GIUDEO ESTATE

A hillside viticulture that enjoys the warm Sicilian sun and the winds that embrace the vineyards of Giudeo Estate a few kilometers from the sea. Here the characteristics of the Marsala countryside tell the typical environment of western Sicily with its alternating valleys and high ground. A territory rich in history and culture where expanses of vineyards (Grillo, Zibibbo and Catarratto Lucido for the white berried grapes, Nero D’Avola, and a clonal selection of Nerello Mascalese for the red berried ones) cover a large part of the Sicilian countryside, among the most suitable on the island and not surprisingly the most vineyard in Italy. Here the soil is mainly clayey and is characterized by marine sedimentations of different depths; the succession of soils is linked by carbonates, with coarse texture in the upper parts and gradually finer in the valley and terminal parts: from top to bottom, therefore, the grain size changes while maintaining the carbonate matrix. The climate is naturally Mediterranean but is characterized by the variety of microclimates (in particular tending to semi-arid) and by the strong temperature fluctuations between day and night which often exceed 15 ° C of difference, creating the ideal conditions for a higher quality. of the grapes and therefore of the wines. The vineyards – all conducted under organic farming – are located between 85 and 108 meters above sea level and extend on two opposite sides with a North / North-West and East / South-East orientation. 37 ° 45 ’59’ North 12 °, 38 ’42’ East.

Detail

Wines

Giudeo Estate

Pedology of the area

The characteristics of the Marsala countryside tell of the typical environment of western Sicily with its alternating valleys and high floors present in this type of countryside. Among the Firriato estates, Giudeo is the southernmost one and extends over a typical succession of soils with an orogenetic basis due to marine sediments of different depths. In the upper part there is sandstone with large granulometry and, a few tens of meters deep, there are accumulations of clays. Along the slope of Judeo, the succession of soils is linked by carbonates, with coarse texture in the upper parts and gradually finer in the valley and terminal parts: from top to bottom, therefore, the grain size changes while maintaining the carbonate matrix. The pedological succession – that is the composition -, the genesis and the modifications of the soil are made up of entisols (young soils in the upper part), inceptisols (little evolved soils) in the intermediate portion and vertisols (with abundant presence of particular types of clayey minerals) in the valley position.

Giudeo Estate

Terroir

A territory rich in history and culture where Giudeo estate develops; here expanses of vineyards cover a large part of the Sicilian countryside. The climate is naturally Mediterranean but is characterized by the variety of microclimates and by the strong temperature fluctuations between day and night which often exceed 15 ° C difference, creating the ideal conditions for a higher quality of the grapes and therefore of the wines. The vineyards are located at an altitude of about 85 and 108 meters above sea level and extend over the typical alternating valleys and plateaus present in this part of western Sicily, today considered the most suitable of the island and not surprisingly the most planted in the area. ‘Italy. The soil is mainly clayey and characterized by marine sedimentations of different depths.

Giudeo Estate

Climatology of the area

The area is characterized by a set of climatic phenomena of an intermediate scale (compared to those that make up the microclimate and macroclimate). According to the Thorntwite index – given by the ratio between total monthly rainfall and total monthly evaporation – Giudeo estate is characterized by climatic conditions tending to semi-arid. The estate is also characterized by strong temperature fluctuations between day and night which are around 15 ° C, and is located between 85 and 108 meters above sea level, with vineyards on two opposite sides: North orientation / North-West and East / South-East.

Giudeo Estate

Vineyard

Grillo, Zibibbo and Catarratto Lucido for the white berried grapes, Nero D’Avola, and a clonal selection of Nerello Mascalese for the red berried ones constitute the different cultivars bred with the espalier system, characterized by long and rich pruning. The excellent vigor of the plants and the good vegetative-productive balance qualify the particularities of the Giudeo estate’s vineyards. The harvest is done manually and carried out in the period between the first and third decade of September.

Giudeo Estate

Agronomic practices

The whole vineyard is managed and certified according to the rules of organic farming. The plants are left with free vegetation in order to increase the level of coverage of the bunches and maintain a microclimate of freshness on the berries. Grassing with mixed-spontaneous essences is one of the most important cultural practices.

Firriato Winery, Authentic Terroir