“In reality for the Docg we use older grapes, which are on average 25 years old”, underline Jacono, “in fact they manage to give the Nero d’Avola the right contribution to obtain the Cerasuolo di Vittoria”.

The vine cultivation in the area is of ancient origin and it is also linked to historical events. Vittoria, for example, took its name from Vittoria Colonna Rodriguez, who founded the town in 1606 and gave the locals the land, but only to cultivate it with vines.

The territory of Ragusa is rich in nature, history and art. It is located under the Iblei mountains and reaches the sandy coast of the Gela gulf, with many natural reserves and some of the most beautiful archaeological sites in Europe, that are the signs of the many civilizations that lived there: the ancient town of Camarina (586 b.C.), the archaeological park with the Greek acropolis of Gela of the 7th century b.C.

Without forgetting the baroque aspect. The area in fact is fraught with many towns which are architectural masterpieces and part of the Unesco World Heritage List. Amongst these town there is Ragusa Ibla, a mosaic of monuments and churches where the baroque blends with the gothic and Arab art, Modica, Salvatore Quasimodo’s homeland, nowadays well-known for the Aztec chocolate, the monuments, the narrows streets, the domes and the church decorations. And Scicli, one of the most elegant Sicilian towns, with its churches, even deconsecrated.

“All this is represented by the wines of the company” ended Gaetana Jacono, “and you can feel it while you’re drinking your glass of wine”.

Valle dell'Acate: Contrada Bidini - 97011 Acate (Ragusa). Telephone 0039 0932 874166; fax 0039 0932 875114. Email: info@valledellacate.it;

website:www.valledellacate.it.

Translated by Chiara Nunnari from John Milton Institute