Azienda Agricola Arianna Occhipinti is an organic estate in the town of Vittoria in Ragusa province, in the far south of Sicily, Italy. 

Owner: Arianna Occhipinti (28 years old in 2011).

Background: Arianna Occhipinti’s family is known for its wines based on Frappato, a grape that historically was used for blending. Wines are made under both the Sicilia IGT and  Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG. Arianna benefitted from her uncle, Giusto Occhipinti who owns and runs the COS estate. She studied viticulture and oenology in Milan. Having returned home she started her own project in 2004 from indigenous local grapes, making the wine in a family farmhouse. Over time she had more vineyards to work with and built her own winery.

Vineyards: ’22ha. Mainly Frappato and Nero d’Avola plus 1.5ha of Albanello and Zibbibbo (Muscat of Alexandria) white grapes’, (BBR ‘Grand Tour’ 2016, p.37). Low trained vines.

Terroir: Limestone and red sands.

Organic certification: 2007 First vintage with full organic certification.

Viticulture: Dry farmed. Cover crops are sown every other row. Mainly legumes for nitrogen.

Winery: In Bombolieri. Was first used for the 2013 vintage. 

Winemaking: 100% hand picked. Whites are made like the reds, on skins. Concrete tanks for fermentation. Fermentation is spontaneous. Arianna chooses to age some of her wines in lightly toasted oak. Stockinger barrels made of Slavonian, German and Austrian oak.

White wines

Bianco SP68 Bianco: The SP68 is the name of the main road near Arianna’s home town of Vittoria. |  2009 50% each Albanello and Zibbbo (Muscat of Alexandria rather than Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains). 11% alc. 12 days skin contact. Smells sweet, tastes savoury (Natural Wine Fair, Borough Market 15-17 May 2011).

Red wines

IGT Sicilia Rosso Grotte Alte: Nero d’Avola and Frappato.

IGT Sicilia Rosso SP 68: 2009 Nero d’Avola and Frappato. | 2010 70% Frappato, 30% Nero d’Avola. Very savoury (Natural Wine Fair, Borough Market, May 2011).

IGT Sicilia Rosso Siccagno: Nero d’Avola. 2008 13%. | 2009 Bottled. | 2011 Bottled. 13%. | 2013 ‘The first produced in her new cellar.

IGT Sicilia Rosso, Il Frappato: 2008 13% alc. |  2009 55 year old vines. Again, very savoury (Natural Wine Fair, Borough Market 15-17 May 2011). | 2011 Bottled. | 2012 14.5% alc. |  2014 Nice, very bright, sweet fruit, delicious (Real Wine Fair 17-18th April 2016).

Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOC: 2012 13% alc.

Contact

Azienda Agricola Arianna Occhipinti

Via dei Mille, 55

I-97019 Vittoria (RG), Sicilia, Italia

Website: www.agricolaocchipinti.it/it