Aldo Viola

Aldo Viola manages a total of around 9 hectares of vineyards, spread across numerous small parcels located in various villages, some of which are quite far apart. The largest of these is in Feudo Guarini, a full 30 kilometers from the winery. Several years ago, he planted Syrah and Nero d’Avola there on land that had previously lain mostly fallow, at an altitude of 350 meters.

Enthusiastic, passionate, extroverted – Aldo Viola is one of the more charismatic figures in the Italian wine scene. Watching and listening to him at tastings, it's hard to imagine him quietly and introspectively tending vines alone in the fields of Alcamo, Sicily, where his family has owned vineyards for four generations. In fact, Aldo spent several years exploring different corners of the world, learning to dance tango, picking up multiple languages, and getting to know a wide range of wine styles before finally settling in the northwest of the island in 2000 – a region little known in central Europe, but which Aldo considers one of the cradles of Italian winemaking, and today, according to him, the part of Europe with the highest vineyard density.

ALDO VIOLA IN RED

In this region, Aldo personally cultivates 9 hectares of vineyards on his own, spread across many small plots in various villages around Alcamo, some quite distant from each other. The largest parcel is located in Feudo Guarini, 30 kilometers from the winery, where he planted Syrah and Nero d’Avola several years ago on previously uncultivated land at 350 meters above sea level. While Nero d’Avola was an obvious choice, planting Syrah was driven by his passion for the grape, his partly French heritage, and his conviction that it would thrive in this environment – with calcareous clay soils, some north-facing slopes, a warm and dry climate, and plenty of wind. Time has proven him right: his two varietal interpretations, Coccinella and especially Guarini Plus, are impressive testaments to this decision.

ALDO VIOLA IN WHITE

Although Moretto – a third red wine based on Perricone, Syrah, and Nerello Mascalese – completes his red lineup, Aldo’s vineyards are actually located in a region dominated by white grape varieties. In the far west, around Trapani and Marsala, Grillo plays the leading role, and Aldo gives this grape a truly spectacular interpretation in his wine Egesta. However, the undisputed number one in the northwest – and across all of Sicily, with over 30,000 hectares – is Catarratto. With his wine Krimiso, Aldo attempts to revive the aromas of times gone by.

To achieve this, he now officially cultivates his vineyards organically and also incorporates various biodynamic practices. Two sprayings per year are usually sufficient for his vines. Copper is only used in exceptional years, so he mainly relies on minimal sulfur treatments. Thanks to the dry climate, this approach is admittedly easier than in most other Italian wine regions – but still not widely adopted.

In the cellar, Aldo places his trust in the wild yeast populations native to his vineyards, believing – as we do – that they are an essential part of his terroir and sensorially present in his wines. His white wines undergo long maceration times, though so subtly handled that one barely notices. In contrast, the skin contact for his red wines is relatively short, aiming to highlight their elegant characteristics. Aging is done primarily in stainless steel tanks; he uses wood only occasionally and exclusively for his red wines. Aldo adds nothing, takes nothing away, avoids fining and filtering, and foregoes the use of sulfur whenever it seems appropriate.