the surroundings of ragusa

It all started when…

Modica

Modica is one of the most popular cities in Sicily, thanks to its exceptional beauty and rich agricultural and culinary traditions.

Chiaramonte Gulfi

Chiaramonte is a small town South of Modica that pretty much represent the average Eastern Sicily town, bringing together its medieval history and the modern baroque town after the 1693 earthquake. The city is mostly vocated to agricultural production.

Azienda Agricola Gulfi

Gulfi is an important wine producer based in the territory of Chiaramonte Gulfi, north of Ragusa. Even though the head quarter is in Chiaramonte, the company owns vineyards also in the province of Siracusa (Pachino) and on the Etna mountain.

In its head quarter there is the possibility to stay overnight, have a meal and wine tasting in the Locanda Gulfi and jump into the swimming pool for a relaxing vacation.

The philosophy of Gulfi is that of biologic and natural wine: no chemicals are used in the process of farming the grapes and making the wine, only biological fertilizer is used (letame) and the harvest of the grapes is only done by hands. Another important factor of Gulfi is that the wine trees, mostly planted as Alberello (tree style) are not irrigated, forcing the plant to go deep into the soil to look for water, and together with it more nutrients.

The main type of grape farmed by Gulfi is the Nero d'Avola, that originate from the Siracusa province. The Nero d'Avola grape produces a very strong, warm and alcoholic wine, which in the past was used to give strength to weak wines produced in France and Germany. Other type of grapes are the Frappato (which mixed with Nero d'Avola creates the famous Cerasuolo di Vittoria wine), Nerello Mascalese, Cappuccio and Carricante farmed on the Etna mountain near Randazzo at 850 meters of altitude.