Experience the unique style of Cortese Frappato, developed on their estate in Sicily. This light cherry coloured wine boasts a fresh and vibrant bouquet reminiscent of wild strawberries. With a balanced palate, silky smooth fruit, and a surprisingly long finish, it pairs perfectly with fish dishes. Try it with traditional Ragusa tuna or cured meats and cheeses.

The “look” for Nostru is based on symbols of culture and life, taking the authentic Sicilian Majolica ceramics as their vision. The characters predicted on the bottles are truly original and impossible to forget.  Lively and cheerful, these styles will stand out and capture the imagination of wine lovers.

About the Producer

While Stefano and Marina Girelli are from Trento in the extreme north of Italy, it is the island of Sicily in the country’s deep south that has captured their hearts. Stefano realised many years ago that Sicily was generally underrated as quality wine producing region and that the potential for making premium wines was tremendous. Crucially, he also recognised that conditions for producing organic, low-intervention wines are perfect on the Sicilian island.

The previous owner of Azienda Agricola Cortese was the formidable matriarch lady Giovanna Cortese. It was some years ago that Giovanna first decided to sell the estate after she realised that she had reached an age when she couldn’t run it by herself, and it had become clear that no one in the family was going to take over.  A true Sicilian, Giovanna is a tough negotiator and it took six years to reach a final agreement on the purchase of Cortese in 2016.

With a total vineyard area of 114,290 ha/282,296 acres, Sicily produced 6 million hl of wine in 2013, making it Italy’s second most important wine region after the Veneto.  In terms of climate and geology Sicily is often, rightfully, considered a continent itself, running counter to its perceived image as a hot, arid island. Climates range from distinctly alpine on Mount Etna, where vineyards up to 1,000 m/3,280 ft elevation are no exception, to the subtropical on the island of pantelleria, which is closer to Tunisia than it is to the province of Trapani to which it administratively belongs. The island’s centre can be hot and dry, although at higher elevations there can be favourable diurnal temperature variability, while many regions are close enough to the coast to benefit from such constant winds that fungal diseases are a rarity except in the wettest of years.  (source - jancisrobinson.com)

Vineyard and Winery

100% Frappato di Vittoria - using their very own clone developed on the estate.

HARVEST
The grapes are carefully picked by hand towards the end of September and are carefully put into small containers of 15kg.

VINIFICATION
The grapes are chilled overnight in a refrigerated room to lower the temperature to 6-8°C, in order to preserve the particular qualities of the Frappato. After a very gentle destemming and crushing the grapes are fermented at a temperature of about 18-22°C for 10-12 days. The wine is separated from the skins and malolactic fermentation is allowed to take place naturally. After the malolactic fermentation is completed, the wine is kept on its fine lees for about 4-6 months in stainless steel tanks, with regular stirring, before bottling.