..A DAY AS #DONNAFUGATA, DIAMOND OF SICILY

by Laura Villa June 17, 2023

Intrigued by the history, the stories and the label of Donnafugata we decided to take a flight and leave to visit one of the most renowned wineries in Sicily: Donnafugata winery Randazzo on Etna.

A little introduction to the Maison:

The story of the name “Donnafugata” originates from the most Sicilian of novels, The Leopard, and refers to Queen Maria Carolina who, fleeing from Naples, found refuge where the company vineyards are today. A story that also inspired the logo: a woman’s face with hair in the wind.

A face, and a story, which is also that of Gabriella Rallo, the “escaped woman” who abandons her job as a teacher to take care of the vineyards of Contessa Entellina full time. One of the first women in Sicily to produce wine in a sector typically dominated by men: a pioneer of quality viticulture by women.

Needless to say, the landscape is breathtaking.

Upon arrival we were welcomed in the best possible way by the two girls who accompanied us first through the vineyards and then to the cellar to discover the workmanship behind their extraordinary product.

In the vineyards the atmosphere is magical; looking down you see a sandy but well-kept and rich soil and, looking up you get lost in Etna surrounded by clouds... it seems absurd to think that a little further down you can see the sea, the landscape in fact gives us this mix of sea and mountain that makes everything more special. We are told that the lava flows determine different compositions of the soil that makes the wine coming from that micro-territory unique. Here we speak of HEROIC VITICULTURE, certainly given by the altitude and certainly by the presence of the volcano.

On the way back we arrive at the cellar, whose explanation was not at all banal, the girls put passion and love into it and their story (with the addition of some anecdotes) is never predictable.

The tour ends with a super detailed tasting, full of samples and contents. They make us taste easy-drinking products and other top products, unmatched.
We fell in love with “One Thousand and One Nights”:

..a complex bouquet characterized by fruity notes of blackberries and currants, fresh menthol hints, spicy notes of black pepper and delicate nuances of sweet roasting. In the mouth it is broad and with velvety tannins. It closes with a notable persistence of taste and seductive flavor..

who doesn't fall in love with it? Moreover, we got lost in the stories of each label, designer labels, unique and inimitable, they express themselves with an identifying feminine language, an indissoluble part of the essence of Donnafugata.

everything was nothing short of magical. DONNAFUGATA is the perfect mix between

..A DAY AS #DONNAFUGATA, DIAMOND OF SICILY

wine, art and femininity

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