Francesco Guccione
Contrada Cerasa Monreale
The heart of the company is located in Contrada Cerasa, between San Cipirello and Piana degli Albanesi, in the municipality of Monreale, at an altitude of 500 meters above sea level. The company extends over almost 13 hectares, of which 6 hectares host four varieties of vineyards.
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Trebbiano
Grown in Cerasa since 1400, Trebbiano is grown in the traditional canopy shape, a symbol of local agricultural history. -
Catarratto
Of the extra bright variety, Catarratto is a delicate grape and today little cultivated, but it represents a rare pearl of our production. -
Perricone
This rare vine found its cradle of origin in the Belice Valley. Almost unknown, it has historically been vinified together with other vines, in particular Nero d'Avola. -
Nerello Mascalese
Originally from the eastern part of Sicily, especially from Etna, Nerello Mascalese was introduced to Cerasa by my great-grandfather, who wanted to combine it with Perricone in winemaking.
The remaining 7 hectares of the company are arable land where our horses graze freely, contributing to the balance of the company ecosystem.
The composition of the soil is predominantly clayey and silty, which gives the wines character and complexity.
"The taste of a wine can only be unique and inimitable when it transmitts the full expression of its climate and its territory"
Nicolas Joly
Soil Management
In soil management, it is essential to underline the importance of biodynamic preparations 500 and 501, together with the green manure of spontaneous herbs and legumes, which contribute to maintaining biodiversity even during the dormant phase of the plants.
Sicilian agriculture, like its climate, is distinguished by unique characteristics compared to other regions historically dedicated to viticulture, such as northern Italy or France. The summer is very hot and there is practically no rain. This allows us to significantly limit treatments against diseases, but at the same time makes it necessary to protect the soil from evaporation of winter rains. For this reason, we cannot leave the vineyards grassed over, untouched, since the risk of fires and the formation of cracks in the soil would be too high.
The practice of dry farming, which involves the use of a plow on the surface of the soil, helps cover the lesions caused by extreme temperatures, limiting evaporation and allowing the plant to reach fruit without resorting to irrigation. The phytosanitary treatments that are carried out are few and based on sulfur, with a small addition of copper only in particularly risky conditions.