After a hot and dry growing season in July with rain over the past week, Famiglia Catania has just announced that the 2015 harvest at GULFI will start on Friday 21 August. The natural ecosystem of the Gulfi vineyards in Sicily will finally deliver the first fruits of the 2015 vintage, on Friday from 6 AM. With over 100 hectares in the 3 historic areas in Sicily (Chiaramonte, Pachino and Etna), the harvest will be held over two months to finish at 900 meters above sea level on Mount Etna in October.
Although it is still too early to gauge the quality of the 2015 harvest in Sicily, expected volume and quality seem excellent for this vintage. Famiglia Catania: “Thanks to a hot and dry growing season in July and some rain over the past week, the progressive maturity looks perfect. With these ideal conditions and the current mild temperatures, we now start this harvest in a relaxed atmosphere. Working in the most natural manner possible, without irrigation and preserving ancient sicilan traditions, we can now say that the Gulfi vineyards are a unique ecosystem, truly apart from the rest of the vineyards all over Europe. This land and these vines date back to 2,000 years and we want to pass on to future generations without altering them.”
If the international reputation of Gulfi wines has been made with the 4 famous Crus from Pachino (Baroni, Maccari, Bufaleffi and Sanlorenzo), the work of Famiglia Catania is based on 3 solid pillars for more than 100 years. Naturalita: The same naturalness that characterizes Gulfi wines with organic and traditional viticulture, based on indigenous grapes and non-intrusive winemaking. Alberello: It is for Famiglia Catania the only system that allows, under an extreme climate such as in Sicily, to produce wines with great complexity and with finesse. It suits perfectly with the natural environment and requires no chemical and no irrigation. Indigenous grape varieties: Famiglia Catania disagreed with the gradual replacement of indigenous grape varieties with international varieties, that took place in Sicily in recent years and that led to the loss of old varieties. Famiglia Catania is convinced that these old varieties were adapted for centuries to a particular and specific environment in which they are an integral part and where, well grown and vinified, they make wines with a strong typicity.
“SuperStar” wine estate according to Decanter magazine, voted Best Italian estate of the Year and listed among the top scores (95-100) in the Robert Parker’s guide, Gulfi is a property owned by Famiglia Catania through many generations.
