History
Family foundations
The Rallo family’s wine tradition began in Marsala in 1851. Giacomo Rallo, born in Marsala in 1937 and representing the fourth generation, combined experience in production, exports and international wine markets with the agricultural and creative contribution of his wife, Gabriella Anca Rallo. In 1983 they established Donnafugata as a new wine and cultural project dedicated to Sicilian identity, contemporary technical knowledge and international standards of quality.
Their children joined during the early 1990s. José Rallo developed the commercial, communications, cultural and hospitality sides of the business, while Antonio Rallo, an agronomist and winemaker, took responsibility for production. They subsequently became co-owners and joint chief executives. Giacomo Rallo died on 10 May 2016.
2016: the Vittoria project begins
The 2016 harvest marked Donnafugata’s arrival in Vittoria. The expansion into south-eastern Sicily was conceived to interpret another of the island’s distinct environments and its native varieties. The new estate was established at Acate, between the Hyblaean Plateau and the sea, in the territory of Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG.
The project assembled 33 hectares of vineyards in three districts and focused exclusively on Nero d’Avola and Frappato. A new-generation winery was constructed among the estate vineyards. Its architecture was designed to sit within the agricultural landscape and overlook the Dirillo river valley.
2017–2018: the first estate wines
Bell’Assai, a Vittoria DOC Frappato, was presented at Vinitaly in April 2017 as the first wine from the eastern-Sicilian production project begun with the 2016 harvest. Its label, inspired by Gabriella Rallo and illustrated by Stefano Vitale, continued the family’s established dialogue between wine and visual art.
Floramundi, the estate’s Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG, was launched later in 2017. Carla Fracci served as patroness at its presentation in the historic Marsala cellars on 2 December. Within the first months after release, the wine had entered more than 1,500 Italian restaurants, wine bars and shops and reached markets across Europe, North America and Asia.
2021–2022: sustainability framework and completion of the range
In 2021 Donnafugata joined Fondazione SOStain Sicilia and adopted the VIVA programme, which evaluates Air, Water, Vineyard and Territory indicators. In 2022 it obtained SQNPI certification for its integrated-production approach and introduced further agro-environmental measures for vineyard management and resource efficiency.
Contesa dei Venti, a Vittoria DOC Nero d’Avola, was introduced on 16 March 2022. The new small-production bottling joined Bell’Assai and Floramundi, completing the three-wine Vittoria group now presented as the “Unusual Reds.” Its creation followed repeated harvest tastings by Antonio Rallo and the production team. The name and Stefano Vitale’s label refer to the breezes generated by the meeting of the sea and the Hyblaean Mountains.
The same year, Gabriella Favara joined the family company as its sixth generation. After education and professional experience in food-sector brand management, she entered the hospitality team and began working across the five visitor wineries, including Vittoria.
Recent growing seasons
The 2023 season produced 421 mm of rain at Vittoria, compared with a cited local average of 416 mm. Winter warmth in December and January was followed by cold and abundant February rain. Sea and mountain breezes and day–night temperature variation supported the ripening of Nero d’Avola and Frappato. Harvest began in the youngest vineyards during the first ten days of September and ended in the final week of the month. Production was near the recent estate average, with small increases in certain plots.
In 2024, limited rainfall and generally elevated seasonal temperatures brought forward budbreak to the first half of March. Supplemental irrigation helped preserve the balance between vegetative growth and fruit. Harvest began shortly after mid-August: Nero d’Avola was completed on 26 August, while Frappato ran from 22 August to 10 September. Quantity remained in line with recent averages.
The 2025 season returned to more regular conditions. Autumn and winter rain replenished soil reserves, May rain supported vegetative development, and the summer remained generally mild apart from a short heat spike on 24–25 July. At Vittoria, young-vineyard Nero d’Avola was picked from 21 August; Frappato began on 1 September; the remaining Nero d’Avola followed from 10 September. Harvest ended on 17 September. Gradual sugar and phenolic ripening produced excellent-quality fruit in quantities consistent with the estate average.
Terroir
Position and landscape
The estate lies at Acate in south-eastern Sicily, within the Vittoria territory and between the Hyblaean Plateau and the sea. Its 33 hectares of vines surround the winery and are divided among three districts. The landscape forms a natural amphitheatre of honey-coloured rock, vineyards, olive trees and orange groves. The winery stands in the Dirillo river valley, and the vineyards follow the line of the valley so that their orientation corresponds to winds moving between the Hyblaean Plateau and the sea.
Elevation, relief and exposure
The vineyards lie between 120 and 150 m above sea level. The terrain descends gently and faces south-east.
Soils
Soil composition varies across the estate. Some sectors tend toward sand and are interspersed with porous, friable limestone-tuff substrata that retain a useful reserve of moisture. Other sectors have medium-textured, more clay-influenced soils. This combination of sand, limestone tuff and clayey medium-textured ground forms the estate’s principal soil mosaic.
