“Recognition for Sicily and quality wine.” The medal to be awarded Friday, October 27 at the Quirinale in Rome.

Marsala, October 26, 2006 – Extremely few companies can fully identify with their founder’s personality but this is certainly the case with Donnafugata and Giacomo Rallo.

Born in 1937, he is the fourth generation of a historic family of Sicilian wine producers that since 1851 has believed in the extraordinary enological potential of its land. Giacomo Rallo created the Donnafugata Winery by innovatively interpreting the values of enterprise, nature and culture. Values demonstrated by the commitment to making fine wine while respecting  the environment and promoting the territory.

Donnafugata is an enterprise stretching from Marsala—home of the historic family cellars—to the vineyards and cellars of Contessa Entellina and the island of Pantelleria. At all sites, wines are produced that serve as prestigious fine-wine ambassadors in Italy and to 43 foreign countries.

The entrepreneurial and personal history of Giacomo Rallo (the only Sicilian and only person in the agriculture sector appointed this year), today, is given the highest recognition by the President of the Italian Republic, Giorgio Napolitano the title of Cavaliere del lavoro – recognition for achievement in the Italian economic sector.

“My native land needs to believe in itself,” comments Giacomo Rallo, founder and owner of the company, “to rediscover its productive and cultural vocations and increasingly bring to the forefront an executive and entrepreneurial class able to generate development and jobs for future generations. Donnafugata is a successful case in which modern corporate planning, production aimed at excellence and promotion of the territory’s cultural identity has found an increasingly advanced and competitive synthesis. This honor also pays tribute to the world of fine wine and all those who through the years have worked to create a new and more positive profile of the Sicilian region. I am deeply grateful to President Napolitano and all the authorities who have contributed to Sicily’s new success.”

The award ceremony will be held at Palazzo Quirinale on Friday, October 27, at 10 a.m. and broadcast live on RAI 1, the Italian state radio-television system. The new honorees, nominated last June 1, will receive directly from the hands of the head of state the Golden Cross with emblems of the Republic and the words “For achievement in work.”

Public Relations:

Baldo M. Palermo [email protected] tel. 0039 0923 7242267

Laura Ellwanger [email protected] te. 0039 0923 724258