Cultivating History: the pre-phylloxera vineyard and its “new” cuttings

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Cultivating History: the pre-phylloxera vineyard and its ``new`` cuttings

Cultivating History

An ancient heritage that is revived as an unbreakable bond between past and present

The pre-phylloxera vineyard of Cavanera Etnea expands with a new set of ungrafted vine cuttings. The cultivars are those of the local wine-making tradition, Nerello mascalese, Nerello cappuccio, Carricante, Catarratto and Minnella. These freshly planted cuttings enrich the virtuous path of Firriato, who finds exploiting this pristine and beautiful habitat a priceless treasure in terms of wine quality, history and culture.

Perpetuating nature’s power, year after year, harvest after harvest.

Every year, during the days of the pruning of centennial vines in our pre-phylloxera vineyard, ungrafted vine cuttings are “created” that will be planted the following year, a tradition which repeats cyclically. See Khaled pictured, carrying wood that was pruned a few weeks ago. These branches will become cuttings to be planted next year. They carry with them the heritage of this vineyard’s genome. They are proud bearers of how once vineyards were propagated.

Guardians of an ancient heritage

A new generation with ancient roots. Heirs of an immense family heritage. Children of natural
wooden sculptures, these cuttings are young, yet already centennial. In an endless game, nature
persists and is renewed.

For the new planting, Firriato used cuttings from the pruning of the centennial vine. This allowed to ensure continuity of the pre-phylloxera vineyard’ genome. It is a biological heritage that is inherited seamlessly from year to year and from vine to vine. From wood forged by time, this vineyard nestled in the lava rock perpetuates a century-old history that preserves a family value unmatched in the wine scene worldwide.

The use of common vine cuttings, that are easily bought on the market and indeed are widely used, would instead alter the historical identity of this vineyard, of these lands. Each of these plants carries with it the ancestral memory of those who planted them more than a century ago.

This is Firriato’s own outlook on preservation and enhancement of an absolutely unique wine
heritage.

Expertise and Respect

Our Heroes stride forward across the black earth, well aware that their work is to preserve a
cultural tradition that has its roots in antiquity and to pass it on to future generations.

As Tanino approaches a vine cutting and is inebriated by the scent of the lava soil, Khaled carefully collects wood to use for next year’s cuttings: they are some of Firriato’s men in action among vine rows from the first light of dawn. These snapshots depicting fragments of daily life on the volcano make up the portrait of a large family keeping the vineyards of Firriato’s most precious jewel.

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