OUR NATURAL CATARRATTO ORANGE WINE

WHAT IS AN ORANGE WINE OR SKIN CONTACT WINE ?
[definition by Wine Enthusiast]
Skin contact is another term for maceration, or the period during winemaking when the grape skins remain in contact with the juice. Most red wines are made by fermenting grapes with their skins for the entire period of alcoholic fermentation. Thus, when people talk about skin-contact wines, they usually refer to white grapes that are vinified like red wines. The term Orange is another way to indicate this category: this style of wines can also be known by their color references of having an amber or orange tinge that the base white wine receives due to its contact with the coloring pigments of the grape skins.
WHAT IS A NATURAL WINE?
NATURAL WINES ARE made only with organic/biodynamic grapes, without adding or subtracting anything in the cellar. No additives, no chemicals, no aromas, no selected yeasts, low sulfur, that’s it.

KATAMACERATO from
Catarratto grapes

GRAPES VARIETIES: Catarratto

MACERATION 7 days - SOIL clay, sand, stones - AGEING 7 months in stainless steel tin

WINEMAKING natural, spontaneous fermentation

VINTAGES AVAILABLE: 2019

KATAMACERATO from catarratto grapes - elios natural white orange wine from sicily

HOW THE KATAmacerato CAME ABOUT

After 5 years of winemaking we finally came up with our expression of Catarratto grapes. Catarratto vines are the most cultivated in our Alcamo territory; Catarratto is, more than other grapes, the symbol of our town.

In the last 20 years we assisted to the ANNIHILATION of these grapes. Big wineries started to vinify it (for market) taking eveything away: thus no skin contact, pastorizing, massively filtering, obtaining a white paper colour idro-alcoholic drink, not a wine.

We decided to make a "cut with the past" (represented on the label by a Katana that cuts the grapes in two halves), doing the opposite to the big wineries.

Catarratto is a great grapes when you leave everything it has, and, as you know, the secret and power is in the skins!

The wine is thus of a deep orange color and with a very long aging potential. It is a dense and structured wine without neglecting elegance, rustic tannin reminiscent of the most authentic countryside.

At the taste has an excellent freshness and drinkability, with hints of spices and mature fruit. Perfect in combination with seasoned cheeses (e.g. caciocavallo) or very tasty and typical dishes of Mediterranean cuisine (pasta with sardines and fennel, anchovies etc.). It's a wine that farmers in the past used for themselves in packed lunches during work in the countryside, often combined with pecorino aged cheese or salted sardines.

THE VARIETY: CATARRATTO

CATARRATTO

The variety is grown all over Sicily, though concentrated in three provinces: Trapani, Palermo, and Agrigento. Traditionally, Catarratto wine was vinified as cheap bulk wine, usually made into sweet goop. With the coming of modern winemaking to Italy, some producers have turned to producing good-quality wine from the variety, with success. A well-made Catarratto has freshness and minerality, a good body, and citrus and herbal flavors. It may also exhibit slightly nut-like tastes. In some cases, the makers have applied some oak-barrel aging as well, which seems to work satisfactorily.

[varieties info credits: WIKIPEDIA & thatusefulwinesite.com]