Cusumano - Giannikos Winery

The founder of the winery, Francesco Cusumano, founded the company forty years ago for a very simple reason: he is a winegrower with heart and soul. He believes in Sicilian wine, its potential and works to fully exploit it. The basic idea of Cusumano is the cru idea: there is an optimal location for every grape variety. So Cusumano started from the many different conditions that Sicily offers. In Sicily he looked for those regions that offer the best conditions for the different grape varieties and there he bought wine-growing plots. The winery now owns 7 plots, with each wine expressing the expression of the terroir. The largest terroir Ficuzza (189 hectares) is located in Piana degli Albanesi in the province of Palermo. The second largest terroir San Giacomo (140 hectares) is located in Butera (province of Caltanissetta). The other terroirs are in the areas of Presti e Pegni, Milioto, Monte Pietroso, Marchesa and Buonivini.

Cusumano mainly works with autochthonous Sicilian grapes, as most in Sicily do. In the 1990s, his sons Alberto and Diego Cusumano took over the winery and since then brought it to the top 10 of Sicilian wine producers. They have already reached the highest rating in the Gambero Rosso 14 times. Particularly remarkable about this winery is the very high level of all wines, from the simple bianco to the rare rosso. Their statement: "Every drop is a masterpiece" is absolutely correct!

In terms of wine, Sicily is one of the largest regions in Italy by volume. Millions of hectoliters were shipped to northern Italy in the 1990s to assemble into drinkable and, above all, cheap wine. Fortunately, a new generation has emerged that wants to go for quality instead of quantity. And with success. Winery Cusumano of the brothers Diego and Alberto of the same name was even named Winery of the Year in Italy in 2013! Then you really have to be able to make seriously good wines. Together with winemaker Mario Ronco, the brothers have opted for a modern approach, without forgetting their Sicilian origins. This is also apparent from their choice of cultivated grapes, a mix of indigenous varieties such as Nero d'Avola and Inzolia and international certainties Syrah and Chardonnay. Cusumano's terroir idea is that there is an ideal place on the island for every grape variety used.