I have dedicated my life to wine, to getting to know and appreciate it, trying to understand its boundless complexity. Each wine is a world unto itself, living, growing and changing as people do, acquiring over time a personality that makes it unique and different from any other wine.
Loving a wine is like loving a person: to do so, we must let go of our prejudices and learn to understand and accept the myriad facets of his character, with the complete honesty and respect he deserves.
It was 1990 when, at the age of fifteen, I decided to take my first wine tasting course to pursue my passion: a passion that would soon become my profession and radically change my life.
A professional wine taster since the age of 19, at 23—in 1998—I won the AIS (Italian Association of Sommeliers) competition as the best Italian sommelier, an achievement that gave me the opportunity to work at a high level with Gualtiero Marchesi, Stefano Cavallini, Bruno Loubet, Carlo Cracco, Aimo, and Nadia Moroni.
Curiosity and a desire to improve led me to continue my studies and obtain a degree in viticulture and oenology in 2006, the year I met Salvo Foti: it was our mutual friendship and appreciation that gave me the opportunity and motivation I needed to become a winegrower.
In parallel, I work as a consultant and popularizer. Since 2012, I have been working with the Feudi di San Gregorio wine company as area manager for Central and Northern Italy.
I have chosen to make wine in a difficult, impenetrable, and wild area, which nevertheless boasts one of the richest wine-growing traditions in Italy and Europe.
Etna is a land of ancient grape varieties, such as Nerello Mascalese, Nerello Cappuccio, Alicante, and Francisi for red wines, and Carricante, Minnella, and Grecanico for white wines.
The grapes are transformed into fine wines with many unique characteristics and a remarkable history, wines that are now appreciated all over the world for their distinctive character and qualities.
All my vineyards follow the traditional model known as alberello viticulture, typical of the Etna area. The vines are not arranged in rows: each is treated as an individual plant and placed at equal distances from the others on all sides, supported by a chestnut pole.
This provides more space for the roots, better sunlight exposure and ventilation, and a geometry that makes pruning and harvesting easier—two activities that are still mainly carried out by hand. After all, a well-cared-for and healthy vine will produce good fruit.
To care for my vineyards, I have chosen to rely on the experience of Salvo Foti and Maurizio Pagano, heirs to a tradition that began in the 16th century with the Maestranza dei Vigneri, or Winegrowers' Guild, the first association of its kind in the Etna area.
By using non-invasive methods and tools, and completely avoiding pesticides or systemic treatments, we strive to get the best out of the priceless heritage offered by our territory, working in a respectful and unhurried manner, in complete harmony with ourselves and the environment.
