vines
Santa Tresa is situated in the commune of Vittoria, in the south east of Sicily, at 24 metres above sea level.
The estate covers 50 hectares, 39 of which are vineyards.
When we acquired Santa Tresa in 2001, we discovered indigenous clones of Frappato, Nero d’Avola and Grillo, which are very typical of the region.
Frappato is an excellent indigenous variety from Vittoria, Grillo originates from western Sicily, while Nero d’Avola comes from Avola, a small town a few kiolometres from Vittoria.
At Santa Tresa we also cultivate non-indigenous grape varieties rarely found in Sicily, such as Viognier from France, which has found ideal growing conditions here at Santa Tresa.
experimental vineyards
At Santa Tresa, we have an experimental vineyard, which is completely organically cultivated and dedicated to rediscovering indigenous, traditional vines by their biotypes.
Some of these biotypes, such as Albanello and Orisi, are a true testimony to the ancient winemaking traditions still alive in Sicily today. This vineyard is still part of a project undertaken across the island of Sicily – Ass. Reg. Agricoltura e Foreste.
in the vineyards
At Santa Tresa, we take care of our terroir, which is the jewel in our crown. The management of water is fundamental in the hot Sicilian summers.
We have recently invested in connecting directly with a local reservoir and only use natural rainwater for our irrigation, without using wells, or taking water out of the soil. We grow our own “favino” (local green beans) to use as a natural fertilizer. Very careful pruning provides the grapes with the necessary shade from direct sunlight.
Vendemmia (harvest) is THE most important time of the year for us, the much-awaited results of a whole year’s hard work in the vineyards. Only experience tells us when it is the optimum time to harvest the grapes.
in the winery
At Santa Tresa, the winery is a place of production, quality control, but above all, of experimentation.
Our winemakers process the grapes in the most gentle way in order to preserve the highest possible quality.
The methods used are very diverse, from the most traditional vinification in large Slavonian oak botti to French oak barriques, to the most modern production methods in stainless steel, to vinification without the use of sulphur.
