Le Casematte is a Sicilian winery founded in 2008. Born from the dream of Gianfranco Sabbatino, accountant by profession and winemaker by passion. Later he was joined by Andrea Barzagli, a former footballer who, as a DOC Florentine, has a great passion for the wine sector. The vineyards dominate the Strait of Messina, in the Faro area, over 500 meters above sea level

Why “Le Casematte”
The vineyard that dominates the Strait of Messina is located in Faro Superiore, the hilly village that gives its name to the entire Faro Doc, in the extreme northern edge of Sicily. The company owes its singular name to the presence of two casemates.
The total extension of the vineyard is about 11 hectares and is cultivated organically with Nerello Mascalese, Nerello Cappuccio, Nocera and Nero d'Avola varieties, in the percentages provided for by the Faro Doc regulations for black grapes, as well as Grillo and Caricante for white grapes.
The training system adopted is: espalier and sapling.
Nerello Mascalese (niuriddu mascalisi in Sicilian) is a vine that has historically spread in the Messina and Etna area. It ripens very late and its harvest is carried out between the second and third week of October.
Nerello Cappuccio (also known as Nerello mantellato) is also a vine similar in diffusion and use to Nerello Mascalese, so much so that both varieties contribute to the production of Faro Doc and Etna Doc wines. Its name is due to the particular shape of the plant, grown as a sapling. Its origin is unknown but it has been cultivated locally for several hundred years.
The Nocera vine is ampelographically very similar to Nerelli. It has been traditionally cultivated in Sicily in the Messina area since very ancient times. Some hypothesize that it is linked to the historic “Mamertinum” wines and the “Zancle” wines celebrated by the ancient Latins. This vine was also “exported” to Calabria with some success and, in the middle of the last century, to France: Provence and Beaujolais (home of the novello), where it spread with the names of “Suquet” and “Barbe du Sultan”.
The name of the Nero d’Avola vine originated as Calaulisi, erroneously Italianized into Calabrese or according to others from a family that owned the vineyards of Avola. Cala is the dialect form of Calea, or Caleu, Sicilian synonyms of racina or grape. Aulisi indicates “Aula” or the city of Avola in dialect. Ultimately Uva di Avola, or Calea-Aulisi, and finally Calaulisi. The grafting of the first Nero d'Avola was carried out in Avola. The origin of the name nero d'avola is therefore to be contextualized in very remote times.

Territory and Vines
The cellar, modern and functional, has recently been expanded and equipped with a new barrel room for refinement and a comfortable and panoramic tasting room. The hilly terrain where the terraces of our vineyards are located reaches up to about 500 meters above sea level, is exposed to the North and overlooks the sea. The winds coming from the Ionian and the Tyrrhenian Sea that meet in the facing Strait of Messina create a particular microclimate that favors the temperature range between day and night even in the height of summer so as not to thermally stress our vines during the delicate phase of maturation.

The Grapes
The total extension of the vineyard of about 10 hectares is cultivated with Nerello Mascalese, Nerello Cappuccio, Nocera and Nero d'Avola varieties, in the percentages foreseen by the Faro Doc regulations.
Nerello Mascalese (niuriddu mascalisi in Sicilian) is a vine that grows in the Etna area in the province of Catania, and in the Capo Faro area in the province of Messina. Its name is due to the fact that for centuries it has been cultivated in the area of ​​the County of Mascali on land consisting, for the most part, of volcanic sands. It ripens very late and its harvest is carried out between the second and third week of October.
Nerello Cappuccio (also known as Nerello mantellato) is a vine grown on the slopes of Etna in the province of Catania, and in the province of Messina, which contributes to the production of Etna doc and Faro Doc wines. Its name is due to the particular shape of the plant, grown as a sapling. Its origin is unknown but it has been cultivated locally for several hundred years.
The Nocera vine is ampelographically very similar to Nerelli. It has been traditionally cultivated in Sicily in the Messina area since very ancient times. Some hypothesize that it is linked to the historic “Mamertinum” wines and the “Zancle” wines celebrated by the ancient Latins. This vine was also “exported” to Calabria with some success and, in the middle of the last century, to France: Provence and Beaujolais (home of the novello), where it spread with the names of “Suquet” and “Barbe du Sultan”.
The name of the Nero d’Avola vine originated as Calaulisi, erroneously Italianized as Calabrese or secondo others from a family that owned the vineyards of Avola. Cala is the dialect form of Calea, or Caleu, Sicilian synonyms of Racina, meaning grape. Aulisi indicates “Aula”, meaning the city of Avola in dialect. Ultimately, Uva di Avola, or Calea-Aulisi, and finally Calaulisi. The grafting of the first Nero d’Avola was carried out in Avola. The origin of the name Nero d’Avola must therefore be contextualized in very remote times.