CANTINE PAOLINI

Founded in 1964 by Gaspare Baiata and several likeminded, forward-looking growers. Thanks to their maritime climate and the winds sweeping off the sea through their vines, they have been able to maintain an environmentally friendly approach, and now produce organically certified Grillo and Nero d’Avola. The soil is fertilised with infusions of organically produced herbs and legumes. No sulphur is used or added at any stage in the making of these two wines. The average holding is 3 hectares, so – most unusually for a cooperative winery – everything is picked by hand.

The cantina has a very definite house style, focusing on freshness and maintaining as much acidity as possible. This is achieved by harvesting earlier than most of the producers in the area and applies equally to the red and white wines. Alcohol levels are distinctly lower than you’d expect, and the styles of wine are very clean cut and modern, with an emphasis on the fruit characters of the individual grape varieties. There is a very wide range of soils, but perhaps most interesting is the variation from vineyards planted right next to the sea and those planted further inland, but at higher altitude.

Those, mainly white, grapes from by the sea have a definite salinity to them, especially in the Grillo and Grecanico. The area is famous for its salt production!  Higher up in the hills the wines have freshness from the cooler temperatures, moderated by the winds coming from the Mediterranean.  Of the reds, the Nero d’Avola wines are beautifully balanced with dark fruit flavours and matching acidity, while the Frappato and Nerello Mascalese are very modern in style, lighter reds with defined acidity and red cherry fruits. The Zibibbo is a full-bodied passito wine, with 100 g/l of residual sugar and delicious vanilla and caramel flavours.

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