The Historic cellars in Marsala were built in 1851, they host an excellent productive reality whilst preserving the typical Mediterranean “baglio” layout, including a large and charming inner courtyard, dotted with citrus and olive trees. In our winery, we age the wines that come from our estates.
Diversified and expertly combined ageing methods ensure complexity and elegance to our wines. The choice between the different types of ageing (steel, concrete, wood and bottle), their duration and skilful combination depend on the vintage, the type of grapes and the wine we aim to obtain.
We use steel tanks especially for short ageing, while the concrete ones are excellent containers for medium and long ageing thanks to the good thermal inertia, a natural degree of insulation, and a total absence of electrostatic currents.
For our ageing we prefer to use French oak whose porosity guarantees a slow and regular supply of oxygen to the wine. To fully respect the peculiarities of the individual vines and enhance their potential for evolution, about 20 different types of wood are selected for the grain of the staves, method and intensity of toasting
Over the years, we have extended the period of ageing in the bottle for red wines that are prestigious and destined for a great longevity. The period in the bottle makes it possible to obtain wines that are more harmonious and elegant.
In 2007 we built an underground barrique cellar, dug into tuffa rock to create an optimal environment for the ageing in barriques of wines that aim for elegance and longevity: Mille e una Notte, Tancredi Dolce & Gabbana and Donnafugata, Angheli and Chiarandà.
A deep love for one’s land has always been the soul of Donnafugata. A desire to produce quality wines that respect the environment: “From the vineyard to the bottle, there is no quality without sustainability”
Built in 2007, it is an example of sustainable architecture: having been dug into tuffa rock (calcarenite), it is possible to reduce the amount of energy needed to maintain the desired temperature and humidity parameters (15°C and 85%).
The UN Agenda 2030
Goal 12- Responsible consumption and production
One of our first sustainable choices was to produce energy from renewable sources: in Marsala we installed a 50 Kw photovoltaic system in 2007, committing ourselves to reducing CO2 emissions
The UN Agenda 2030
Goal 7- Clean and Affordable Energy
Glass bottles are an important part of the carbon footprint of the process of wine production, which is why we have oriented our purchases towards lighter bottles, reducing our carbon footprint.
The UN Agenda 2030
Goal 13- Fight against climate change
Guided tours, professional tastings and refined combinations with specialties of local cuisine await you. A hospitality that you can enjoy all year round.
