Cantina Marilina presents its new naturally low-alcohol wines at Vinitaly

Cantina Marilina will be present at Vinitaly with two new labels that mark a clear and informed stance in the low-alcohol wine scene, a segment currently undergoing profound transformations linked to new health trends and evolving consumption patterns.

In recent years, growing attention to wellness and frequent media attacks on alcohol as a negative factor for human health have generated new market demands. Cantina Marilina, always attentive to the changes and dynamics of the wine sector, has decided to respond to this demand with two new wines: a white wine made from Catarratto Mantellato and a red wine made from Nero d'Avola , both characterized by a low alcohol content but capable of fully expressing their identity, sensory balance, and terroir. The Noto winery's work has also focused not only on the area's flagship variety but also on Catarratto Mantellato, for which extensive work has been undertaken to restore and preserve its biodiversity, drawing on existing vineyards on the estate from which genetic material was collected to prepare new vines. In its research and development process, the winery has consciously chosen to avoid the practice of dealcoholization, which is considered a solution that distorts the original wine and deprives it of a key element for its structure and balance. " Our goal is not to take anything away from the wine, but to find a new balance without betraying its soul, " explains Marilina Paternò. " We believe that today's consumer seeks awareness, not compromise. This is why we have chosen a more challenging, yet authentic, path: working more effectively in the vineyard to naturally obtain a lighter, more wholesome, and environmentally friendly wine ." Dealcoholized wines are often depleted not only by the loss of alcohol but also by the loss of aromas and other substances, as a consequence of the technologies used in their production. This consideration is accompanied by a central theme for the Paternò family's company: sustainability. In a general context that is pushing producers and consumers toward increasingly responsible practices, dealcoholization is considered a choice that is inconsistent with the principles of environmental sustainability. Producing wine and then removing the alcohol through complex technologies, characterized by high water and electricity consumption, goes against the environmental criteria that guide daily work in the vineyard and cellar. The approach adopted by Cantina Marilina to respond to this new market segment is instead agricultural, pragmatic, and sustainable. The Noto winery chose to intervene directly in the vineyard, extending pruning, increasing the number of bunches, and increasing the yield per hectare (which still remains well below 80 quintals per hectare). The harvest was earlier than the normal ripening period, and the vinification was carried out using traditional methods, with a maceration of just a few hours: " We didn't want to follow a trend but rather find an answer consistent with our way of making wine, " explains Angelo Paternò. " For us, wine is born in the vineyard, not in the laboratory. Lowering the alcohol content through agronomic and harvesting choices means respecting the identity of the grape variety, the balance of the wine, and the principles of sustainability in which we believe." Dealcoholization is a shortcut that we don't feel is ours ." The new wines made from Catarratto Mantellato and Nero d'Avola will open the tasting at Vinitaly and join the rest of the company's production focused on Grecanico, Moscato di Noto, and Nero d'Avola, which authentically convey the winery's production vision: balanced, recognizable wines deeply rooted in the territory, capable of communicating with the present without sacrificing their own identity.