23 May Visiting Donnafugata Wines on the Island of Pantelleria, The Black Pearl of the Mediterranean

Last year I traveled to Sicily, Italy for my first time. While I was there, I took a quick overnight trip to the island of Pantelleria, an island off the island of Sicily. Pantelleria is called the Black Pearl of the Mediterranean and it was here that I visited Donnafugata Wines which I wrote about for Wander with Wonder and share here.

A few dozen of us gathered on the tarmac to load onto a propeller plane that looked like it was from the 1950s. I was hesitant, but it was the way to get to Pantelleria, an island off the coast of Sicily known as the black pearl of the Mediterranean. The island of Pantelleria is part of Sicily, the largest and most populous island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the 20 regions of Italy. Sitting southwest of Sicily and only 50 miles from Tunisia, Pantelleria is a holiday destination for many Italians, home to Donnafugata Winery, and was my destination for 24 hour.

Despite my initial hesitation, the one-hour flight from Catania was smooth as we flew over the Mediterranean Sea. Upon landing, I was met by Emanuele Corsale of Donnafugata Winery, who would be my guide. We hopped into a boxy Fiat Panda, the only make of car found on the island. Pantelleria is home to the greatest number of Fiat Pandas per square mile, as these cars are small, tough, economical, and easy to fix. This made sense as I learned more about this isolated island, home to the famous Passito di Pantelleria, a sweet white wine.

About Pantelleria

Pantelleria, Sicily’s largest volcanic satellite island, is 8.7 miles long and five miles wide. It is located on a volcanic cone over 6,500 feet above sea level. As Emanuele drove around the island, it seemed like we were on one long, winding road, which did not seem wide enough for more than one car. But two Pandas could pass each other, and once I realized this, I could focus on the scenery.

Pantelleria is a dramatic island of rugged volcanic rocks surrounded by water. 80% of the island is a national park and includes the lake Specchio di Venere (Venus’s Mirror). It is in the shape of a heart, located in a natural reserve set in the crater of an extinct volcano. It said that the goddess Venus would look at herself in the lake waters before meeting Bacchus. The view of the lake is stunning, and the color of the waters turns different shades of green depending on the time of the day.

An island surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea would seem to have all the natural resources it needs. But being surrounded by water is deceiving. Pantelleria is a dry island with little water available. And strong, hot Scirocco winds blow across the island. But necessity is the mother of invention, and the island of Pantelleria has developed creative and inventive methods to deal with the lack of water, heat, and wind.

One way the people of Pantelleria have dealt with the heat and wind is with their houses, called dammusi. Dating back to the 10th century, dammusi are made from lava stone and have a domed roof. The thick lava walls provide insulation against the heat in the summer and the cold in the winter. And the domed roofs are used to collect rainwater in cisterns. In addition, next to each dammuso is a circular wall made of lava stone called a jardinu. Within these walls, fruit trees are cultivated, protecting them from the intense winds.

When it comes to growing vegetation, trees do not grow up; instead, the arms of olive trees and caperberry trees are held down by stones so that they grow outward on the ground. And the same can be said for the Zibibbo vines.

Zibibbo Vines

Pantelleria comes from the Arabic phrase “Bent El-Rhia,” which means “Daughter of the Wind.” The only grape planted in Pantelleria is Zibibbo, the same as Muscat of Alexandria. Zibibbo is an ancient grape that originated in North Africa. Zibibbo comes from the Arabic word zabib, which means “dry grapes.”

Zibibbo thrives in hot climates and is at home in Pantelleria. However, in addition to the heat, Pantelleria is dry, with strong winds that would blow over a trellised vine. So, thousands of years ago, the people of Pantelleria invented the alberello pantesco vine training system, which is today a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. Alberello pantesco is the only agricultural practice recognized by UNESCO.

With albarello pantesco, the low bush vine from Pantelleria, a shallow hole is dug into the volcanic soils and planted in this hole. By burying the vine in the ground, humidity is created, and moisture is collected. The vines are on the ground, which protects them from the wind. Each vine has 8-10 grape clusters. Across the island, these small bush vines are planted in centuries-old vineyards. Due to the volcanic soils, Pantelleria has never suffered from phylloxera.

Zibibbo is mostly used to produce passito dessert wines, with the most famous expression being Passito di Pantelleria, but it can also be used for still white wines. It is also enjoyed as a table grape and a raisin grape. The most famous Passito di Pantelleria produced is Ben Ryé (“son of the wind”) from Donnafugata.

