Pietradolce, Vigna Barbagalli has been included in the guide Vini e Vignaioli d’Italia 2025 by Corriere della Sera. It is the only one in Sicily in the publication.
Solicchiata, November 2024 – Ancient and contemporary, to the point of being innovative: Barbagalli vineyard, with its 130 years of history, was selected among the ten most beautiful historic Italian vineyards – as the only one in Sicily – by the Vini e Vignaioli 2025 guide of Corriere della Sera. Luciano Ferraro and James Suclinkg, the curators, have also awarded Barbagalli Etna Rosso 97 points, classifying it among the best 100 Italian wines.
“We are delighted that James Suckling and Luciano Ferraro wanted to include our Barbagali Vineyard among Italy’s ten most beautiful historic vineyards. The recognition is a great source of pride for our family and, I believe, for the whole magical Etna area. Almost abandoned 30 years ago, this area has experienced a rebirth in recent years, which has transformed it into a leading wine-growing area on a global level, with wines recognized for their elegance, their minerality and their high-quality profile. Some of these wines are produced precisely from our beautiful centenary vineyards, which brings added value from a qualitative and identity point of view”, states Michele Faro, owner with his family of the Pietradolce winery.
Vigna Barbagalli, a small vineyard of Nerello di Mascalese at 900 meters above sea level, enclosed among other old vineyards also owned by the Faro family located on the eastern side of Etna, speaks of an era that has no longer existed for over a century, from when the vineyards were ungrafted, and Phylloxera had not yet troubled Sicilian viticulture. It is important, however, to remember that its uniqueness lies not only in its age but also in its testimony of resilience and biodiversity, as well as a balanced relationship between plant and man; these are fundamental elements to give a perspective to modern viticulture dealing with the climate crisis and scarcity of resources.
It is precisely the close relationship with the territory and its vineyards that originates the stylistic mark of Cantina Pietradolce, renowned for being a boutique winery thanks to the “tailoring” work of the Faro family. From this approach are born his high-quality, territorial, and strongly identifying wines, appreciated all over the world.
From Vigna Barbagalli, with its sapling vines and branches intertwined to create a unique landscape, comes Barbagalli Etna Rosso, produced in no more than 2,000 bottles per year. This wine is the maximum expression of the quality of Pietradolce and the deep passion of the Faro family for their land, managed with study and technical competence.
Barbagalli Etna Rosso expresses innate elegance and depth among Italy’s most famous wines. Resulting from a highly selected manual harvest, it rests for 20 months in lightly toasted, fine-grained 700-litre oak barrels and then refines for many years in the bottle. For the Faro family, it is the highest expression of Etna. The 2020 vintage, with its persistent intensity, velvety tannins and a finish of ash and minerality that make it recognizable as a volcanic wine, fascinated Luciano Ferraro and James Suclinkg, who awarded it 97 points in the Vini e Vignaioli d’Italia 2025 guide.
