Baronia
La Baronia is the smallest of our estates – 8 hectares of vineyard, surrounded by 20 hectares of ancient olive grove – but it is full of meanings, of memories and ideas. We began this new project with the idea of restoring the production of Mamertino, among the oldest wines of the island.
Production of Mamertino dates back to 289 B.C., supplied by the Mamertini who helped Julius Caesar to appreciate its quality, to the extent that he offered it on the occasion of the banquet for his third consulate and mentioned it in ‘De Bello Gallico’, and to Pliny who placed it in 4th position in his famous classification of 195 wines.
All began with a meeting with the Fondazione Lucifero, owners of this magnificent and historic land, where agriculture had deteriorated since 2011 and was by then almost completely abandoned. Together we began working towards restoration of a culture and a biodiversity which would otherwise have been lost; where before there was only undergrowth, now there are new vines bordered by delightful natural footpaths.
Today this project is the symbol of our idea of sustainable viticulture, not only from the point of view of cultivation and production, but also from environmental, cultural, social and economic aspects.