Innovative Packaging Showcases Sicilian Winery Commitment to Sustainability
MARSALA, ITALY – [September 4, 2024] Donnafugata, the family-owned winery and leading example of authentic and sustainable winemaking in Sicily, releases a new packaging for Lighea 2023. Continuing to focus on the challenge of environmental sustainability, the award-winning producer introduces innovative packaging to the 2023 vintage of the white wine.
Lighea is now bottled in the Cento per Cento Sicilia (‘100% Sicilian’) Burgundy bottle, produced exclusively on the island of Sicily from recycled glass implemented by O-I Glass in collaboration with Fondazione SOStain. Weighing just 410 grams, instead of the typical 550 grams, the Cento per Cento Sicilia bottle is lighter and therefore contributes to reducing CO2 emissions and environmental impact over time. Lighea also uses the Nomacorc Ocean closure, produced by recycling plastic collected in coastal areas to protect the marine ecosystem.
“It is a wine that looks to the future,” says Donnafugata CEO and family-proprietor Josè Rallo. “The introduction of the Cento per Cento Sicilia bottle and the Nomacorc Ocean closure are innovations in line with the sustainable development goals of the UN 2030 Agenda. These decisions add to over 30 years of good practices from reducing the vineyard’s environmental impact to the production of clean energy, as well as the protection of biodiversity to support the land. It is our ongoing commitment that has enabled us to obtain SOStain certification for sustainable Sicilian winemaking.”
Lighea, made from Zibibbo (Muscat of Alexandria) grapes, is a product of the unique viticulture of Pantelleria where the sun and wind create extreme winemaking conditions in this volcanic island. In this region, the traditional Pantelleria alberello, head-trained bush vines, grow low to the ground. Given the creative and sustainable technique, it is the only agricultural practice with Unesco Cultural Heritage status.
“The extreme nature of Pantelleria has always represented a real challenge and Lighea is a truly authentic interpretation of this land,” comments Antonio Rallo, Donnafugata Winemaker, CEO and family-proprietor. “Growing the vines so low and in terraces requires a lot of labor, from pruning and harvesting to the essential maintenance of kilometers of dry- lava stone walls. Knowledge, hard work, and dedication are the basis of the teamwork that makes it possible to create unique and highly distinctive products like Lighea.”
The result is an aromatic wine with a deeply Mediterranean character; a white that stands out for its unmistakable hints of orange blossom, its citrusy and floral notes, its remarkable freshness, and its pleasant mineral finish.
The new Lighea 2023 packaging features the eyes of a bewitching mermaid showcasing the wine’s personality. Staying true to the elegant original design drawn by artist Stefano Vitale, the background of the new label depicts a Pantelleria dawn.
Lighea 2023 is available now in New York for an SRP of $24.99, with nationwide availability starting in early 2025.
About Donnafugata
Donnafugata, founded in 1983 by Giacomo and Gabriella Rallo, is a family-owned winery and leading example of authentic and sustainable winemaking in Sicily. Donnafugata produces tailor-made wines at the pinnacle of Italian craftsmanship, focused on small, prestigious productions from unique territories and vineyards across the island of Sicily. Their trademark labels illustrate the vibrant, colorful culture and storied history of Sicily in a distinctive and sensual style that makes their wines a natural choice for those drawn to the world of art. Today, Donnafugata is led by Antonio and José Rallo, who represent the fifth generation of Rallo family wine production in Sicily. Donnafugata’s range of wines aims to showcase the extraordinary potential of Sicily, hailing from over 488 hectares of vineyards in Sicily across five estates in Contessa Entellina, Pantelleria, Vittoria, Etna, and Marsala; including the flagship wines Ben Ryé Passito di Pantelleria, Mille e una Notte Sicilia DOC, Fragore Etna Rosso DOC, and Tancredi Terre Siciliane IGT. For more information, visit donnafugata.it.
About Fondazione SOStain
Formed in 2020 and promoted by Consorzio di Tutela Vini Doc Sicilia and Assovini Sicilia, Fondazione SOStain Sicilia launched a strategic sustainability programme for the Sicilian winemaking industry; the Foundation promotes good practices for enhancing the ecosystem and the adoption of a virtuous production model among Sicilian businesses. The programme involves a set of Guidelines consisting of 10 minimum requirements which include aspects ranging from the measurement of the water footprint and carbon footprint to checks on the weight of the bottle, from preserving biodiversity to promoting human and territorial capital. The Foundation currently has 40 members, 24 of which are already certified, and is committed to raising awareness of the importance of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development across the region. https://www.fondazionesostainsicilia.it/
About Vinventions / Nomacorc
Vinventions is the world’s most comprehensive supplier of wine closure systems designed to support the different needs of wine producers. Vinventions provides closure solutions that maximize performance, design and sustainability. Its brands include Nomacorc Green Line and Blue Line, SÜBR, Vintop and Wine Quality Solutions. Vinventions employs over 550 collaborators across the world and manages production sites in the US, Belgium, France, Italy, Argentina, South Africa and China. Vinventions’ leadership values are customer care, innovation, empowerment, teamwork, sustainability and long-term responsibility. Vinventions has chosen to work alongside Donnafugata and the Damarino white wine was the first bottle in the world to use the Nomacorc Ocean closure, produced by recycling plastic collected in coastal areas to protect the marine ecosystem. In 2024 this closure is used for various Donnafugata wines. https://eu.vinventions.com/en/solutions/nomacorc/ocean/
About O-I Glass
O-I Glass is one of the world’s leading producers of sustainable glass packaging for the food and beverage industry. It employs 24,000 workers and has 69 production sites, 11 of which in Italy including the Marsala works in Sicily. Its most recent products include the Cento per Cento Sicilia bottles, produced exclusively in Sicily from 90% recycled glass according to a low-waste circular economy model. Another step towards a “zero mile” production process that respects the environment and promotes local resources.
https://www.o-i.com/ / https://glass-catalog.com/eu-it/innovations/dalla-sicilia-per-la-sicilia
