Graffetta Nero D'Avola

Like the entire Noto Valley, Ispica is also part of Nero d’Avola territory. Nero d’Avola is also known as “Calabrese” in this Mediterranean coastal area. In the past, the aromas of the must from the Nero d’Avola grapes used to fill the air in September and October, and the roads were covered in grapes that had fallen off the carts on their way to the cellars.Poggio Graffetta is a short distance from the Municipality of Ispica, near Noto and Modica, the villages that possess the most authentic examples of Sicilian Baroque architecture. This style marked the rebirth of the Val di Noto following the devastating earthquake of 1697 which razed the area’s main towns to the ground. Viticulture in this south-eastern area of Sicily boasts 18th century traditions. During the 1700s, in fact, the region was under the control of noble dynasties that ruled the rural areas for centuries.The cultivation of the Nero d’Avola is hard and laborious and until a few decades ago was still carried out by hand, with the help of mules to plow the earth and transport the barrels of wine from the grape press to the retailers. The culture of bottled wine is very recent history in this part of the old world.