Duca di Salaparuta

The Duca di Salaparuta Group, gathered together by the Reina family, consists of three historic wine brands (Duca di Salaparuta, Corvo, and Florio) and today constitutes the largest private wine group in Sicily. Duca di Salaparuta was founded in 1824 and has been a leader in Siclian wine and innovation. In the 1800s, the wine in Sicily was big and powerful. The Duke of Salaparuta, Giuseppe Alliata, who was also Prince of Villafranca and Prince of the Roman Empire, decided to produce a delicate and elegant wine from the grapes of his own estate located in Casteldaccia, thus creating the company’s first wines. Giuseppe’s son, Duke Edoardo, focused on making wines that were more pleasurable, working in the vineyards rather than just the cellar. The rest of Sicily began to mimic this approach in the vineyards, and because of this, the wonderful wines of Sicily have grown into what is now their world stage. With a third generation, Duke Enrico followed in his family’s footsteps and his studies were the basis for what is currently their most iconic product, Duca Enrico, whose first vintage was bottled in 1984. When the Sicilian wine landscape was represented by cheap wines, Duca Enrico represented a revolution in Sicilian wine history.

Duca di Salaparuta makes wine across three different Estates: Vajasindi Estate, Suor Marchesa Estate, and Risignolo Estate. The Vajasindi Estate in northeastern, or “north oriental,” Sicily is located on the slopes of Mount Etna on the side of the Alcantara valley. With 21 hectares of land divided into two terraces sitting at 700 meters and 620 meters above sea level, its position on the northern slopes of the volcano foster a unique microclimate: cold and snowy winters, cool springs, and dry summers. Soft, porous soils due to small pumice stone provide high draining capacity.

The Suor Marchesa Estate is in the Riesi area in central, southern Sicily, sitting on a gentle hill with wind exposure where the summers are very hot and the winters mild and short. With 127 hectares of vineyards, Nero d'Avola has been cultivated for centuries in this area. Chosen for its southern exposure, excellent ventilation and sunlight, and limestone soil composition, the grapes receive full ripeness, rich scent, and increased longevity.

The Risignolo Estate located in western, or “occidental,” Sicily in Salemi is 35 hectares of vineyards set in the sunny countryside chosen for its hillside position sitting between 300 and 350 meters above sea level. With mixed land tending to calcareous-sandy or siliceous-clayey soils, the climate is temperate with mild winters and very dry springs and summers, but with broad temperature differences. This plus proximity to the sea allows the land to avoid excessive heat and stimulate good ventilation.

Committed to environmental, social, and economic sustainability, the Duca di Salaparuta Group is the first company in Sicily to obtain two sustainability certifications: VIVA and Equalitas. The Duca di Salaparuta wine brand is truly a style icon choosing quality and naturalness created through a vigor for innovation and a bond with the terroir.

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