ntil a few years ago, Cerasuolo was the only DOC wine produced in Vittoria, a small village in the province of Ragusa. The continuity of production confirms the extremely ancient enological reputation of the area.
In the 4th century, Latin grammarian Priscianus cited the goodness of the wines of Modica. The town of Camarina also produced wines that were of laudable interest. The same area is the source of the great wines of Vittoria, a commune founded at the beginning of the 17th century on the initiative of Vittoria Colonna, Countess of Modica.
At the end of the last century, the vineyards were badly damaged by the phylloxera epidemic. The destruction was so terrible that many farmers preferred to plant their lands with other crops, that were felt to be more certain and remunerative. The "struggle" between growing fruits and vegetables on one hand and the vine for wine grapes on the other, was resolved about 20 years ago, when the land area devoted to growing grapes stabilized at about 7,000 hectares, after major early fluctuations.
Cerasuolo di Vittoria, obtained from Frappato and Nero d’Avola grapes, won the DOCG appellation in 2005. Soon after, the Vittoria DOC appellation was created for both red and white wines produced in this area using Ansonica, Nero d’Avola and Frappato grapes. Unlike Cerasuolo, which is an austere wine, Vittoria DOC wines are bright and approachable.
