Donnafugata Marsala

1851: the family cellars

The Rallo family's historic cellars were built in Marsala in 1851. The complex retains the form of a nineteenth-century Mediterranean baglio: a large internal courtyard planted with citrus and olive trees, historic wooden roof trusses made by master carpenters, and working spaces now regarded as an example of industrial archaeology. The Rallo family entered the Sicilian wine trade in the wake of the English entrepreneurs active on the island.

Giacomo Rallo was born in Marsala on 18 October 1937 into the fourth generation of a family devoted to quality wine since 1851. After graduating in Law from the University of Palermo, he worked in the family business, managing it from 1965 to 1970 and serving as export manager. He subsequently developed wine ventures of his own in Italy and abroad, acquiring experience in production, marketing and international sales.

1970s–1983: Gabriella Anca and the turn toward quality

After the sudden death of her father, Gabriella Anca assumed responsibility for the Contessa Entellina property, which she inherited with 40 hectares of vineyards. During the 1970s, in an area damaged by the Belìce earthquake, she began a progressive shift toward quality. She reduced yields per hectare, improved vine training and pruning, revised the estate's ampelographic composition, removed less suitable varieties, introduced international grapes and selected superior biotypes of native varieties.

In 1983 Giacomo Rallo and Gabriella Anca founded Donnafugata. The historic Marsala cellars became the ageing and operational heart of the new enterprise, complemented by the vinification sites at Contessa Entellina and, later, Pantelleria. Giacomo's objective was an innovative Sicilian production and cultural project that combined territorial identity with contemporary international winemaking knowledge. Its guiding principle was to produce quality and communicate quality.

Gabriella chose the name Donnafugata from Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa's novel Il Gattopardo. It recalls Queen Maria Carolina's flight and refuge in the part of Sicily where the family vineyards lie. The same story inspired the emblem of a woman with windblown hair.

1989–1995: sustainability, hospitality and a new visual language

From 1989 the family developed a structured commitment to environmentally responsible practices. In 1990 José and Antonio Rallo joined the business, contributing respectively to communication and commercial development and to agronomy, wine and production.

In 1993, through the Movimento Turismo del Vino, the cellars opened to the public to connect wine with its territory. Marsala subsequently became a year-round hospitality destination for guided visits and tastings.

In 1994 Gabriella met illustrator Stefano Vitale. Their collaboration produced La Fuga, the first designer label and the beginning of a visual language based on feminine figures, Sicilian landscapes, literature and popular art. In 1995 the first vintage of Mille e una Notte was produced from a project developed by Giacomo Rallo with enologist Giacomo Tachis. The wine later became one of the principal long-ageing wines matured in Marsala.

2000–2007: management systems and a purpose-built ageing cellar

A formal quality-management path began in 2000. The Marsala production rules were incorporated with those of the other sites into a system certified to ISO 9001. Environmental management followed under ISO 14001 in 2004, while all production sites completed EMAS registration in 2006.

Giacomo Rallo was appointed Cavaliere del Lavoro in 2006. During his career he helped establish Assovini, contributed to the Istituto del Vino Italiano di Qualità Grandi Marchi and held senior roles in Unione Italiana Vini, Federvini and other industry bodies.

In 2007 an underground barrique cellar was built by excavating the local calcarenite, or tuff rock. The approximately 1,600 m² space consolidated the wood-ageing operations in one functional room. Its vaulted structure, subdued light, elevated visitor walkway and naturally stable environment were designed to satisfy structural, operational and aesthetic requirements while reducing energy demand.

The cellar maintains approximately 15–16°C and 80–85% humidity. The rock limits heat dispersion and naturally helps sustain humidity, while an electronic system monitors the conditions. At the time of opening, 93% of the vessels were barriques and 7% tonneaux. Parcels or lots were initially matured separately and progressively assembled during ageing. Space released elsewhere in the historic complex was reassigned to bottle ageing for the most important wines.

A 50 kW grid-connected photovoltaic system was installed on the Marsala roofs in 2007. Its 350 m² of monocrystalline panels was designed for average production of approximately 79,000 kWh per year.

2011–2021: certification and environmental measurement

From 2011 Donnafugata applied Good Agricultural Practices and extended its integrated Quality and Environmental Management System to vineyard operations. ISO 22000 food-safety certification covered Marsala, Contessa Entellina and Pantelleria.

Giacomo Rallo died on 10 May 2016. His children José and Antonio continued to lead the family business. Antonio, an agronomist and winemaker, assumed oversight of production; José remained responsible for much of its communication, marketing and cultural work.

In 2019 the Marsala cellars became the starting point for a Water Footprint study focused particularly on winemaking and bottling, with the objective of measuring and reducing the site's water impact. Carbon and Water Footprint work was conducted under ISO 14064-1 and ISO 14046 and validated by DNV-GL.

In 2021 ISO 50001:2018 energy-management certification was transferred to the Marsala site. The system is supported by energy-efficient machinery and monitoring capable of analysing consumption across individual production areas. In the same year the company joined Fondazione SOStain Sicilia and adopted the associated VIVA programme, which evaluates Air, Water, Vineyard and Territory indicators.

2022–2026: sixth generation, renewable energy and cultural renewal

Gabriella Favara joined Donnafugata in 2022, bringing the family into its sixth generation. Her background included study and professional experience in food-sector brand management.

