Occhipinti SP68 Red (750ml)

Arianna Occhipinti is a vigneron in Vittoria, Sicily who inherited her passion for the vine and wine at the young age of 16 when she attended VinItaly with her vigneron uncle of another iconic winery, COS.  Though Arianna studied oenology at the University of Milan and understands all the science and technical aspects of winemaking, for her, winemaking is all about farming.   She began making wine in her home area of Vittoria, Sicily in her early 20s.  The indigenous Frappato grape amazed her: she saw its potential for making high quality delicious red wines that were elegant and floral, lighter and fresher than the bold and ultra ripe Nero d’Avolas that had defined Sicilian wine up to that point.  She has carved out a niche and defined her style as one of finesse, elegance and aromatics.   When she released her first vintage in 2006 she was just 24 and had only one hectare of vines.  Today Her first vintage 2004 was released in 2006 when she was just 24. At the time she had just one hectare of vines which has since grown to the 18 hectares she farms today. She practices organic viticulture and takes a minimal approach to winemaking.  She hand harvests only healthy grapes, relies on spontaneous fermentation, does not use new oak and uses minimal sulfur.