JAMESSUCKLING.COM - Arianna Occhipinti - Sicily's Cerasuolo di Vittoria Classico

Arianna Occhipinti developed her love for wine in her teens while working with her uncle, Giusto Occhipinti, winemaker and owner of the famed and groundbreaking Sicilian winery COS. After studying enology and viticulture in Milan, Arianna decided to go straight at it and make wine in her native Sicily, in the region of Vittoria. Starting with only one hectare of vines, she has prodigiously turned that into eight and now has diverse bottlings as well as a new top-of-the-line winery.

Cerasuolo di Vittoria, a wine that for centuries has been made in the region of Vittoria and Sicily's only DOCG. A combination of nero d'avola and the local frappato, the two varieties are extraordinarily complementary; nero d'avola provides the body and structure while frappato adds the backbone of acidity and the fruit component. Cerasuolo is a surprising wine, because despite the torrid heat prevalent in the region (just look at the landscape in the video), it is a wine with remarkable freshness and drinkability.

Arianna is part of a new generation of winemakers, and although she has deep respect for tradition, she’s inquisitive and believes that lot more can be done in the Cerasuolo appellation. Her wines are full of personality and deserve attention. Watch the video to learn about the quality of the terroir as well the climate that makes the appellation unique,