Each year the prestigious American publication, Wine Enthusiast,
honors the individuals and companies that have made outstanding
achievements over the past year in the wine and alcoholic beverage
world.
Joining the company of the 2018 European Award-winning Gonzȧlez Byass
family-owned wineries from Spain, is a Sicilian wine company, Tasca
d’Almerita, crowned as the European winner of the Wine Enthusiast’s Awards of 2019.
Wine Enthusiast is delighted to name Tasca d’Almerita
from Sicily as European Winery of the year, in recognition of the
company’s achievements and contributions to the improvement of Sicilian
and Italian viticulture, as well as its progressive, advanced
forward-thinking initiatives. The win for Tasca d’Almerita in the
category of “European Winery of the Year” marks an important recognition
for the company and for Sicilian wine. This is an achievement never
before attained by a Sicilian winery.
Although Tasca d’Almerita is a Sicilian wine company, the commitment
to sustainable wine-growing that the Tasca family has made, has had an
extremely positive influence, not only on their own wine, but also on
the environment at large and other Italian wineries.
Winery Story
The winery’s story starts in 1830, with the Count Giuseppe Tasca
d’Almerita’s acquisition of the Regaleali Estate between Palermo and
Caltanissetta, where the rolling hills range between 1,312–2,953 feet
above sea level, with pronounced day-night temperature changes,
encouraging ideal grape ripening and complex aromas in both native and
international grapes.
By the 1950s, the company had become even more focused on
viticulture. It began to employ advanced forward-thinking methods in the
vineyard and the cellar, which eventually culminated in Count Giuseppe
Tasca d’Almerita’s creation of a special reserve red wine, Regaleali
Rosso del Conte.
In 1970, the first single-vineyard wine in Sicily and one of the
first red wines destined for lengthy aging was called Riserva del Conte,
made from Nero d’Avola, Perricone and other native red grapes. This was
followed by Nozze d’Oro in 1984, a blend of Inzolia and Sauvignon
Tasca, a unique selection.
In 1979, Giuseppe’s son, Lucio Tasca, planted international varieties
on the estate. His work with Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Pinot
Noir in the 1980s and ’90s encouraged many other Sicilian winemakers to
follow his example.
In 2001, Lucio handed the management to his sons, Giuseppe and
Alberto. That same year, the winery acquired the stunning Capofaro
estate on the island of Salina, where the focus is on the Malvasia
native grape.
Innovation and sustainability
Alberto, now the CEO and driving force behind Tasca d’Almerita,
shares the entrepreneurial spirit of his father and grandfather. Under
his guidance, the company has continued to expand, investing in areas
that yield wines with strong, distinct personalities.
Besides innovation, research and a commitment to express Sicily’s
multifaceted growing zones, perhaps the most important contribution
Tasca d’Almerita has made, is Alberto’s commitment to and passion for
sustainability. His dedication led to the creation of SOStain,
now an association of like-minded Sicilian producers that launched in
2010. Members must adhere to a strict set of terms and undergo field
checks made by an independent, third-party organization. The winery’s
criteria include vineyard and production methods that must have a lower
impact than the Organic Certification standards in every category.
In addition to the family’s historic estate, Regaleali, it now has
vineyards in the Aeolian islands, on Mount Etna, in the province of
Trapani and in the DOC Monreale area.
Alberto Tasca will formally accept this award in January 2020, joining this year’s other winners at Wine Enthusiast’s 20th Anniversary gala in San Francisco.
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