“A Sip of Nature” has always been the slogan accompanying the work of the Funaro brothers.
All Funaro labels boast organic certification and are produced according to quality standards of excellence, following the dictates of modern agriculture that never strays from the assumption of eco-sustainable behavior. Moreover, all wines contain less than 100 mg/l of total sulfur dioxide, well below the amount allowed by Italian regulations for conventional wines.
In line with strict organic philosophy and aiming to best express the characteristics of grape varieties, three unfiltered labels were introduced in 2021: Perricone, Inzolia, and macerated Zibibbo.
These wines are pure and fermented without the use of selected indigenous yeasts. Inzolia, the first white wine we’ll describe, comes from the family’s oldest vineyard in Salemi, at an altitude of about 150 meters above sea level. The soil, rich in organic matter, has a silty-clay structure.
After a brief cryo-maceration, the grapes undergo spontaneous fermentation without selected yeasts in stainless steel wine tanks. After fermentation, the wine is racked to remove coarse lees, and maturation continues in stainless steel tanks for about six months.
This wine is distinguished by its straw-yellow color, slightly opalescent, with light golden reflections. Tasting it reveals many surprises: on the nose, it’s pleasant with fruity notes typical of the grape. On the palate, it’s harmonious, fresh, and endowed with excellent sapidity, thanks to the cultivation soil and low yields per hectare.
Zibibbo is a true sensory explosion.
It’s grown in the Santa Ninfa area at an altitude of about 400 meters above sea level. The soil, hillside, is predominantly calcareous-gypsum with a good clay fraction, typical of the area. For Zibibbo, too, the grapes are spontaneously fermented without selected yeasts in stainless steel tanks, with skin maceration for about five days at a controlled temperature. After fermentation, the wine is racked and left on the lees for about six months
Its color is changing: straw-yellow, slightly opalescent, with faint greenish reflections.
On the nose, it’s captivating with an extremely elegant aroma typical of the variety, enhanced by cryo-maceration in the press. Those who love Zibibbo will find in the unfiltered version a harmonious, delicate palate with excellent sapidity and freshness.
Funaro also offers a red wine among their unfiltered range: Perricone, a black grape variety from their vineyard in Salemi at an altitude of about 150 meters above sea level. The grapes are spontaneously fermented without selected yeasts in stainless steel tanks, with skin maceration for about five days.
After malolactic fermentation, the wine is racked and remains on the lees in stainless steel tanks at a controlled temperature for about six months. With an intense ruby-red color, slightly opalescent due to the lack of filtration, it enchants wine lovers with its distinctly violet reflections. Its bouquet is fruity with notes of plum and spices, typical of the variety.
On the palate, it’s fresh and harmonious, thanks to the good balance between alcohol, acids, and tannins.
Every glass offers the taster a sip of nature and a new interpretation of winemaking.
