The daughter of the wind
The daughter of the wind
“As black as lava and as white as the blinding sunlight of the sunrise that reflects on the sinuous roofs of the dammusi”
The wind blows strongly on that wild, black island called Pantelleria, the daughter of the wind: this was how it was named by the Arabs that dominated it.
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Its indomitable energy shakes the soul, bends the vines and the olive trees and agitates the water, while waves rise breaking against the jagged, black volcanic coastline, showing the mysterious lunar side of that difficult land, which is, in places, hostile and desert-like.
The island is rich in contrasts. As black as lava and as white as the blinding sunlight of the sunrise that reflects on the sinuous roofs of the dammusi; illuminated in the pungent dark of the night only by the shining of the stars, and vibrant in tones of pink and orange offered by breathtaking sunsets.
The heroism of the cultivation
The heroism of the cultivation
“A land where vines and man grow in symbiosis with one another. Both are cowering down, almost kneeling upon the ground to kiss it”
The sun and the wind and the earth and the sea feed the dark soil together, from which emerge carpets of low grapevines and olive trees, on terraces of small dimensions delimited by dry stone walls, built by man. Mighty trunks and tender buds, huddle in that womb that feeds them and allows them grow.
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They are nourished by the salt that the wind impresses on their roots, but also by the burning soil heated by the sun. They are calm, surrounded in silence, waiting for the clever tenderness of man, who heroically protects and cultivates them, with techniques passed down from father to son. These are heroic gestures, that have allowed the cultivation of the Pantelleria sapling grapevine, to obtain the Unesco recognition as a World Heritage asset, as it is able to preserve the territory, in a sustainable and creative way.
After all, it couldn’t be otherwise in that land where vines and man grow in symbiosis with one another. Both are cowering down, almost kneeling upon the ground to kiss it, because this is the will of the wind and nature. The grapevines are bent and heated by the sun are, as the farmer bends down to cultivate and to harvest them by hand. But the generous land, repays this love and care with gifts of great value and in summer when the bunches ripen, the scent of zibibbo grapes mixes with the fresh sea breeze. And the scent becomes intense and intoxicating when the hand-harvested grape, dries under the sun, on special lattices. Zibibbo comes from Arabic zabib and it means raisin or dried grape.
And in those periods, when the island gives off its sweetest fragrances, man reconciles with this severe land, a generous mother. And so this is, Pantelleria with its indescribable beauty. Golden rays brighten the Pantellerian gardens surrounded by dry lava stone walls. The landscape is framed by broom, bougainville, dammusi, caper plants, vines and olive trees, which are low grown and with lots of branches to protect them from the wind. Light reflections explode on the white wavy roofs of the houses.
The island shakes, caresses, nourishes and heats, leaving man in the arid loneliness of the districts and it taking him again comforting him with the perfume of the golden grapes, destined to the production of great passitos and muscats.
Dedication, gratitude, trust
Dedication, gratitude, trust
“A relationship founded on the farmers’ trust, supported in their land, and rewarded for their heroic work”
It’s from zibibbo grapes cultivated in Pantelleria that the great sweet wines of the Pellegrino family are created, from the 1990s began its commitment, staying by the farmers and their families’ side during the production and the enhancement of the island wines. The acts of love of one of the most important Sicilian wine families began with the construction of a winery in this fascinating desert-like and wild place.
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The cooperation with Pantellerian winegrowers, true connoisseurs of the territory and of the most suitable cultivation techniques for the production of the island Doc wines, was crucial. “In this way a relationship was forged founded on the farmers trust, supported in their land, and rewarded for their heroic work”.
A connection that pushed the Pellegrino family to reward and support that land that, trapped in the grip of fire, was destroyed right in its heart by a fire that killed off the greenery of Montagna Grande and of Monte Gibele.
The “Pellegrino Wineries” promote in fact “Together for Pantelleria” an initiative that has already permitted to restoration of the precious Pantellerian ecosystem compromised by that terrible fire. Pantelleria in our hearts. This is the sentiment of the Pellegrino family, who is able to listen to and nourish the sense of gratitude that the land creates.
The wines of the island
The wines of the island
“A miracle growing on this harsh and hard land”
From the zibibbo grapes cultivated in the island, comes in fact the spearhead of the family production, the Nes Passito Naturale of Pantelleria. In districts with names of Arab origin, spread along the coast, the grape is hand harvested when it is over ripe, reaching a very high sugar content. Its amber colour encloses a mystery, concealed among the vines rows crouched down on the ground, kept in the expert farmers’ hands and in an agricultural tradition handed over from generation to generation. Full of hints of honey, dry figs and candied fruit, Nes is a real health elixir.
From the same zibibbo grapes the Natural Muscat and the Natural Passito of Pantelleria are also created. The berries drying on the lattices give the Passito an intense flavour of candied fruit and aromatic herbs, while the Muscat, born in the fresh soils at higher altitudes, expresses its delicacy through yellow peach, melon and citrus notes. A different sweetness, in both cases, but bonded together by a savoury scent offered by the volcanic soil, where the wind hardly blows, the sea rises and the sun shines.
