Paolo Calì


Growing Area
Vittoria & Ragusa (southern Sicily)
Proprietor
Paolo Calì
Year Founded
2001
Size
15 hectares
Farming Practice
Organic

Paolo Calì – Wines from the Sands of Vittoria

In the heart of southeastern Sicily, near Vittoria in the province of Ragusa, Paolo Calì cultivates vines on rare, prehistoric marine sand dunes that date back millions of years. This unique terroir—shaped by wind, rain, and Mediterranean sun—defines his wines with elegance, minerality, and an unmistakable saline character.

A pharmacist by profession and a winemaker by vocation, Paolo revived his family’s long viticultural tradition, dedicating himself to the indigenous varieties that best express the land: Frappato, Nero d’Avola, and Grillo. His approach is guided by respect for nature and authenticity: spontaneous fermentations, no selected yeasts, minimal intervention, and separate vinification for each vineyard.

The flagship wine is Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG, Sicily’s only DOCG, a natural blend of Nero d’Avola and Frappato, interpreted through single-vineyard expressions like Forfice, Niscia, and Pruvuletta, as well as the more personal Manene. Alongside these, Paolo produces pure Frappato in red, rosé, and even an ancestral-method sparkling, as well as Grillo-based white from hillsides in Ragusa that showcases freshness and Mediterranean salinity.

Paolo’s wines are celebrated for their finesse, vibrant fruit, and balance between tradition and innovation. They capture not just the flavors of Vittoria’s sandy soils, but also the joy and resilience of a land where viticulture remains deeply rooted in local culture.

wines

White

Varietal/Blend
Grillo

Vineyard Area
The Grillo is grown in a different site with both significantly higher elevation (than the reds) and soil composition.

Soil
Limestone-rich clay with many rocky outcroppings (calcareous)

Elevation
350 meters

Farming Practice
Organic

Vinification
Picked by hand. Cold skin maceration on the skins, cold static clarification of the must, followed by a native fermentation at 16°C. Maturation on lees until bottling.

Maturation
Aged on the lees until bottling in stainless steel.


Marketing Materials:

Red

Varietal/Blend
Frappato

Vineyard Area
The Frappato comes from a larger selection of young vines in two of Calì's vineyards in Vittoria called Forfice and Pruvuletta.

Soil
Pre-historic marine dunes approximately 8 meters deep, undergirded by limestone bedrock — former seabed, located roughly 10 km from the current coastline.

Elevation
180 meters

Vinification
Picked by hand. Spontaneous fermentation. 8 to 15 days maceration in stainless steel tanks.

Maturation
Fermented and aged in stainless steel; approximately 4–6 months in stainless steel.


Marketing Materials:

Red

Varietal/Blend
Nero d'Avola

Vineyard Area
The Nero d'Avola comes from a larger selection of young vines in two of Calì's vineyards in Vittoria called Niscia and Pruvuletta.

Soil
Pre-historic marine dunes approximately 8 meters deep, undergirded by limestone bedrock — former seabed, located roughly 10 km from the current coastline.

Vinification
Picked by hand. Spontaneous fermentation. 8 to 15 days maceration in stainless steel tanks.

Maturation
Aged only in stainless steel. No specific duration is published by the winery


Marketing Materials:

Red

Varietal/Blend
Nero d'Avola (60%), Frappato (40%)

Vineyard Area
"Manene" is a second selection from all three vineyards in Vittoria (Niscia, Forfice, and Pruvuletta). Fermentation of each variety is carried out separately and a blend is made near the end of the maturation. The name "Manene" is inspired by the name of Paolo's son Emanuele, and the sound that the name took on the first few times the child pronounced it himself (the toddler's mispronunciation of "Emanuele"). Paolo adopted is as the name for his first wine.

Soil
Pre-historic marine dunes approximately 8 meters deep, undergirded by limestone bedrock — former seabed, located roughly 10 km from the current coastline.

Elevation
180 meters

Vinification
Picked by hand. 15 to 20 days maceration in stainless steel tanks. A portion of the Nero d'Avola makes a brief passage in wood.

Maturation
Approximately 18–24 months in stainless steel.


Marketing Materials:

Red

Varietal/Blend
Nero d'Avola (50%), Frappato (50%)

Vineyard Area
From mixed plantings in the vineyard of Forfice, prized for its perfect sun exposure.

Soil
Pre-historic marine dunes approximately 8 meters deep, undergirded by limestone bedrock — former seabed, located roughly 10 km from the current coastline.

Elevation
180 meters

Vinification
Spontaneous co-fermentation of the varieties. Submerged cap maceration on the skins for approximately 100 days.

Maturation
Aged in Slavonian oak barrels and amphora


Marketing Materials: