Valle dell’Acate: Six Generations of Cerasuolo di Vittoria
Source: Coppiera Travel Archives
Valle Dell'Acate is where guests are treated to an exceptional visitor experience, going beyond the usual cellar and vineyard tour to engage with the land, history, and local food traditions.
Valle dell’Acate is a family-run winery in southeastern Sicily, near Vittoria, where the Jacono family has cultivated vineyards for six generations. The estate focuses on traditional Sicilian grape varieties such as Frappato and Nero d’Avola. The region’s most famous wine — and Sicily’s only DOCG wine — is Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG, a vibrant blend of these two grapes known for its balance of bright fruit and smooth structure. Local legend even suggests that, in the early 19th century, both Frappato and Nero d’Avola were exported to France and blended into wines such as Pinot Noir.
Located in southwestern Sicily, near the town of Vittoria. Source: Google Maps
What makes Valle dell’Acate special is its deep connection to the land and the continuity of its history. Gaetana Jacono, the current head of the estate, describes the winery’s philosophy this way: “Wine accompanies man in history. Wine is culture, and culture does not stop: it is handed down. It takes from the past and carries into the future.”
A visit to the estate begins with its ancient palmento, dating back to the 19th century. These traditional structures — often built from stone or partially carved into rock to maintain cool temperatures — were once used for manually crushing grapes and housing fermentation vessels before the advent of modern winemaking equipment. Valle dell’Acate’s palmento features a high-ceilinged warehouse with abundant ventilation, resembling the aging bodegas, or catedrales del vino, of Jerez. Juice moved naturally by gravity from one area to another, an ingenious system that eliminated the need for pumps or electrical machinery. Old farming tools, presses, and barrels remain on display, making the experience feel like a tribute to the ingenuity of human history and wine culture.
Source: Coppiera Travel Archives
The estate carefully matches each grape variety and wine to its ideal soil type. Farming practices are organic, with official certification achieved in 2018, reflecting a deep respect for both nature and tradition. Detailed soil mapping, or “zonation,” allows specific varietals to be planted in the vineyard plots best suited to them, enhancing the expression of terroir. The result is a range of wines that vividly express the character of Sicily. The winery also honors Sicilian culinary traditions by pairing its wines with local foods.
Source: Coppiera Travel Archives
At the beginning of 2025, the estate removed vineyards surrounding the old winery, planning to wait two years before replanting Frappato and Nero d’Avola because the aging vines had become less productive. Under Gaetana Jacono’s leadership, the winery has gained greater international recognition, strengthened its commitment to terroir-driven viticulture, and developed a more distinct regional identity. Although the vineyards span different soil types, many are planted on alluvial terraces carved by the Acate/Dirillo River, where stony, white pebble-rich soils overlay darker alluvial deposits.
Source: Coppiera Travel Archives
Tasting
1) 2024 Valle Dell’Acate Fil D’Oro Rosato - Frappato Metodo Ancestrale - 100% Frappato, Pet Nat — partially fermented at cool temperature. Fermentation stopped and natural fermentation resumes after bottling, without the addition of sugars or yeasts.
Pale salmon, chalk, tart, sour cherry, lime pithe, funky - saline and mineral (crushed shells) short but refreshing finish; fun crushable patio wine - not for novices!
2) 2023 Valle Dell’Acate Thymbra - 100% Vermentino - Quick cool stainless steel ferment, no malolactic fermentation
Over ripe lemon, tropical fruit, vanilla custard, broad breadth, zippy acid, good for those branching out from softer new world chardonnays **
3) 2024 Valle Dell’Acate Zagra - 100% Grillo; zagra is the name of a citrus blossom in local dialect, stainless steel
Evocative of the nose: fresh cut white flowers, pungent musk, lime oil, chalk, lovely chilled but high acid favors food pairing
4) 2023 Valle Dell’Acate Frappato - 100% Frappato, cool temperature fermentation and short aging in stainless steel
Cherries, bright, juicy, light-bodied, straight forward but refreshing. A bit between a mass market wine and something a touch more serious. 80,000 bottles produced - should be on every grocery shelf!
5) 2023 Valle Dell’Acate Frappato Vigna Biddine Sottana **- 100% Frappato; one of the top vineyards which showcases just how high quality Frappato can be.
Morello cherries, black licorice, much more concentrated dark plums, yet still has vivacious nature. Frappato pairs with fresh fish in Sicily
6) 2021 Valle Dell’Acate Il Moro - 100% Nero d'Avola
Plums, mixed bramble berries, crunchy tannins - fine sawdust, high-toned, medium bodied showing a richness on the palate.
7) 2021 Valle Dell’Acate BDN Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG ** - 60% Nero d’Avola, 40% Frappato, aged in barrels and tonneaux for 12 months
Mashed plums and cherries, touch of chocolate, sandalwood, woolly tannins, high refreshing acid, with moderate integration of oak and licorice-driven finish.
8) 2017 Valle Dell’Acate Iri Da Iri Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG - Cru!, 60% Nero d’Avola, 40% Frappato, aging for 24months in tonneaux followed by 18months in bottle.
Bricking rim, shows bottle evolution, balsamic character, dried cherries and cranberries, hints of fresh and dried plums, dusty tannins, highly concentrated with that familiar zesty Sicilian acidity which pairs so well with food.
