The Rallo family has made wine in Marsala since 1851 and their ancient cellars tunnel beneath the city. They were one of the first families to begin making high-quality table wine when sales of traditional Marsala started to decline, launching the Donnafugata label in 1983 and championing the potential of the region’s native varieties.
Today, Donnafugata has four estates in Sicily: a modern winery and 322 hectares at Contessa Entellina in the hills east of Marsala, 42 hectares in Vittoria towards the south-eastern point of the island, 68 hectares on the island of Pantelleria, and 35 hectares on the slopes of Etna. Donnafugata means ‘fleeing woman’ and refers to Queen Maria Carolina, who escaped the court of Naples in the early 19th century with her husband, Ferdinand IV of Bourbon, when Napoleon’s troops arrived. The couple took refuge in Sicily at the Santa Margherita Belice palace, the favourite residence of celebrated writer Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa, which is depicted on the ‘Mille e Una Notte’ label.
The Donnafugata wines fuse Sicilian tradition with a modern approach. ‘Vigna di Gabri’ blends Ansonica (Inzolia) with Chardonnay, Viognier, Catarratto and Sauvignon Blanc, in differing percentages according to the vintage. On the other hand, ‘Sherazade’ is made solely from Nero d’Avola. The ‘Mille e Una Notte’, a multi-varietal blend that includes Nero d’Avola, Petit Verdot and Syrah, is a wine with exceptional structure and remarkable personality. Their Frappato ‘Bell’Assai’ hails from Vittoria. It is a very pure example of this local variety defined by a light body, delicate florals and spice. The Etna wines come from high-elevation vineyards at 730 – 750 metres above sea level. A portion of the white, made solely from Carricante, is aged in used oak to enhance its texture, while a component of the red, made from Nerello Mascalese, is kept in stainless steel to enhance the freshness and intensity that characterise the wines from Etna.
Donnafugata’s masterpiece is ‘Ben Ryé’, a Zibibbo Passito from the island of Pantelleria. Donnafugata arrived here in 1989 and now cultivate 68 hectares of vines on this volcanic island, which is closer to Tunisia than Italy. Due to this position, it is constantly swept by Mediterranean winds; Scirocco from the south and Maestrale from the north. The wine production process is heavily influenced by these winds, from the unique shape of the “Alberello Pantesco” bush vines (certified by UNESCO World Heritage) to the drying of the grapes. For this reason, Donnafugata named their Passito di Pantelleria DOC ‘Ben Ryé’ from the Arabic ‘son of the wind’.
