Marilina Fedelie Bianco Frizzante Ancestrale

From the Noto Valley, located in the region of Syracuse, in southeastern Sicily, comes Cantina Marilina Fedelie Bianco Frizzante Ancestrale, a sparkling wine made from Muscat grapes, produced using the ancient method at Cantina Marilina.

This winery, currently managed by Angelo Paternò (winemaker) and his daughter, Marilina, has recovered this traditional winemaking method, based mainly on bottle fermentation without having to add any sweetener to the base wine. This unique feature is what differentiates this method from other winemaking methods, like the champenoise method where, although bottle fermentation is also used, this process involves adding liqueur de tirage, a solution made up of sugar and selected yeasts that ensures that the yeasts start working inside the bottle. With the ancient method, the sugars in the must are monitored during fermentation so that, once the required amount is reached, it is bottled and the process continues without any interruptions.

This was the traditional way sparkling wines were made (especially in Italy and France): without machines or state-of-the-art technology. Simply letting nature speak. Over time it had almost been forgotten, but Cantina Marilina wanted to bring it back, reviving a tradition that until now was unheard of in Sicily. In fact, Angelo Paternó, who seeks above all to make wines in the most natural way possible, has limited himself to putting into practice what he has seen in other countries and places throughout his career.

Starting with Muscat grapes grown on calcareous soils in the Contrada San Lorenzo vineyard and harvested by hand in August, Cantina Marilina Fedelie Bianco Frizzante Ancestrale is vinified in concrete tanks. During this process the sugars are monitored, and once they have reached the level that guarantees the second part of fermentation, Cantina Marilina Fedelie Bianco Frizzante Ancestrale is bottled and capped with a crown cap. It spends 6 months there, on the fermenting yeasts, until it is released for sale. It should be noted that Cantina Marilina Fedelie Bianco Frizzante Ancestrale is not disgorged, so the lees (dead yeast) remain in the bottle, fully integrated with the wine, giving volume and unctuousness. The taste of southern Sicily in its purest form!