when the vegetative growth starts; at the beginning of summer when the cluster of grapes develops we practice the thinning out of the bunches, reducing the yield per plant.
We practice selective harvesting using only crates of about 14kg which are carefully washed after each usage. The grapes placed in the individual crates are straightaway transferred to the winery. The same crates are then stored in purpose-built chiller units at a controlled temperature.