Cantina Rallo

Moving history. This statement applies equally to Marsala as a city, Marsala as a wine and the Cantine Rallo winery. Diego Rallo founded the winery in 1860. At that time Marsala was world famous, the sprinkled wine, named after the port city in western Sicily, was the export hit of Italian viticulture, and the Rallo family was one of the leading producers. Port and Sherry were the competitors.

In the port of God, "Mars el-Allah"As the Arabs once called Marsala, huge wineries were built in Porto and Jerez, with countless rows of barrels that looked almost like cathedrals inside. The architecture, "Baglio Trapanese" This winery, usually consisting of two production halls and an imposing central building within a large quadrangular courtyard, is based on the defence against attacks from the sea side. The Cantine Rallo also has its production in one of these landmarks of Marsala - on two and a half hectares of land.

In the 1990s, however, the typical Marsala went out of fashion and the historical estates got into trouble. Producers of dry white wine, such as Cataratto and Grillo, as well as of powerful red wine, mostly Nero d’Avola, were successful. Like the Vesco family who started with a small vineyard near Alcamo in the northwest. In 1997 the Vesco family bought the Cantine Rallo, gradually renovated the magnificent buildings and invested in vineyards in three different regions of Sicily. At Alcamo, where in the hills from 250 m above sea level up to almost 600 m you can find the best sites for Cataratto, Insolia, Viognier, Chardonnay, Müller-Thurgau, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah and Nero d’Avola cultivated in organic cultivation between blackberry hedges, pine trees, olive groves and rosemary. Depending on soil conditions and microclimate, the best conditions are found in each plot of land. About 100 hectares of land, partly surrounded by forests, are cultivated, 68 hectares of which are planted with wine.

The second area under cultivation is around ten hectares near the Stagione Nature Park near Marsala. Here the classic grape variety Grillo finds ideal conditions in the sandy soils, directly by the sea. Somewhat bizarre for us are the flat espalier vines, behind which the sun is shimmering in the sea and in the salt pans for salt production. Also here a little Zibbibo is cultivated, because Andrea Vesco and his family love the rare sweet wine from this almost extinct grape variety. This is why two hectares of vineyards were purchased on the island of Pantelleria, known for this rarity, as the rocky ground and the stormy, often harsh climate are ideal for the Zibbibo grape.

From the variety of the cultivated varieties, mostly pure varietal clear organic wines of highest quality are pressed, which were excellent nationally and internationally and become, like the grandiose Beleda, a pure Cataratto, which recently got the coveted Tre Bicchieri desGambero Rosso. SUPERIORE.DE