Ep 255 - Vittoria Wine Region, Sicily - Organic Wine, Indigenous Grapes & Sicilian Wine Travel with Stefano Girelli of Santa Tresa
episodePreviously titled “Ep 255 - Vittoria Wine Region, Sicily - Organic Wine, Indigenous Grapes & Sicilian Wine Travel” — renamed by the publisher on Aug 3, 2026
EAT SLEEP WINE REPEAT: A Wine Podcast Exploring Wine Regions, Grapes & Education
1h 2m
1 speaker
8 chapters
transcribed 1 month ago
Transcript
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What is the story behind Santa Tresa and Cortese estates in Vittoria?
Welcome to Eat, Sleep, Wine Repeat, a podcast for all you wine lovers who, if you're like me, just cannot get enough of the good stuff. I'm Yanina Doyle, your host, brand ambassador, wine educator, and smellier. So stick with me as we dive deeper into this ever-evolving wonderful world of wine. And wherever you are listening to this, cheers to you. Hello, wine friends, and welcome back to another episode where today we are heading to Vittoria in the south of Sicily. I visited an estate that completely captured my heart, Santa Tresa. This was a place with stunning beauty, so calming, and of course, the wines, including a Nerodavila called Avolisi. From vines planted back in 1964. Note that down. And ugh the frappato.
Well, I mean, let's just say you're going to hear my enthusiasm in the episode. So I'm talking with Stefano Girelli, who, with his sister, runs Santa Tressa and also Cortesi to estates where they are pioneers of organic farming in Sicily. But what What makes them fascinating isn't just the quality of the wines, it's also their mindset. So, in this episode, we're going to be talking about organic viticulture, what it really means, why biodiversity matters in a vineyard, and how you can often spot a sustainably farmed estate without even asking, just by looking around you. We'll also explore how Santa Teresa is responding to rising temperatures through experimentation with rare and rediscovered. favored grape varieties, some that you can only have from Santa Tressa, and others that you'll only ever find in Vitoria.
And of course, we'll dive into the region's most famous wine, Cherisuolo di Vittoria, Sicily's only DOCG, made from the blend of Nerodavola and Frappato. But make sure you stay to the end, because although Vittoria is known for its reds, we are going to be talking about some white grape varieties, and specifically a wine from Cortesi that really deserves your attention.
So pour yourself a glass of wine, settle in and enjoy this episode with Stefano as he takes us on a journey of Vittoria, indigenous grape varieties, experimentation, and organics. Enjoy the episode. Stefano, I feel like we have to start this podcast talking about the beauty of the estate. I fell in love when I came to visit you. So paint us a picture of coming to Vittoria. Paint us a picture of being in the south of Sicily first and then getting to your estate. Go.
Well, I think I can start by telling you my story because you know, I live in the north, uh right in the middle of the Alps, and actually when I started to travel to Sicily, you know, to to look for some estates or, you know, some business to grow, uh, when I went to Victoria, I immediately noticed that it was something very different there. It's a unique place is a little remote, you know, because we are really based In the very, very south part of Sicily, just think that Vittoria is more south than Tunisi. That's how far south we are. So, you know, when you get there, you quickly realize that even though it is a remote place, um, from the viticulture and agriculture point of view, it is absolutely unique.
Is And what is so unique? The soil. We are blessed with a pretty unique soil that is called we call it Terrarossa, red soil, and is a very, very sandy soil that really gives our grapes a unique flavor and something that no other areas in Sicily can deliver. So, you know, thinking about the viticulture point of view, that was, you know, like beautiful place, you know. The heaven with an incredible potential. On top of this, you know, Victoria in the Victoria area. is one of You know, historically, there there is so much there. You know, it had one of the largest Greek colony, Camarina, that ever existed outside Greece. And you know, there is such an incredible melting pot of culture there. And you can really feel, you know, from obviously agriculture, from the food, from the culture, you know, the monument, the the history, the the architect.
Everything is a melting pot and you is it's very difficult not to fall in love with it and that's what we're here you know because you fell in love i fell in love before you much longer before you and that's why i decided that that was the right place to start a new venture
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What is the story behind Santa Tresa and Cortese estates in Vittoria?
0:05–7:36
2
How can listeners plan a wine‑focused trip to Vittoria and stay in Ragusa?
7:36–12:38
3
Which Santa Tresa wine is perfect for a romantic proposal or celebration?
12:38–20:38
4
What wine does Stefano recommend for a sunny day at the beach?
20:38–29:24
5
How does Stefano define “organic” wine and what does it really mean?
29:24–37:49
6
What vineyard techniques are being used to combat climate change in Vittoria?
37:49–46:21
7
Which indigenous or rediscovered grape varieties could become the grapes of the future?
46:21–54:10
8
What makes Cerasuolo di Vittoria unique as Sicily’s only DOCG?
54:10–1:02:44
Speakers
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