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Sofia is a family run winery located in the Comune di Castiglione di Sicilia, Frazione Solicchiata, Piano dei Daini.
Sofia Gioacchino Carmelo, 68 years old, had been making wines (and olives) all his life following his dad’s footsteps. In the eighties Gioacchino received just under a ½ hectare of beautiful old-vines from his father in the Piano dei Daini Hamlet. Later the family continued the expansion by acquiring small plots around their existing vineyards.
Until recently, the family produced juice for other local wineries. Following the growing notoriety of the region, Carmelo and Valentina, Gioachino’s children, convinced their father to set up their own winery. The story of Sofia finally began in 2017.
The family owns about 3.5 hectares of vineyards that lie on a mosaic of terroirs with complex geology. The Contrada Piano dei Daini (volcanic soil), is divided in two parcels. One parcel “vigna giovane” is cultivated with the traditional spalliera system from a 16 year old vine parcel planted with Nerello Mascalese which the family uses for the Giacchino Rosso. The other parcels, cultivated using the Alberello system, are planted with Nerello Mascalese with an average age of 80 years old. The juice from these parcels is used to make the mighty Piano dei Daini. However, in a small part of this vineyard there are a few old vine-rows with white varieties (Carricante, Minnella, Inzolia) from which the family makes the Gioacchino Bianco. Sofia also owns a unique clayey parcel in Pietramarina, that sits just under the Monte di Pietra Marina facing the Alcantara River, totally protected from the "colate laviche" (lava-flows).
The vineyards are all farmed organically, and the winemaking is natural and low-impact.
Along with their top cru Piano dei Daini, the family produces a white Etna Bianco and an Etna Rosso.
The Etna Bianco is a Carricante blend with a small percentage on indigenous grapes (Cataratto, Minella and Inzolia). The Etna Rosso is 100% Nerello Mascalese.
The resulting wines are fresh and full of energy, richly textured with lots of fruit concentration and personality.
Ultravino is the UK exclusive importer
Wines:
