Gulfi

The founder of the winery, Vito Catania, came back from the North of Italy in the late 1990s with the dream of starting a successful wine business on the ground where his ancestors made wine three generations ago. Full of innovative and idealistic ideas he started Gulfi, in Chiaramonte Gulfi, a small town on the Monte Iblei which is located in Sicily.

Vito Catania’s philosophy was to preserve the tradition the area had been producing wine in for over two thousand years, working with respect for nature and doing everything by hand, preserving the Alberello and working with indigenous grape varieties. Hence, they work fully organic. He coupled this fondness for the preservation of tradition with a highly innovative approach. The winery uses the latest techniques, the vines are closely monitored and new projects are often started over the years. Today, Gulfi is governed by the three sons of Vito, each of whom is involved in a different field within the winery.

Annually, Gulfi produces 190,000 bottles of wine. The star of Gulfi is the Nero d’Avola, king of southern Sicily and very suitable for the extremely warm climate. In Chiaramonte Gulfi, where the Locanda is located, Nero d’Avola grows together with Chardonnay, Carricante, Albanello and Frappato. The soil consists of clay, limestone and fossils. More towards the Val di Noto, in Pachino, near the town of Noto on the coast, the four “Grand cru’s” of Nero d’Avola are made