# Siccagno Nero d'Avola (2022)

- **Producer:** Arianna Occhipinti
- **Colour:** red
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Nero d'Avola
- **Region:** Sicilia, Italy
- **Style:** Natural
- **Alcohol:** 12.5%
- **Average price:** €39
- **Vegan:** Yes
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 16–18 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** blackberry, plum, cherry, violet, herbaceous, smoke, cedar, tobacco, leather, forest floor

## About this wine

Siccagno is Arianna Occhipinti's personal monologue on Nero d'Avola, the signature red grape of Sicily. The name derives from the Sicilian term 'siccagna', which refers to dry farming, honoring the unirrigated bush vines whose roots dig deep into limestone to absorb mineral concentration. Arianna started her winery in 2004 at just 22 years old with a single hectare of vines. As the niece of legendary COS winemaker Giusto Occhipinti, she rejected industrial oenology in favor of natural, biodynamic methods, quickly becoming one of Italy's most iconic natural wine pioneers. This wine represents a rebellion against the heavy, over-extracted style of Southern Italian reds, offering a fresh, elegant, and terroir-driven expression of Vittoria.

## Interesting facts

- The name Siccagno comes from 'siccagna', referring to the traditional Sicilian practice of dry farming without irrigation.
- Arianna Occhipinti started her winery in 2004 at just 22 years old with only one hectare of vineyards.
- This wine is aged in large neutral Slavonian and Austrian oak barrels (botti) for up to two years before bottling.

## Food pairing

The high acidity and structured, dusty tannins of this Nero d'Avola cut beautifully through rich, savory dishes and tomato-based sauces. Its earthy, herbal undertones complement roasted meats and Mediterranean herbs, while its medium body prevents it from overpowering lighter game or vegetarian dishes like caponata.

## Wine making process

The grapes are hand-harvested from certified organic and biodynamically farmed vines averaging 35 to 42 years of age, planted on red sands over calcareous limestone. In the cellar, spontaneous fermentation is carried out using only indigenous yeasts in 20-hectoliter concrete tanks. The wine undergoes a long maceration of 25 to 30 days on the skins with gentle extraction. It is then aged for 22 to 24 months in large, neutral Slavonian and Austrian oak barrels (botti ranging from 25HL to 30HL), followed by 1 to 2 months of refinement in the bottle. To preserve its natural structure and aromatic complexity, the wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered with minimal sulfur additions.