About this wine
Vineyard and terroir
The fruit comes from 100-year-old vines in one of the highest parts of Pantelleria, a small island off Sicily. The vineyards occupy terraces of volcanic sand and are farmed organically and biodynamically.
Vinification
The grapes are harvested by hand and gently pressed. Fermentation takes 20 days in open, 300 L Spanish terracotta amphorae that are 400 years old and buried in volcanic tuff. The wine is bottled without added sulfur and without filtration.
Ageing
After fermentation, the wine remains with its skins in the same amphorae for three months, followed by another two to three months of maturation in bottle.
Tasting profile
The aroma is exceptionally rich, while the palate is concentrated and full-flavoured, with a distinctive character.
Label / history
Zibibbo is the Sicilian name for Muscat of Alexandria and derives from the Arabic word for “raisin.” The variety is believed to have originated in the Nile Delta near Alexandria. Pantelleria has contributed to Sicily’s tradition of sweet-wine production for centuries. According to legend, the goddess Tanit followed Venus’s advice and seduced Apollo by serving him Muscat wine from the island. After this myth emerged, the wine remained almost unknown outside Pantelleria for nearly 2,000 years; it was not exported even to Italy until the 1880s and gained an official place in the modern Italian wine system in August 1971.