In 2022 Donnafugata entered the World's Best Vineyards Top 50 for the first time. The recognition specifically highlighted the Marsala cellars, their underground barrique room, hospitality and tasting experiences.

A new 221 kWp photovoltaic system was installed on the Marsala winery roofs in 2023, with projected output of 320,000 kWh per year over twenty years and an estimated annual reduction in fossil-energy use equivalent to 49.9 tonnes of oil. Energy-saving work also included renewed lighting, conversion to LEDs and closer management of indoor temperatures.

From autumn 2023 the courtyard near the sea and Marsala's salt pans began hosting rare ancient citrus varieties originating from the Kolymbethra Garden, the FAI property in the Valley of the Temples. The collection was created to conserve Sicilian agricultural biodiversity.

In 2024 Marsala's historic baglio and underground cellar remained central to Cantine Aperte. The programme also drew attention to the recently inaugurated Wine Museum at Palazzo Fici in Marsala.

The first Sustainability Report was published in 2025. By 2026 Donnafugata reported that 95% of the energy it used, combining self-produced and purchased electricity, came from renewable sources, while photovoltaic capacity exceeded 300 kW across the company.

A permanent Art Gallery was subsequently created inside the historic Marsala cellars. It presents Stefano Vitale's original works beside the designer labels developed with Gabriella Anca Rallo, tracing more than thirty years of dialogue among wine, art, literature and Sicilian imagery.

Donnafugata Marsala has no separately identified estate vineyard. Grapes and wines arrive from the family's four vineyard estates for processing, ageing, bottling, storage or distribution.

The wider production system connected to Marsala applies Good Agricultural Practices, integrated pest management and observation of rainfall, temperature and humidity. Pheromone traps are used for insect control, while chemical herbicides and synthetic fertilisers are avoided. Weed control is mechanical or manual; soil practices include minimum tillage, legume green manure and organic fertilisation. Emergency drip irrigation, pruning and cluster thinning are used to manage water and crop load, and new plantings employ materials including wooden posts and bamboo stakes. These practices apply to the vineyard estates supplying the production system, not to vineyard land at the Marsala cellar itself.

Role of the Marsala cellar

Marsala is the historic ageing and operational centre of Donnafugata. Wines originating from the family's vineyard estates are matured here, and the site also performs bottling, storage, logistics and distribution. Winemaking technologies are selected to preserve the intrinsic characteristics of musts and wines.

Tailored maturation

Ageing regimes are chosen according to the vintage, grape variety and intended wine style. Steel is used principally for shorter maturation. Concrete is used for medium- and long-term ageing because of its thermal inertia, natural insulation and absence of electrostatic currents. Wood and bottle ageing may be combined with these vessels in different sequences and durations.

French oak is preferred for its porosity and slow, regular oxygen exchange. Approximately 20 wood specifications are selected from leading cooperages according to stave grain, oak origin, toasting method and toasting intensity. The combinations are intended to respect varietal character and develop each wine's capacity to evolve. Wines undergoing maturation are followed through repeated tasting and analytical checks.

At the opening of the underground cellar, 93% of its vessels were barriques and 7% tonneaux. Lots were initially kept separate and progressively assembled during maturation. The cellar consolidates the wood ageing of Mille e una Notte, Tancredi, Angheli and part or all of Chiarandà, depending on the production plan.

Underground barrique cellar

The approximately 1,600 m² cellar is excavated in calcarenite beneath the historic complex. Its vaulted structure and linear plan bring wood-ageing operations together in one space. The natural and electronically monitored environment remains near 15–16°C and 80–85% humidity. Rock insulation minimises heat loss, while the natural humidity reduces mechanical conditioning requirements.

The new facility released space in the nineteenth-century buildings for longer bottle maturation. Bottle ageing has been extended for prestigious reds intended for longevity, allowing their components to become more integrated before release.

Bottling and environmental controls

Modern bottling equipment is used to protect wine quality. Tanks and temperature-controlled rooms are insulated to reduce energy demand. A Water Footprint programme initiated at Marsala in 2019 specifically examines winemaking and bottling. Wastewater is treated in an on-site purification plant before entering the sewer system.

The site is integrated into ISO 9001 quality management, ISO 14001 environmental management, EMAS registration, ISO 22000 food safety and ISO 50001:2018 energy management. Monitoring systems analyse energy consumption by production area, and photovoltaic installations on the roofs contribute renewable electricity.

Quality is treated as an act of respect for land, natural rhythms and the character of each vintage. The production approach combines artisanal precision with technical innovation, working by district, variety and individual lot rather than imposing one uniform method.

In Marsala this principle is expressed through tailored maturation: the vessel, wood specification, duration and sequence of ageing are selected for each wine and vintage. The intention is to preserve varietal distinctions while developing elegance, complexity and longevity.

Environmental performance is considered inseparable from production quality. The guiding proposition is that quality cannot exist without sustainability. The underground cellar, renewable-energy systems, insulated production spaces, energy monitoring, Water Footprint work and lighter packaging translate this position into operational choices.

Family continuity is another defining principle. The fifth generation leads the company, the sixth has entered the business, and the Marsala complex connects the family's nineteenth-century winemaking history with current production, hospitality and cultural projects.

Art and communication form part of the same identity. Literature inspired the name and emblem; Gabriella Anca Rallo and Stefano Vitale developed a visual language that interprets wine through women, landscape, myth and Sicilian light. The permanent Marsala Art Gallery gives this work a dedicated physical setting.