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Volcano wine: Cerasuolo di Vittoria Docg

From Sicily’s East a unique wine production that has a has a certain birth date: 1606. Although the origin of the name is not known, it is thought to be from the red tone of this wine that reminds of the color of a “cerasa” (cherry)

by Duccio Morozzo della Rocca

When today people talk about Sicily, they think of the region as a set of small and wonderful worlds, incredibly varied: starting from the African beaches in the south, through the hills, up to the majestic Etna volcano, ending with the magical and fascinating constellations of islands in the north.
Among these beauties one of the excellences of this fascinating island of the south Italy, the Cerasuolo Vittoria DOCG wine, was born.
Today, the area of origin of this wine covers a wide land that includes territories of three neighbouring provinces: Ragusa, Caltanissetta and Catania.
Here the vine was already cultivated from the ancient Greeks and then from the Romans whom considered this red and sandy territory with high climate range a special place for unique wine production. But the birth of the Cerasuolo, thus as we know it, has a certain date: 1606. A story that begun five centuries ago with a woman,the countess Vittoria.

The birth of Cerasuolo di Vittoria
The city of Vittoria was founded in 1606. Its founder, the countess Vittoria Colonna Henriquez, offered the first 75 farmers one hectare of land on condition that they'd cultivate an other one to vineyard.
The transactions went well and throughout the seventeenth century an enormous expansion of the vineyard in the various districts of the territory took place: 230 thousand vineyards established on year 1616, 924 thousand in 1623 and over 2 millions in 1638.
The Napoleonic wars and the English occupation of Sicily did offer an exceptionally favorable situation to local production, thanks to strong alcoholic content (14/16 degrees) that allowed the transport of wine in barrels over long distances.
In 1840 a period of great economic, civil and cultural development began.
At the end of the century, however, the phylloxera epidemic and the trade war with France (between 1888 and 1895) devastated thousands of small owners.

The crisis of the end of the century was at the origin of a profound social transformation. Vittoria city registered the bust of thousands of small owners and sharecroppers deprived of capitals needed for replanting.
In Vittoria about five thousand of the ten thousand hectares previously destroyed (one third had been spared by the parasite), were replanted and restarted to produce around 250 thousand hectoliters. The economic junction turned to be favorable again: the trade accord with France in 1898, the commerce treaties with the central empires, the opening of the Licata-Syracuse railway, the spread of phylloxera throughout the Austrian-Hungarian Empire increased the international wine demand opening a second season for the Iblean wine.
However, this time the main artificers were no more the small producers and sharecroppers ruined by the crisis of 1888-1895, but a nucleus of large owners who during the Giolitti government were able to innovate farming techniques and methods of wine-making reorganizing wine industry.
Since the 1950s the Vittoria wine industry began a slow decay which would last until the recognition of the denomination of origin of the wine Cerasuolo di Vittoria with Presidential Decree on 29/05/73.

Why Cerasuolo?
Although the origin of the name is not known, it is thought to be from the red tone of this wine that reminds of the color of a “cerasa” (cherry). A color that derives, probably, from a wine making modality which lets the must touch with the peels of the grape for a very short period.

Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG
The wines “ Cerasuolo di Vittoria” and “Cerasuolo di Vittoria Classico” DOCG must are obtained from 50% to 70% of Nero d'Avola grapes and from 30% to 50% of Frappato grapes.
The mixture of these two vinegrapes with this particular land and with such a climate range brings out the lightness, the fragrance and spontaneity of this wine, making it it unique and recognizable in the whole Italian panorama.
In the last years the Nero D'Avola is for sure one of the most talked about grapevines. Its presence confers to the Cerasuolo di Vittoria structure, personality and longevity. The Frappato adds instead an aromatic range much detail with elegant floral ance cherry marks.
The Cerasuolo di Vittoria wine color goes from cherry red to violet. To the smell scents of flowers and amarene will emerge while to the taste it is characterized for being full and harmonic.
The Cerasuolo di Vittoria Classic has a red cherry color tending to garne. It smells of cherry, which in old wines can tend also to hint of prune, chocolate, leather and tobacco. It is characterized for being dry, full, smooth and harmonious.
The Consortium of Cerasuolo di Vittoria docg
Recognized in 2001, the Consortium was assigned to protect, valuate and cure the interests of the denomination of origin. It represents approximately 85% of the producers of the province of Ragusa, Catania and Caltanisetta, which are the areas of production of the Cerasuolo wine di Victoria.



Q&A with Francesco Ferreri, President of Cerasuolo di Vittoria Consortium
- What do you see as the future for the Consortium, an increase in exports or domestic consumption?
I see a very interesting increase of the export, due to an always greater demand for wines with strong territorial identities, today better identifiable from the consumers.

- Regarding the exportation, do you feel more protected since the Doc, Docg, Igt are now in a common Dop/Igp register?
Surely yes, obviously my guarantee is the disciplinary measure that does not allow many things indeed is among the most strict ones in Italy.

- Is Cerasuolo di Vittoria wine confined by tradition or opened to innovation?
Great tradition and and even greater territoriality which today is innovation. The Cerasuolo of Vittoria has an ancient history but it's still very topical, for its characteristics that allow its couplings with many not particularly complex dishes.

Gastronomy and combining
Vegetable starters as peppers and aubergines, roasted white or red meat, small game, medium maturation chees. It also well combines with pasta dishes and grilled crustaceans.

by Duccio Morozzo della Rocca
03 May 2010 Teatro Naturale International n. 5 Year 2

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