# Cerasuolo di Vittoria

- **Producer:** Azienda Vitivinicola Paternò di Vittoria
- **Colour:** red
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Nero d'Avola, Frappato
- **Region:** Sicilia, Italy
- **Style:** Classic
- **Alcohol:** 13.5%
- **Average price:** €18
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 16–18 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** cherry, plum, raspberry, strawberry, violet, redcurrant, herbaceous

## About this wine

Azienda Vitivinicola Paternò di Vittoria is a boutique, family-run estate located in the southeastern corner of Sicily, near Ragusa. Under the guidance of winemaker Antonio Paternò, this garage-scale winery operates on just 10 hectares of sustainably farmed vineyards. They specialize in Cerasuolo di Vittoria, Sicily's first and only DOCG appellation. The estate is dedicated to preserving local heritage methods, capping their entire annual production at a mere 20,000 bottles across all labels. This makes their wines highly sought-after, rare expressions of the region's unique terroir.

## Interesting facts

- Paternò di Vittoria is a true micro-winery, producing only 20,000 bottles annually across their entire portfolio.
- Cerasuolo di Vittoria is historically significant as Sicily's first and only DOCG-status wine appellation.
- The wine has been awarded the prestigious Gold Medal Diploma at the Mostra Internazionale dei Vini di Pramaggiore.

## Food pairing

This wine's vibrant acidity and medium body make it exceptionally food-friendly. The bright red fruit of Frappato cuts through rich, savory meats, while the structured tannins of Nero d'Avola complement roasted game and aged cheeses. It strikes a perfect balance between freshness and structure.

## Wine making process

The wine is a classic blend of Nero d'Avola and Frappato, hand-harvested from vineyards planted on calcareous soils with sandy-clay deposits. The grapes undergo a 15-day maceration on the skins to extract color, flavor, and structure, followed by temperature-controlled fermentation in stainless steel vats. Malolactic fermentation is fully completed in stainless steel. The standard cuvée is aged for six months in stainless steel tanks and refined for two months in the bottle before release, preserving the vibrant, fresh fruit character of the grapes.