About Donnafugata

Donnafugata was founded in 1983 by Giacomo Rallo and his wife Gabriella, a pioneer of viticulture in Sicily. The name Donnafugata originates from the name of the Sicilian novel Il Gattopardo and translates to “a fugitive woman” or “a woman who fled.” The name best represents Gabriella, a teacher who “fled” her job to start a wine business and become one of the first women in Sicily to run a wine business.

Donnafugata’s headquarters are in Marsala, where the family, whose origins date back to 1851, produced Marsala. The first Donnafugata wines were produced in 1983 in Contessa Entellina in western Sicily. Donnafugata has 1,154 acres of vineyards across Sicily in Contessa Entellina, Pantelleria, Vittoria, and Etna. Giacomo and Gabriella’s sons, Antonio and José, are the fifth generation running the company.

Donnafugata has vineyards of Zibibbo across Pantelleria, but the winery is in the Khamma district. It is in a natural amphitheater, and the vineyards are grown on small terraces bordered by dry lava stone walls. A visit to Donnafugata Pantelleria offers various experiences, including touring the property and tasting the wines. In addition to the Zibibbo, it is possible to taste Donnafugata wines from across their other estates in Sicily, including the Contessa Entellina Estate in western Sicily, the Vittoria Estate in the south of Sicily, and The Etna Estate in the east of Sicily.

Donnafugata has practiced sustainability for over 30 years and is a member of SOStain (the Foundation for Sicilian Sustainable Viticulture). It does not use herbicides or chemical fertilizers. Donnafugata has reduced CO2 emissions using lighter glass bottles and recyclable Select BIO caps made from sugar cane. It produces clean energy and believes in biodiversity and the study of indigenous varieties.

In Pantelleria, Donnafugata has 33 Zibibbo biotypes, and they have recovered and cultivated century-old olive trees. These olive trees and more can be seen walking on the Cammino di Khamma (Khamma trail) in the Giardino Pantesco (Pantelleria Garden). In addition to century-old olive trees, there is Mediterranean scrub and capers, which all exemplify the perfect harmony between nature and agriculture.

Enjoying Donnafugata’s Zibibbo Wines

At Donnafugata, Zibibbo is used to produce both dry and sweet styles. I tried the Lighea, Kabir, and Ben Ryé.

Donnafugata Lighea

Donnafugata Lighea is a dry style of Zibibbo. The grapes are fermented in stainless steel and aged for two months before bottling. The resulting wine is bright, straw-yellow, and aromatic, with floral, citrus, and exotic fruit notes. It is fresh on the palate, with lots of acidity and a mineral finish.

I enjoyed this wine with fresh capers in olive oil from Pantelleria. The salty and oily flavors tempered the aromatics of the wine, and the acidity cut through. This is a wine to enjoy with fried and oily fish.

Donnafugata Ben Ryé

Donnafugata’s celebrated passito di Pantelleria is Ben Ryé, which translates to “son of the wind” and is a testament to the strong winds on the island. The grapes are picked by hand. With the vines on the ground, this is very labor intensive. The first grapes are brought to the winery and dried for 20 days. They are rotated every five to seven days. As they dry, they lose 70% of their water content.

The next round of grapes is picked and pressed into stainless steel, and the destemmed dried berries are added to the fresh must. This process happens in six to seven rounds, and the total vinification process (fermentation and maceration) takes 40 days. The final ratio of dried grapes to fresh grapes is 70% dry grapes and 30% fresh juice. The final wine is aged five months in stainless steel and at least eight months in bottles.

Ben Ryé is a deep gold and orange color that resembles the sunset. It is very aromatic with notes of ripe peach, apricot jam, candied orange, honey, almond, and sweet herbs. There are honey and spicy ginger notes on the palate, and fresh acidity cleans the palate. Legend says that the goddess Tanit served it to Apollo to seduce him, which is why Passito di Pantelleria is called the “nectar of the gods.” And I do not disagree. Ben Ryé is fresh, aromatic, and utterly delicious.

Journey to the black pearl of the Mediterranean to discover the beautiful scenery and unspoiled nature, and more importantly, taste the delicious Ben Ryé Passito di Pantelleria and other Donnafugata wines.

Read the original story in Wander with Wonder.