Marabino

Meaning "land of the beloved sun," the Marabino project was born in 2002 in the Val di Noto region, at the southeasternmost tip of the island. Lead vigneron Pierpaolo Messina began his career as a winemaker through a stint living in Siena. While in the north, he observed the biodynamic practices of his Tuscan peers, where such farming methods were more common. When he returned to Sicily to set up shop, he was able to confidently apply all that he had learned to his own vines.

His 30 hectares of vineyards surround the winery and are divided into 18 distinctive parcels according to their soil types. The Ionian Sea is just a few kilometres away which tempers the intense summer heat. The cooling coastal breezes wash over the vines, helping to retain the fresh acidity and modest alcohol that we find in his wines.

His commitment to the earth is at the heart of all his viticultural and winemaking decisions. They grow olive trees and orchards, which provide shade for the vines in this hot climate, while helping to preserve natural habitats for local wildlife. The winery has vowed to never use synthetic chemicals in either vineyard or cellar. Wild yeasts are used for every fermentation, and each parcel is vinified separately, allowing the true sense of place to shine through in the bottle.