Alessandro Viola cultivates his vineyards in Sicily in a respectful and traditional way.
“In art, music and wine, the sensations that the works give vary according to the perceptions of individuals. Sometimes, the greatness of a work is perceived more by others than by the artist himself. When I drink a wine I feel satisfied only when I can't imagine it better, unfortunately I have a vivid imagination”, jokes Alessandro Viola, a Sicilian winemaker with a very personal and artisan project.
“I come from a family that has always worked grapes but he had never marketed wine under his own brand. As a child I started working in my father's vineyard, hoping to understand what I wanted to do in life, then I became passionate about quality wines but couldn't afford to buy them, so I decided to try making them myself." remembers Alessandro.
“I started making wine for personal use in my garage, then I enrolled in oenology college to find out more and, the more I studied grapes and the spontaneous processes that transform them into wine, the more I became convinced that great wines they must be done without any manipulation”.
Alessandro Viola: artisan wines that respect the environment.
“After graduating I worked for other wineries as a winemaker, but I understood that my vocation was to make artisanal wines –only with more knowledge than I had done up to that moment– and I realized that it was difficult to find a company that embraced my philosophy. So I decided to start on my own ”, he sentences.
no website, no public relations team, no fixed team. Alessandro is only aware of working the product as he likes. In his vineyards grow the local varieties of Grillo, Cataratto, Nero d'Avola and Nerello Mascalese, in seven hectares worked without fertilizers or herbicides, following biodynamic practices. After, his wines are made unfiltered and without sulphites.
"To tell the truth, I'm not looking for any kind of publicity," he confesses. “I think that for a small winery it is enough to spread the word among the enthusiasts. On the other hand, I am not interested in growing large quantities in the future, because I think it is important to carry out the work in person both in the vineyard and in the winery, that is the added value of craftsmanship”.
Now you can discover Viola wines in a virtual Camper pop up.
Nevertheless, he gladly joined Camper's The Walking Society initiative, "a very interesting project, in which people who are not known by most are given a voice, but they are talented at what they do.” In fact, Alessandro was won over by the fact that the shoe firm has found his space in the market maintaining a certain originality, just as he tries to keep her in his company.
This publication that the firm resumed in 2020 puts the accent on local heritage and products created in the Mediterranean, and now has its extension in a virtual ephemeral store, where exclusive objects and ideas from these regions are found (until June 30).
The publication 'The Walking Society' vindicates local heritage and Mediterranean crafts, in this case from Sicily.
TRAVEL NOTEBOOK: SICILY
What does this island have that no other place in the world has? “I have traveled enough to be able to have elements of comparison”, says Alessandro, “and I like every corner of this island. The fact of being surrounded by the sea makes you feel at home, but it is large enough not to be mistaken for a cage. You can travel within it finding very different scenarios, it has a temperate climate but with a few winter months that make summer appreciated... and then there are its light and colors.”
"I love where I live, but if I want to spend a holiday in Sicily I will Pantelleria in high season, because I don't like crowded places and it's a place where I can take my mind off work and relax.
Island of Pantelleria, Sicily.
Another destination I love to go to is Castelbuono, I love the atmosphere that is created at night while you eat and drink something. A couple of times a year I go to Taormina, it's a beautiful city and well maintained and you can breathe an international atmosphere. Finally, I love the province of Ragusa for the splendid baroque cities and for the great beaches that are never crowded.
TWO VERY SPECIAL WINES
It is now possible to savor two of Alessandro's wines at Camper's online pop-up store. “Note di bianco is the wine that I produce in the largest quantity and for me perhaps the most important wine, because I believe that the value of a company is measured by its base wine. It is a pure cricket, vinified in steel and without any additives or filters, it wants to be a traditional white wine without the help of chemistry, based on freshness, liveliness and **ease of drinking despite having intensity and body”. **
Another way of making wine is possible.
“Then there is Sinfonia di rosso, elaborated with Nerello Mascalese grapes, a type of grape that I would place in the Nebbiolo and Pinot Noir category. It has a discharged color but, on the other hand, it is very intense and with a good propensity for aging, Aged in 3,000 liter oak barrels. When young it reveals a marked red fruit like black cherry. Two authentic Sicilian flavors, two 'tickets' to the best of the island.
Alessandro comes from a family dedicated to wine, but he wanted to do things differently.