AZIENDA AGRICOLA CORTESE

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DIRECTORS’ CUT

SICILY

Stefano Girelli fell in love with the island of Sicily many years ago – perhaps partly because of its great contrast with his alpine hometown, Trento, in the far north of Italy. Stefano realized the huge potential Sicily had for making premium wines at a time when it was seriously underrated. Cortese estate is located in the southeast of the island close to Ragusa and near the site of Kamarina, an ancient Greek city founded in 599 BCE. The estate is named after Giovanna Cortese, the previous owner who was a formidable Sicilian lady and who sold it after many years of negotiation when she could no longer run it herself. The island has mild wet winters and hot dry summers, and a landscape dotted with wild herbs and agave plants. Grapes are farmed organically, and winemaking at Cortese takes inspiration from its surroundings and history with wines fermented using wild yeast and minimal intervention.