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Donnafugata
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Donnafugata grew out of the commitment of a family in Sicily that has always believed in the extraordinary enological potential of its land and has 150 years of experience in producing premium wines. Convinced that it is always necessary to be open to change in order to grow and improve, Giacomo Rallo and his wife, Gabriella, launched a new production project in 1983: Donnafugata.
Their adventure took wing from the family’s historic cellars in Marsala and the vineyards at Contessa Entellina in the heart of western Sicily and soared as far as the island of Pantelleria.
Their children, José and Antonio, joined them and the house accelerated its march along the path of Extreme Quality: a project that focused on attention to detail, which clears the way for entrepreneurial decisions that ever more advanced objectives.
As for the future, the young Gabriella and Ferdinando are already being “fully immersed” in the family’s activities.


The Vineyards
The estate consists of 100ha of which 80ha are vineyards. It is predominantly in the new DOC of Contessa Entellina “it is almost exclusively the fiefdom of Donnafugata” (Nicolas Belfrage in Brunello to Zibibbo 2001). There are different varieties at different altitudes according to the vines requirements. There is a vinification unit within the vineyards - which is a legal requirement – which was significantly expanded in 1998. Fermentation is completed in the winery at Marsala. The estate is constantly evolving and new vineyards have recently been bought. Although for the volume lines grapes are bought in from neighbouring producers.
In total about 50% of their requirements are from their own vineyards. However, all their top wines come from Donnafugata’s own vineyards. There is a policy of quality controls on the vineyards where they buy from the neighbours.
In 1989 they bought a small vineyard on Pantelleria, a tiny wind-swept island nearer to Africa than Sicily. Until then people who bought and marketed the wines of Pantelleria did not own any vineyards on the island. Rallo and Donnafugata were the first to go and buy vineyards on the island.

Production
The production of Donnafugata wines is about 1 million cases per year. Some 25% of the wine is exported, one third of which goes to Germany and the balance to the USA, Canada and Japan, they even sell Donnafugata wines in Paris. From the beginning it was perceived by the Rallo family that export was very important to ensure that the quality of the wines was maintained and to develop a worldwide brand. Typical of this approach is the fact that during the last 30 odd years the production of a good percentage of the vines has been cut in half to ensure a high level of quality. Approximately half their wine is sold in Sicily.

A Bit of History
Part of the estate is on land owned by Tommaso Lampedusa, a Sicilian aristocrat and author of the classic novel about Sicily called il Gattopardo (The Leopard). The main village in the novel is called Donnafugata after which the estate is named. The wines Tancredi and Sedara are both named after characters in the novel.

Wine and Music
Never before has so much attention been paid to the table and the rites of fellowship that are celebrated around it. However, this desire for conviviality has always animated Donnafugata. The same spirit inspired the initiative of José Rallo and her husband, Vincenzo Favara, in which they and a group of friends, professional musicians, appear at upscale restaurants and wine bars where they offer increasingly complex combinations. As a result, the notes of food and wine respond to musical tones that range from Jazz to Brazilian music and each "session" becomes a convivial moment to be remembered. One of the most successful food and wine matches: sipping Ben Ryè while listening to Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Meditaçao".