Climate
The climate is Mediterranean, warm-temperate and relatively breezy even in summer. Sea breezes moderate the heat, while air moving between the sea and the Hyblaean Mountains produces useful day–night temperature variation during ripening. Average annual precipitation is approximately 430 mm.
These conditions support two complementary expressions: Nero d’Avola develops medium structure, fine tannins and fruit, floral and spice characters, while the thin-skinned, terpene-rich Frappato retains fragrance, freshness, light body and low tannin.
Winemaking
Vineyard structure and crop control
The vineyards use Vertical Shoot Positioning and spurred-cordon pruning, leaving 6–10 buds on each plant. Planting density ranges from 4,000 to 4,500 vines/ha, and yields are maintained between 7,000 and 8,000 kg/ha. Pruning and thinning regulate crop load, while the company’s broader vineyard programme applies minimum tillage and favours environmentally compatible materials in new plantings, including wooden posts and bamboo stakes.
Integrated protection and soil management
No chemical herbicides are used. Weeds are controlled mechanically and manually, plant-protection products are minimised, and integrated pest management combines observation of rainfall, temperature and humidity with measures such as pheromone traps. Fertility is supported with organic fertilisers and leguminous green manure between rows. These practices are intended to protect the soil microbiome, limit erosion and improve vine resilience to disease and environmental stress.
Water management
The water potential of the vines is monitored at Acate. Irrigation follows regulated-deficit principles, applying water only where required to maintain a balanced relationship between vegetative growth and crop quality. Drip systems are used for supplemental or emergency irrigation, reducing consumption and concentrating intervention on vineyards where it is useful. Grassing also contributes to retaining soil moisture.
Biodiversity and certification
Natural areas, hedges, groves, wild vegetation, flowering meadows and melliferous plants form part of the wider biodiversity strategy, supporting ecological continuity and pollinating insects. The Vittoria winery garden extends this relationship through aromatic Mediterranean plants, olives and citrus.
Donnafugata joined Fondazione SOStain Sicilia and adopted VIVA in 2021. VIVA measures Air, Water, Vineyard and Territory indicators. SQNPI certification for the integrated-production system was acquired in 2022. The wider quality and environmental programme also includes ISO 9001, ISO 14001, EMAS and Good Agricultural Practices. ISO 22000 certification for the Acate site was identified as a 2025 objective but is not treated as completed without confirmation.
The Acate winery
Vinification takes place at the estate’s new-generation winery, built among the vineyards at Acate. The building is conceived as sustainable architecture: it is integrated into the agricultural landscape, enclosed by honey-coloured rock and oriented toward the Dirillo river valley.
Antonio Rallo coordinates production with a team combining agronomic and winemaking expertise, overseeing the process from harvest through maturation. The estate’s production is centred on native Nero d’Avola and Frappato and on preserving the floral, fruit-driven, fresh and fine-tannin character obtained in Vittoria.
Maturation
The Vittoria wines are matured exclusively in stainless steel and bottle. Wood is excluded from this estate’s stated maturation programme so that fruit and floral expression remain central. The three expressions are Floramundi Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG, Bell’Assai Vittoria DOC Frappato and Contesa dei Venti Vittoria DOC Nero d’Avola.
Water and winery infrastructure
The relatively low-consumption Acate winery uses an Imhoff tank for primary wastewater treatment. Purified wastewater is released through drainage ditches. Water use is also evaluated through VIVA’s Water indicator as part of the environmental-management programme.
Philosophy
Quality begins with respect for the land, its rhythms and the distinctions among individual districts and vines. The approach combines artisanal precision with technical innovation, seeking small, carefully defined productions rather than a standardised island-wide style.
At Vittoria, this principle is expressed through two native varieties and a restrained maturation programme. Nero d’Avola and Frappato are interpreted for fragrance, freshness, smoothness and fine tannin, while exclusive use of stainless steel and bottle avoids masking their fruit and floral character. The “Unusual Reds” concept presents these wines as contemporary, versatile Sicilian reds that can be served lightly chilled and used beyond conventional red-wine pairings.
Environmental responsibility is treated as inseparable from quality. The working principle extends from soil and water management to winery architecture, packaging, biodiversity and the treatment of people. Vineyard decisions therefore combine regulated-deficit irrigation, integrated pest management, organic fertilisation, green manure and reduced chemical inputs with formal SOStain, VIVA and SQNPI frameworks.
The estate also reflects the family’s broader balance of tradition and creativity. Historic varieties and the established appellations of Vittoria are interpreted through contemporary production, architecture, illustrated labels and hospitality. The objective is to preserve the identity of the place while making it legible through modern wine, design and cultural experiences.