Arianna Occhipinti, Frappato and the three contrade

Vittoria, Sicily, summer 2023

Along the SP68, in the countryside around Vittoria, the landscape changes slowly: low bush vines, wild herbs between the rows, bees. This is where Arianna Occhipinti built one of the most recognisable voices in contemporary Italian wine, starting from a grape many considered minor: Frappato.

The vineyard as an ecosystem

Organic and biodynamic farming, no synthetic chemicals, vines trained as bush vines (alberello). But what strikes you on the walk is what grows around the vines: wild plants left to thrive, a vegetable garden, hedges.

"In the vineyard I try to respect the plants around the vines, because they are a resource. Keep biodiversity, don't disturb the natural balance of things," Arianna told us.

The cellar: rigour underground

If the vineyard is free, the cellar is precise. It is underground, so the temperature stays stable without help. The reds ferment and age in concrete, a neutral material that lets the grape speak; the single-contrada Frappatos have three diamond-shaped vats of their own.

Three contrade, one grape

The tasting is a geography lesson. The same Frappato, from three different vineyards:

• Pettineo, from vines around sixty years old: full fruit, soft tannins, acidity that promises time.
• Fossa di Lupo: livelier, strawberry and currant, with a herbal hint.
• Bombolieri: the deepest, turning towards garnet, long and velvety.

Alongside, the "classic" Frappato and SP68, the everyday red named after the road.

Why it stays with you

• Consistency you can see. What she says in the vineyard, she does in the cellar, and you find it in the glass.
• The land, read in detail. Three contrade of one grape explain terroir better than any lecture.
• A project beyond wine. With Orto e Dispensa, the estate also grows local food products.

Visits can be booked through the estate's website, agricolaocchipinti.it.