Terrafusa - Sophie Sassard & Dino Distefano

We are Dino and Sophie, winemakers on the southern slope of Etna, in Sicily, at 870 meters above sea level.

In the cellar, we pay great attention to the cleanliness and hygiene of the rooms and equipment, essential for working without the use of added sulphites.

In the cellar, depending on the production line, the grapes are destemmed and, when necessary, protected from oxidation with carbon dioxide. We use a soft press for pressing and work exclusively with free-run must. The pressing and vinification phases in stainless steel take place in a controlled environment to manage fermentation naturally, especially in difficult weather years.

Temperature management is achieved using refrigeration jackets when working with steel; for terracotta amphorae, in some vintages we cooled the containers naturally by taking them outside at night.

Fermentation occurs exclusively with indigenous yeasts, triggered by the pied de cuve. We use stainless steel or terracotta, depending on the wine line. The same applies to maceration on the skins and aging, which can take place in stainless steel, terracotta amphorae, or wooden barrels from the first to the fifth passage.

Bottling takes place in a controlled nitrogen atmosphere, without invasive filtration and without the addition of sulphites.