Leonardo Zito is a retired winemaker from Sicily who shared his passion for wine with his family.
One day, whilst sampling a glass of homemade Syrah from the fruit of Auntie Fina’s vineyard, the whole family realised there was something special there in the little town of Vita. The vineyard’s southern exposition paired with the 450m altitude is a magical combination.
In 2014 the family adventure began, thanks to papa Leonardo’s know-how and with the help of his three sons, two engineers who created a temperature-controlled fermentation system and one Sommelier to add his wine expertise.
From a single vineyard planted at around 500m above sea level (1ha) with Guyot trained vines (very low yield), cultivated in full respect of nature. The vineyard is located near the little town of Vita in the province of Trapani. In 2023, the grapes were hand-harvested early to retain good acidity and aromas for sparkling wine.
Winemaking: pressed off the skins and fermented in stainless steel with native yeast at controlled temperature. Before the fermentation completed, the wine was bottled and sealed with a crown cap to retain the carbon dioxide from the continued fermentation. The bottles were disgorged after 12 months on the lees and topped up for bottling.
The wine is named ‘glendi’, meaning ‘celebration’ in Greek, to link to the connotations of sparkling wine and to the ancient Greek heritage of the area where the grapes are grown. This is a lightly sparkling Pét-Nat (around 3 atmospheres of pressure) with a soft fizz and fruity finish. There are aromas of lemon peel, orange blossom, bruised apple and pear with more complex notes of brioche and biscuit from the lees contact. The fresh acidity balances the nuanced aromas.
Production: 2000 bottles.
Country: Italy
Region: Sicily
Grapes: Catarratto Lucido
ABV: 11.5%
Volume: 75cl
Vintage: NV
Suitable for Vegans: Yes
