Vigna nica

Vigna nica is situated in the territory of the Mamertino DOC whose origins are very old because the Mamertini (sons of “Mamerte”, in latin “Marte”, the god of war) were mercenary soldiers who planted, in the Milazzo area of Sicily, “a worthy vine to produce a worthy wine”, precisely the Mamertino.

A warm, generous and comfortable wine said to be one of Julius Caesar’s favourite wines which he offered his guests at the banquet to celebrate his third consulate, also mentioned in De Bello Gallico. Plinio places it in fourth place out of 195 wines, and Marziale wrote“… give the Mamertino whatever name you wish, maybe the most famous of all wines”.

 The Mamertino DOC falls within a large territory in the province of Messina, a unique terroir with a hinterland of the highest naturalistic value and villages rich in history, just a stone’s throw from the Aeolian Islands.

About forty-five minutes away from Vigna nica you can visit the Nebrodi Park which represents the largest protected area in Sicily, the Aeolian Islands, the town of Milazzo with its Bourbon castle, the historical villages of Novara di Sicilia, Montalbano Elicona, Castroreale, the Natural Reserve of the Lakes of Marinello for an unforgettable swim, the Sanctuary of Tindari to pray to the Black Madonna, the Megaliths of Argimusco (a Sicilian Stonehenge), the Jalari Park Museum, a stone museum sculptured entirely by hand, surrounded by small shops that tell the story of Sicilian traditions, and lastly the Pensabene Castle in Protonotaro for a dinner under the stars in a 13th century castle.

Our “Arusa” IGP Terre Siciliane Rosé is a fresh, balanced and persistent wine with notes of strawberry and raspberry; it can be paired very well with a tuna tartare, but also with cured meats like mortadella. We also recommend pairing it with focaccia bread. Here is the recipe of the Messinese Focaccia Bread:

Messinese Focaccia Bread

You can replace the lard with oil but it will be softer and less crunchy.

Ingredients for topping:

• Salted anchovies;

• 600g well dried tuma;

• 400g escarole;

• tomatoes;

• extra virgin olive oil;

• oregano;

• salt and pepper

Prepare the dough by mixing the flour and semolina, add the water, yeast, lard, sugar and salt. When the dough is ready, cover and leave to rise for an hour at room temperature. Then put in fridge for at least four hours but no longer than twelve hours.

When the dough is ready, knead it and spread it out on an oiled tray.

First of all add the cut up, desalted anchovies and press into the dough with your thumb. 

Add a generous layer of the diced tuma, then the washed and dried escarole and lastly the tomatoes.

Add salt, pepper and oregano. Changing the order of the ingredients will change the final taste.

Cook in hot, static oven at 180°C for about 20 minutes. Once cooked, pour over some extra virgin olive oil and accompany with a glass of Arusa, the rosé of Vigna nica.

Ours is an artisanal wine, whoever buys it knows they are about to take home a product that has been followed and loved by those who made it. The word artisan for us means that the producer follows the entire production process with care and dedication, from the vineyard to the cellar, and finally to marketing.

Our goal is to let you taste a quality product that does not follow the fashion of the moment but is the result of years of study and experimentation. We combine the classic organic cultivation method with biodynamic agriculture techniques to experiment, and above all, to live in the field every day learning to get to know the area better fully respecting nature.

Our fertilization systems vary according to the years. To mention a few; horn manure or preparation 500, green manure, earthworm humus. The treatment in the vineyard is based on sulphur, zeolite and pyrethrum. Our yields are very low and do not exceed 50 quintals/ha.

In the cellar we use refined techniques such as delestage for the red and dry ice for the white and rosé.

If you come and visit us, you will not find tasting rooms or designer structures, but a workplace full of passion where tenacity, professionalism and respect for nature and the territory are the expression of our identity.