Azienda COS is one of the most important wine making estates in Sicily. Located in the South East of the island, close to the town of Vittoria, the winery’s terroir-driven expressions of local grape varieties Nero d’Avola and Frappato have put the region on the international wine map. The project was founded in 1980 when three friends, Giambattista Cilia, Giusto Occhipinti and Cirino Strano, came together to purchase fruit and plant vines. Their commitment to biodynamic practices has not only been instrumental in creating quality wines, it has also inspired a generation of wine growers in Sicily to pursue sustainable farming.
The COS estate covers 34 hectares, 24 of which are grouped together on the estate. The rest is not far away. In addition the company rent a small amount of Zibibbo near the town of Marsala on the western edge of Sicily. Zibibbo, the Sicilian name for Moscato di Alessandria, is growing rapidly in popularity due to the handful of high quality wines that are vinified dry, rather than the sweet wines that have become synonymous with Pantelleria. Along with Marco da Bartoli and Arriana Occhipinti, COS produce one of the most impressive dry expressions of the grape in Sicily - Zibibbo in Pithos.
The vineyards are located just to the north of Vittoria, close to the village of Acate. Positioned between the Ippari and Drillo rivers that flow out out of the Hyblaean Mountains down towards the Mediterranean Sea, the appellation’s biggest threat comes from surges in humidity.
